Computer Definition

For most of the people, computer is a machine used for calculations or computation, but actually, it is much more than that. Precisely, “Computer is a device for performing arithmetic and logical operations”, or “Computer is a device or flexible machine to process data and convert it into information”.
Now, in the above two definitions, three words are tricky that need some explanations. Let us start with logical operation-these are the type of operation in which decision(s) is/are involved. Data is simply raw fact or figure collected whereas the information is what one gets after processing the data. Information is always useful and meaningful for the user. Let us consider and example in which marks of various subjects are collected for a particular group of students. Now, these marks independently(data) are of no use as such for the class teacher, but once she he adds the marks of all the students and calculates their respective percentages, this becomes information and it serves her/him in finding out the answer for the queries like Who has 1st in the class? Or How many people have got distinctions in the class? What is the overall performance of the class? “A program is a set of instructions telling the computer what to do.”