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Assignment No:-1 1). WHAT IS COMPUTER? What are important characteristics of computer?

Ans : - A computer is a programmable machine that receives input, stores and manipulates data, and provides output in a useful format. 1) Speed : A computer is a very fast device. It can perform in few seconds, the amount of work that a human being can do in an entire year. The speed of a computer measure in microseconds(10-6), nanoseconds(10-9) and picoseconds(10-12). A powerful computer is capable of performing several billion arithmetic operation per second.

2) Accuracy : Computer is very accurate device. The accuracy of a computer is principle high. The degree of accuracy of a particular computer depends upon its design. Computer done very calculation with same accuracy. Errors can occur in a computer, However, these problem are mainly due to human rather than technological weaknesses.

3) Automatic(Automation) : A machine is no sooner than done to be automatic if it, works by itself without human intervention. Computer are automatic machines, because one started on a job, they carry on, until the job is finished, without any human assistance. However, computer being machines can not start themselves. They cannot go out find their own problems and solutions. They have to be instructed.

4) Diligence : Computer has unlike human beings. A computer is free from dullness and lack of concentration. It can continuously work for hours without creating any error human beings in doing regular types of jobs, which requires great accuracy. Computer can perform the number of calculation with exactly the same accuracy and speed as the first one. 5) Versatility : Versatility is a most important characteristic of computer. It means the capacity to perform completely different type of work. You may use your computer to prepare payroll slips. Next moment you may use it for inventory management or to prepare electric bills. A computer is capable of performing almost any task, if the task can be reduced to series of logical steps.

6) Memory(Power of Remembering) : Computer has a brain, but unlike human (Man) beings. A computer can store data and information. And recalled as long as you require it, for any numbers of years. Because of its secondary storage capability. A data and information can be retrieved as long as desired by the user and can be recalled, as when required. The information recalled would be as accurate as on the day when it was fed to the computer.

7) No. I.Q.(Intelligence Quotient) : A computer is not a magical device. It is no intelligence of its own. User can determine, what tasks will the computer perform. So a computer cannot take its own decision as you can. (A computer can not take it own decision in this regard.).

8) No Feelings : Computer has no feelings. They have no emotions, because they are machine. Computer is not like human heart and soul. Computer cannot make such judgments on their own. Their judgment is based on the instructions given to them in the from of programs, that are written by us.

9) Storage : A computer can store a large amount of data permanently. User can use this data at any time. We can store any type of data in a computer. Text, graphic, pictures, audio and video files can be stored easily. The storage capacity of the computer is increasing rapidly. 10) Processing : A computer can process the given instructions. It can perform different types of processing like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It can also perform logical functions like comparing two numbers to decide which one is the bigger etc.

11) Communication : Most computers today have the capability of communicating with other computers. We can connect two or more computers by a communication device such as modem. These computers can share data, instructions, and information. The connected computer are called network. Short notes:I) classification of computer : Microcomputers - are the most common type of computers in existence today, whether at work in school or on the desk at home. The term microcomputer was introduced with the advent of single chip microprocessors.These computer includes : Desktop computers, Laptops, notebook computers, Palmtop computers Smartphones, smartbooks and PDAs (personal digital assistants)

Minicomputer - is a class of multi-user computers that lies in the middle range of the computing spectrum, in between the smallest multi-user systems (mainframe computers) and the largest single-user systems (microcomputers or personal

computers). The contemporary term for this class of system is midrange computer, such as the higher-end SPARC, POWER and Itanium -based systems from Sun Microsystems, IBM and Hewlett-Packard.

Mainframe Computers -The term mainframe computer was created to distinguish the traditional, large, institutional computer intended to service multiple users from the smaller, single user machines. These computers are capable of handling and processing very large amounts of data quickly. Mainframe computers are used in large institutions such as government, banks and large corporations. These institutions were early adopters of computer use, long before personal computers were available to individuals.

Supercomputer - A supercomputer is focused on performing tasks involving intense numerical calculations such as weather forecasting, fluid dynamics, nuclear simulations, theoretical astrophysics, and complex scientific computations. A supercomputer is a computer that is at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation. The term supercomputer itself is rather fluid, and today's supercomputer tends to become tomorrow's ordinary computer. In terms of computational capability, memory size and speed, I/O technology, and topological issues such as bandwidth and latency, Supercomputers are the most powerful. Supercomputers are very expensive and not costeffective just to perform batch or transaction processing.
2) SOFTWARE:-

Software is the collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions telling a computer what to do. We can also say software refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of the computer for some purposes. Program software performs the function of the program it implements, either by directly providing instructions to the computer hardware or by serving as input to another piece of software. In contrast to hardware, software is intangible, meaning it "cannot be touched". Software is also sometimes used in a more narrow sense, meaning application software only.
3) BASIC OPERATION:-

Basic operation : When you input information into your computer with the mouse or keyboard, you're sending a signal to the CPU. The CPU has a logic unit that can do basic arithmetic. The control unit directs the computer to execute programs that have been stored in memory. The speed by which a computer executes programs is measured in millions of

instructions per second (MIPS); the processor's speed is measured in gigahertz (GHz). When the information has been processed, it is output in a human-readable form through the monitor and speakers. It can also be stored again for later processing.

4) COMPUTER VIRUS & ITS CLASSIFICATION:-

- A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability. A true virus can spread from one computer to another (in some form of executable code) when its host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over a network or the Internet, or carried it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB drive. Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer.

Classification of computers : Viruses - A virus is a small piece of software that piggybacks on real programs. For example, a virus might attach itself to a program such as a spreadsheet program. Each time the spreadsheet program runs, the virus runs, too, and it has the chance to reproduce (by attaching to other programs) or wreak havoc. E-mail viruses - An e-mail virus travels as an attachment to e-mail messages, and usually replicates itself by automatically mailing itself to dozens of people in the victim's e-mail address book. Some e-mail viruses don't even require a doubleclick -- they launch when you view the infected message in the preview pane of your e-mail software [source: Johnson]. Trojan horses - A Trojan horse is simply a computer program. The program claims to do one thing (it may claim to be a game) but instead does damage when you run it (it may erase your hard disk). Trojan horses have no way to replicate automatically. Worms - A worm is a small piece of software that uses computer networks and security holes to replicate itself. A copy of the worm scans the network for another machine that has a specific security hole. It copies itself to the new machine using the security hole, and then starts replicating from there, as well.

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