A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instruction stored in its own

memory that can accept data (input), process the data according to specified rules, produce
information (output). This assignment include operation of a computer, differences between
hardware and software also differences between data and information etc.

Basic Operations of a Computer System

Inputting

Processing

Outputting

Storing

Controlling

Input Unit

Inputting is a basic operation of a computer system. This is the act of feeding in the data and
instruction to the computer (by computer here it means the processing unit).

A computer system consists of different functional units and Input Unit does the operation of
Inputting. By inputting you should understand that it is to send data and/or instruction to the
computer in the required format. Information and programs are entered into the computer through
Input devices such as the keyboard, disks, or through other computers via network connections or
modems connected to the Internet.

The input device also retrieves information off disks. Because Computers work with bits, there
should be some mechanism to make data understandable by CPU (the process is called encoding)
and also the information produced by CPU must be converted to the human readable form (called
decoding). Input Unit devices take care of encoding.

The devices that help you to input data and instructions are known as Input Devices. Keyboard,
Mouse, Light Pen, JoyStick, Scanners, Microphone etc are some examples of input unit devices. The
devices that can send data directly to the CPU or which does not need to encode it before sending to
CPU are considered Direct Entry Input Devices such as scanners. Devices such as a keyboard which
require encoding data so that it is in the form a CPU can understand are Indirect Entry Input Devices.

Processing Unit

The task of performing calculations and comparisons are known as processing.

The unit in Computer System that is responsible for processing is ALU (Arithmetic and Logical Unit).
ALU is the place where actual execution of the instructions takes place during the processing
operations. All calculations & comparisons are made in the ALU. The data and instructions stored in
the primary storage are transferred to it as when required. ALU may produce Intermediate results
and store it in the memory which is also transferred back to the ALU for the final processing. After
completion of processing the final results are send to storage units from ALU.

Output Unit

This unit takes care of receiving processed information from processing unit and present it to the
user in the suitable form.

A computer produces results in binary form and output unit does decoding to make it usable to the
users. The devices that can output information from a computer are known as output unit devices.
Monitors, Speakers, Projectors are soft output devices whereas printers, plotters produce hard copy
output. Soft copy output is something that is temporary or is available only as long as the output
device is turned on. Contrary to these are hard copy output which is permanent. The printout in a
paper is not lost because the printer is turned off!

Storage Unit

Before actual processing start, data & instructions entered to the computer must be stored
somewhere inside the computer. Similarly, results produced by the computer are required to be
stored before it is passed to the output unit. The intermediate result produced by the computer
must also be stored for further processing. Thus the importance of storage Unit in a computer
system is vital.

Based on whether the storage device is inside the main machine or not, it can be internal or external
storage. Similarly, looking at whether the storage device works close with CPU or works as backup
media, they can be primary storage or secondary storage. Primary storage is also called primary
memory. Secondary storage is known by other names such as backup storage or secondary memory.
For the storage purpose, a computer system may have different devices such as registers, cache,
RAM/ROM, flash, magnetic disks, optical disks and so on.

Control Unit

ALU dose does not know what should be done with the data likewise, output unit dose not know
when the result should be displayed. By selecting, interning and seeing to the execution of the
program the CU is able to maintain order and direct the operations of the entire system. CU doesn't
perform any actual processing on data yet it is known as a central nervous system for the comforts
of the computer. It manages and coordinates the entire system.
 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DATA AND INFORMATION
Data is a collection of values. Those values can be characters, numbers, or any other data type. those
values are not processed, they have little meaning to a human. Information is data that was
processed so a human can read, understand, and use it.

Example of Data

UT, 1234, Joe, Circle, SLC, 8015553211, 84084, Smith

Example of Information

Joe Smith

1234 Circle

Salt Lake City, UT 84084

(801) 555-3211

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

Computer Hardware:

Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer. Computer Hardware is any part of the
computer that we can touch these parts. These are the primary electronic devices used to build up
the computer. Examples of hardware in a computer are the Processor, Memory Devices, Monitor,
Printer, Keyboard, Mouse, and the Central Processing Unit.

