Review of computer systems

A computer is a general purpose device which can be programmed to carry out a finite set of arithmetic or logical operations. Since a sequence of operations can be readily changed, the computer can solve more than one kind of problem.

A computer is, at its most basic, a machine which can take instructions, and perform computations based on those instructions.

A computer is an electronic device which is capable of receiving the inputs (data from the user), storing it for a desired period of time, manipulating it according to the set of instructions (called program) and producing the output to the user in desired form. It performs a variety of operations in accordance to the set of instructions.

A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or "data". It has the ability to store, retrieve, and process data. You can use a computer to type documents, send email, and browse the internet. You can also use it to handle spreadsheets, accounting, database management, presentations, games, and more.

When reading the above definitions you may find some common behaviors of computers such as;

Since the computer is a man-made digital electronic device, it has a physical structure with several parts like the monitor, processor, mouse, and key board which are tangible. These are called Hardware. The sets of instructions which are also called computer programs installed in the computer are called Software. These softwares tell the hardware what to do and how to do to accomplish some tasks expected by the user to get done by the computer.

One of the characteristics of a Computer is a storage.

Storage. The computer has an in-built memory where it can store a large amount of data. This is called Primary Storage. This Primary Storage has a limited capacity but it is very important as theprocessing unit of the computer can act directly only on instructions and data on the primary storage. But, you can also store data in secondary storage devices such as floppies, which can be kept outside your computer and can be carried to other computers. These are called Secondary Storage. Before the computer can process the data stored in Secondary storage devices, the datamust be moved from secondary storage device to primary storage. This is not a serious drawback. The computers can retrieve information from files in a secondary storage device in a few milliseconds.