The Unknown Computer

Introduction

Computer!...Computer!...Computer!...You often heard the word computer. Here, there, and everywhere. Most of the time, you use the term. But do you know the meaning of it?

There are many version of its definition, as many as, published books, dictionaries, magazines, websites, and other materials. There are meaning that are long; very long, short and very short...

The way a meaning is expressed, changes depending on the trends of technology, historical age, computer generation, authors' point of views and experiences, kinds of computer, available materials needed to build computer, and other factors that affect the meaning of computer.

Get all the meanings of computer; understand and evaluate it; find out the common denominator. Say it in one sentence. What is a computer today?

Computer Defined

Computer is an electronic system designed to manipulate data.

Let's talk about it one by one.

When you say electronic system, you mean a machine that is powered or run by an electron. Does it mean all electronic system is a computer?

Think about it, what is your answer, "Yes" or "No". Why yes? And why not? Please justify your answer.

If it is yes, you mean the refrigerator, flat iron, washing machine, rice cooker, oven toaster, air condition, copier machine, television, printer, scanner, component, electric fan, microwave oven, cell phone, and other devices that is run by an electron can be a computer? Do you agree with this? What is the real score? Are all electronic devices a computer?

If your answer is no, maybe your thinking, about the next phrase that defines what computer is, and that is "designed to manipulate data". If all electronic devices are computer, how can a refrigerator, air condition, television, component, cell phone and other electronic devices, manipulate data?

Before you answer it, let's talk about the second phrase, "designed to manipulate data". When you say, data manipulation in computer, there's an input of data; data is processed based on the input given; and there’s the desired output as a result of the processing.

Again, based on the explanation about the meaning of computer, do you agree that all electronic devices can be a computer?

If you don't, why? Please explain. Maybe you're saying, "Not all electronic devices can manipulate data. Therefore, they are not computer."

On the other hand if you do, the question now is, how can those electronic devices mentioned in the later part, manipulate data? Come on, imagine your answer? Let's take for example the refrigerator. What could be the input data? How the processing of data is takes place? And what will be the output?

What is your answer? Are you saying that once we turn the control knob of the refrigerator from minimum to maximum you are entering data, and that is the input? The processing takes place when the temperature changed? Then the output will be your desired temperature which is in this case the maximum? Yes?

Congratulations, you got it right! Believe it or not, most electronic devices can be a computer; some are computer like; still a computer.

Using the explanation above about the refrigerator, tell me how the manipulation of data is takes place in the following electronic devices: copier machine, television, washing machine, electronic flat iron, cell phone, and microwave oven. Can you tell? If yes, is the answer. Very good! Let us proceed with our discussion about the word.

Computer comes from the term, "to compute" meaning to calculate. The reason why it is called computer because whenever you enter your input it computes during the processing to give your desired result. That is why we call it computer. Computer the machine that computes.

By that way, do you know the first meaning of computer, appeared in the early dictionaries, before the first generation exist? You will not believe this, the first meaning is, "A person who can calculate." Yes, in that case, before the mechanical-age, human is a computer. But that was before, it no longer applies today.

Nowadays, computer becoming human. There are computer that can imitate what human can do. Most of them are products of artificial intelligence. We will have other discussion about this topic. Watch for it! This will be very interesting.

Common Misconception about Computer

Some people thinks only of the personal computer, when they heard it. Please do not limit yourself. There are so many classification of it; PC is just one of the examples. Check it out. Read the article entitled, "Classification of Computers and its Uses".