Capabilities of A Computer

These are the following capabilities of a computer:

1. Speed. With a speed reaching up to fifty million operations per second, a computer can process data faster than any other machine designed to perform a similar task. That is, adding two numbers is considered as one operation.

2. Repetitiveness. A computer can perform the same operation a million times in exactly the same way. The various operations are executed automatically by way of stored computer programs.

3. Accuracy. High-speed processing by a computer is accompanied by high-accuracy results. A computer can be considered 100% accurate. The electronic circuitry of computers is such that, when the machines are fed with correct instructions or data and when the incoming data is error-free, the accuracy of the output is relatively assured.

4. Logical operations. The computer can make a decision based on alternative courses of action. The decisions of a computer are, however, dependent on the programs prepared for it by the programmer. A decision consists of two steps, namely:

a. Determining if a certain statement is true or false.

b. Based on the result of the first step, choosing one or the other course of action out of the alternatives provided in the computer program.

5. Compact Storage. A computer has the ability to store large amounts of data in compact and easily retrievable form. It can store data at a very high speed.

6. Discipline. Discipline means that a computer can self-check and self-operate. A computer self-checks when it verifies the accuracy of its won work by means of a parity check. In a parity check, the computer counts the number of characters it has stored to make sure that there will be no loss of data during processing. In self-operation, a computer is capable of executing instructions on its own, without human intervention, once the program and the data re fed into the computer’s memory.

Limitations of Computer

The computer has the following limitations:

1. A computer cannot generate information on its own. While it is true that a computer has the capacity to put together information from many sources, it can only do this if it has been programmed by man to do so.

2. A computer cannot correct wrong instruction. If a computer is fed with incorrect instructions or data, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it does not have the capability to detect mistakes and correct them. In computer language, this is known as GIGO (garbage in garbage out). This means that a computer that has been fed with a wrong set of instructions or data will similarly produce wrong information and wrong decisions. Therefore, any corrections must be done by the programmer.

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