Man typing on a laptop.
The computer , that indispensable piece of equipment in today's daily life that is also known by the name of computer , is an electronic machine that allows processing and accumulating data . The term comes from the Latin computare ("to calculate").
If we look for the exact definition of the term computer we will find that it is an electronic machine capable of receiving, processing and returning results based on certain data and that to carry out this task it has an input and an output means. On the other hand, a computer system is made up of two subsystems that are called software and hardware , the first consists of the logical part of the computer (programs, applications, etc.) the second in the physical part (elements that make it up). such as mother, fan, RAM).
How a computer works
For its operation, the computer requires computer programs (software) that provide specific data necessary for the processing of information. Once the desired information is obtained, it can be used internally or transferred to another computer or electronic component.
Broadly speaking, a computer is made up of the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse, the tower (where the hard drive and other hardware components are located) and the printer, and each one fulfills a particular function. On the other hand, this device is prepared to perform two main functions: respond to a particular system of commands quickly and execute programs, which consist of a series of instructions recorded in advance.
The software and hardware
The software of a computer is one of the fundamental elements for its operation, its operating system, which consists of a large platform where programs, applications or tools that can be used to perform different tasks can be executed.
The hardware, on the other hand, is made up of memory (allows you to store data and programs), input devices (to enter data into the computer, e.g. mouse and keyboard), output devices (to display the data, e.g.: screen or printer) and CPU (brain of the computer where instructions are executed. The acronym is the English form of Central Processing Unit.
Computer architecture
The first computers appeared in the middle of the last century, since then they have not stopped being manufactured, growing by leaps and bounds. Despite this, most computers today still respect the Eckert-Mauchly architecture, published by John von Neumann and created by John Presper Eckert and John William Mauchly .
This architecture conceives four main sections in a computer: the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU ), the control unit, the memory (a succession of storage cells that have a number, where each cell represents a unit of known information as bit) and the input and output devices. All these parts are interconnected by a group of cables called buses.
Computers are very useful at work and in study.
The importance of circuits
The connections within a computer are called electronic circuits; The most complex are those included in modern microprocessor chips, which include a very powerful ALU. Each microprocessor can have multiple cores and these in turn have multiple execution units (each of them has different ALUs).
It should be noted that the circuits together with those components linked to them allow the execution of a variety of sequences or instruction routines ordered by the user. These sequences are systematized based on a wide variety of practical and specific applications, in a process called programming .
According to the way in which the computer works, the data it receives can be called: digital , analog or hybrid . Digital ones process data working based on special letters and symbols, analog ones do so using a common scale, and hybrid ones use both forms.
Types of computers
There are several types of computers: Microcomputers (small devices that can receive programming, this classification includes PCs or desktop computers), minicomputers (medium size and a little more expensive than the PC), maxicomputers (used to control many devices Simultaneously, this classification includes the so-called mainframe) and supercomputers (they are the fastest and most expensive, those used to carry out large-scale projects such as films or cutting-edge video games).
Finally, some examples of sentences with this concept: "My father gave me a computer when I turned fifteen", "I don't know what to do: my computer broke", "I have four new games on the computer" .