A computer can be defined as an electronic data processing device, capable of accepting data, applying a prescribed set of instructions to the data, and displaying in some manner or form. Any configuration of the devices that are interconnected and are programmed to operate as a computer system. The computer is said to have literally revolutionised the way one person does his job or a whole multinational organisation operates their businesses. Together with this reason and many more, computers are considered more than just an essential piece of fancy equipment. Whether or not people know anything about it, they invoke computers in every day lives when they make a bank withdrawal, buy groceries at the supermarket and even when they drive a car. Today, millions of people are purchasing fully functional personal computers for individual reasons

There are so many applications of computers, that it is impractical to mention all of them. This is the Computer Age and these machines are beginning to affect out lives in many ways. Computers are now becoming faster, more reliable, effective and whole lot cheaper than they had been ever before.

q Retailing. Products from meats to magazines are packed with zebra-striped bar codes that can be read by the computer scanners at supermarket checkout stands to determine prices and help manage inventory. Thus, a detailed receipt of the groceries can be made, which is useful for both the customer and the retail store, especially for the stock control system. This is referred as POS (Point of Sale) transaction where a precise account of all the stocks available is recorded and manipulated.

q Health and Medicine. Computers are helping immensely to monitor thee extremely ill in the intensive care unit and provide cross-sectional views of the body. This eliminates the need for hired nurses to watch the patient twenty-four hours a day, which is greatly tiring and error prone. Doctors use computers to assist them in diagnosing certain diseases of the sort. This type of computer is called the Expert System, which is basically a collection of accumulated expertise in a specific area of field. Computers are now able to map, in exquisite detail, the structure of the human cold virus - the first step towards the common cold. Furthermore, computers are used greatly in managing patients, doctors, wards and medicine records, as well as deal with making appointments, scheduling surgeries and other likes.

q Agriculture. Farmers use small computers to help with billing, crop information, and cost per acre, feed combinations, and market price checks. Cattle ranchers can also use computers for information about livestock breeding and performance.

q Training. It is much more cheaper and effective to teach pilots how to fly in a computerised cockpit or simulators, than is real airplanes. This is because the learning pilots will feel much more relaxed and confident due to the fact that no life is at risk at that moment. Railway engineers can also be given some kind of training on how to run a train with the help of a computerised system. Training simulations are relatively cheaper and are always available on one-to-one basis making way for personal training.

Computers are all around us and avoiding them is virtually impossible. We have been exposed in the world of computer hype, computer advertisements and computer headlines. We interact with computers in our daily lives - whether we are at the cinemas, the school, or the public library. The beginnings of computer literacy are already apparent.

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