* AS Level Computer Applications *

In this web site, we are going to look at the general concept of a computer system. The various topics that you can find in this homepage are based on the syllabus of  Computer Applications for AS level. Hope you find this web site useful for your study and you enjoy surfing in this web site, moreover, the visitors will also find it of interest.

Introduction to Computing concepts

What is a computer?

Why computer?

What is a computer ?

Literally, the word 'computer' means 'one that computes' and the word compute means calculation. This is true in the early days when computers were first invented. Nowadays, computer is an extremely important tool in our lives. Apart from business uses, domestic users also play an vital role in using computers. If you ask what computer is, go and ask people who are working with computers. Some of the answers to the above question are listed below.

• A writer may treats computers as an advanced typewriting machine. He uses a word processing program to prepare the scrip.

• A publisher uses computers to add graphics and visual effects to improve the outlook of his newspaper. 

• An accountant uses a software called "electronic spreadsheet"  to prepare budgets and make forecasts.

• A shopkeeper uses the scanner to scan the items that has been sold,  then the data is updated from the central database.

• A 12-year old student plays versatile games with his computers, and his sister will connect to the internet and chat with other people.

Different people come up with different answers. What they are using are the general purpose computers. The use of a computer depends on what type of programs are being used. To reflect this phenomena, we usually use the term computer system to refer to a computer with a certain type of program running on it.

Why computer?

Nowadays computers are being widely used to perform different tasks. You can find many different applications of computers in various fields.                                             

Computer is accurate : microprocessors seldom make mistakes

Computer is fast : They can perform billions of computer instructions in a second. Faster microprocessors are coming out every year.

Computer never gets tired : human gets tired after working for a long time. The efficiency will be decreased too especially when the same type of work is repeated. This never happens for a computer. 

Computer is reliable : with the advances in manufacturing processes, the hardware is very reliable. They can be used continuously without failure. The computer system is there any time for use except that there is an electrical failure.

Computer can store a massive amount of data : nowadays, the size of a hard disk of a desktop computer is over 2 GB. There are also other massive storage media like compact disc, floppy disk, etc.

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