Characteristics of Computer

Characteristics of Computer: The increasing popularity of computers has proved that it is a potent and valuable tool. The power and usefulness of this popular tool are mainly due to its following characteristics: –

1. Automatic: – An automatic machine works without human intervention. Computers are automatic machines because once started on a job, they carry out the job (generally without any human assistance) until it is finished.

However, computers, being machines, cannot start themselves and cannot go out and find their problems and solutions. We need to instruct a computer using coded instructions that specify exactly how it will do a particular job.

2. Speed: – A computer is a high-speed device. It can perform in a few seconds, the amount of work that a human being can do in an entire year – if they worked day and night and did nothing else.

In other words, a computer can do what would take a man his entire life in a few minutes.

The speed of a computer can be in terms of microseconds (10-6), nanoseconds (10-9), and even picoseconds (10-12). A powerful computer can perform several billion (109), even trillion (1012), simple arithmetic operations per second.

3. Accuracy: – Besides being very fast, computers are very accurate. The accuracy of a computer is consistently high, and the degree of its accuracy depends upon its design. A computer performs every calculation with the same accuracy.

However, errors can occur on a computer. These errors are mainly due to human rather than technological weaknesses.

For example, errors may occur due to fuzzy thinking by a programmer (a person who writes instructions for a computer to solve a particular problem) or incorrect input data. We often refer to computer errors caused due to incorrect input data or unreliable programs as garbage-in-garbage-out (GIGO).

4. Diligence: – Unlike humans, a computer is free from monotony, tiredness, and lack of concentration. It can continuously work for hours without creating any errors and without grumbling.

Hence, computers score over human beings in doing routine types of jobs that require great accuracy. If 10 million calculations have to be performed, a computer will perform the last one with precisely the same accuracy and speed as the first one.

5. Versatility: – Versatility is one of the most beautiful things about a computer. One moment it is preparing results of an examination, next moment it is busy preparing electricity bills and in between it may be helping an office secretary to trace an essential letter in seconds.

In brief, a computer can perform almost any task reduced to a finite series of logical steps.

6. Power of Remembering: – As a human being acquires new knowledge, their brain subconsciously selects what it feels to be essential and worth retaining in memory. The brain relegates unimportant details to the back of the mind or forgets them.

It is not the case with computers. A computer can store and recall any amount of information because of its secondary storage (a type of detachable memory) capability. It can retain a piece of information as long as a user desires, and the user can recall the information whenever required.

Even after several years, users can recall the exact information they had stored on the computer several years ago. A computer forgets or loses certain information only when a user asks it to do so.

Hence, it is entirely up to the user to make a computer retain or forget some information.

7. No I.Q.: – A computer is not a magical device. It possesses no intelligence of its own. Its I.Q. is zero, at least until today. It must be told what to do and in what sequence.

Hence, only a user determines what tasks a computer will perform. A computer cannot take its own decision in this regard.

8. No feelings: – Computers are devoid of emotions. They have no feelings and no instincts because they are machines.

Although men have succeeded in building a memory for the computer, no computer possesses the equivalent of a human heart and soul.

Based on our feelings, taste, knowledge, and experience, we often make certain judgments in our day-to-day life, whereas computers cannot make such judgments on their own. They make judgments based on the instructions given to them in the form of programs written by us (human beings).

Comparison between Computer and Human Brain

BASIS FOR COMPARISON	BRAIN	COMPUTER
Construction	Neurons and synapses	ICs, transistors, diodes, capacitors, transistors, etc.
Memory growth	Increases each time by connecting synaptic links	Increases by adding more memory chips
Backup systems	Built-in backup system	The backup system is constructed manually
Memory power	100 teraflops (100 trillion calculations/seconds)	100 million megabytes
Memory density	10⁷ circuits/cm³	10¹⁴ bits/cm³
Energy consumption	12 watts of power	Gigawatts of power
Information storage	Stored in electrochemical and electric impulses.	Stored in numeric and symbolic form (i.e., in binary bits).
Size and weight	The brain’s volume is 1500 cm³ and its weight is around 3.3 pounds.	Variable weight and size from a few grams to tons.
Transmission of information	Uses chemicals to fire the action potential in the neurons.	Communication is achieved through electrical coded signals.
Information processing power	Low	High
Input/output equipment	Sensory organs	Keyboards, mouse, web cameras, etc.
Structural organization	Self-organized	Pre-programmed structure
Parallelism	Massive	Limited
Reliability and damageability properties	The brain is self-organizing, self-maintaining, and reliable.	Computers perform a monotonous job and can’t correct themselves.