Computer Software:

Software is a collection of instructions, procedures, documentation that performs different tasks on

a computer system. We can say also Computer Software is a programming code executed on a
computer processor. The code can be machine-level code or the code written for an operating
system. Examples of software are Ms Word, Excel, Power Point, Google Chrome, Photoshop, MySQL
etc.
 EMBEDDED COMPUTERS
Embedded computers are everywhere. They are in phones, microwaves, airplanes, automobiles,
calculators… The list goes on and on. An embedded computer, which is an integral component of
most embedded systems, is a combination of hardware and software that is designated to perform a
highly specific function. For example, the type of embedded computer in a washing machine will not
be the same as the embedded computer in a Nikon camera. Because the software in embedded
computers is designed to only execute certain tasks, the computer’s software in one device can be
totally distinct from that of another. The hardware of an embedded computer is also specially
designed to withstand stresses in its intended environment. For instance, an embedded computer
installed under the hood of a car is designed to withstand high temperatures.

Laptops and general-purpose CPU’s are not considered to be embedded computers for several
reasons. First, the word “embedded” implies that the computer must be contained in a larger
mechanical or electronic system. The word “computer” is typically thought of as a computer that
stands on its own. Second, while an embedded computer is designed to perform a specific task, a
laptop is capable of running and downloading various programs, software, and computations
simultaneously.
 MOBILE DEVICES
A mobile device is a handheld tablet or other device that is made for portability, and is therefore
both compact and lightweight. New data storage, processing and display technologies have allowed
these small devices to do nearly anything that had previously been traditionally done with larger
personal computers

Typical examples include smartphones, tablets, laptop computers, smart watches, e-readers, and
handheld gaming consoles.
 PERSONAL COMPUTERS
A personal computer is a general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities and original sale price
make it useful for individuals, and is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no
intervening computer operator. ... A personal computer may be a desktop computer or a laptop,
netbook, tablet or a handheld PC.
A server is a computer connected to a network of other workstations called 'clients'. Client
computers request information from the server over the network. Servers tend to have more
storage, memory and processing power than a normal workstation. How a server functions depends
on the type of network it is on

Functions of Server:

The main and important function of a server is to listen in on a port for incoming network requests,
and a good demonstration of this is the interaction between a Web server and browser. For a user
the process is instantaneous, but when he clicks a link while surfing on the Web, several things are
taking place behind the scenes like the request for the Web page is transmitted to the corresponding
web server, and the server fetches and assembles the Web page and retransmits it using a protocol
like HTTP, and, the user's browser receives the data, converts it, and displays the page.
 THE BENEFITS AND RISKS OF A COMPUTER-ORIENTED SOCIETY.

THE BENEFITS:

Directly meeting needs. ...

Empowering people who are often overlooked. ...

Paving the way for a more equitable world. ...

Accelerating healthcare progress. ...

Furthering education. ...

Expanding communication. ...

Predicting and avoiding catastrophes. ...

Positively impacting every area of society.

THE RISKS:

There are several risks that are involved with a computer-oriented society such as identity theft and
viruses. Though it’s hard to believe someone can steal your identity, it can actually happen. There
are people out there who search for “easy targets”, which are people who are easy to convince to
give up personal information. The personal information includes credit card numbers and
identification numbers. Even though identity theft can happen, it can also be avoided. One of the
ways to get information is by sending an e-mail that would take the individual to another web page
that asks for information or replying to the e-mail. I think that identity theft is a very serious problem
and the only way to not have it happen to myself is to avoid it the best I can by filtering “junk e-mail”
and not putting information on a computer unless I am 100% sure that it is a safe website to do so
on.

The other major thing that is now a huge risk when dealing with a computer-oriented society is
viruses. Viruses can strike a computer without warning unless you have a spyware system to update
and check your computer for viruses. Viruses can occur by opening e-mails from addresses that are
unfamiliar along with downloading off of an unsecure website, such as those for music and videos.
Once a virus gets in your computer then the performance will go downhill from there. I know from
personal experience that downloading off of unsecure websites can and will destroy your computer.
A computer may work slower with progression and then eventually black out and not even turn on if
a serious virus gets inside.
 COMPUTER AND BUSINESS ETHICS
A better understanding of computers also allows users to determine the hows and whys of the
system, which helps them become more effective in using the equipment. Knowing how programs
work makes it easy to understand the limitations, such as what they can and cannot do.

Business ethics enhances the law by outlining acceptable behaviors beyond government control.
Corporations establish business ethics to promote integrity among their employees and gain trust
from key stakeholders, such as investors and consumers. While corporate ethics programs have
become common, the quality varies.
 E-WASTE

E-waste is a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their "useful life."
Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products.
Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled.

Inconclusion this assignment covered everything a user need to know about computer In my opinion
having better computer skills can minimise your time looking for job instead people can look for you
because of your understanding and skills about a computer.