What Can We Do With a Computer?

Workstations and laptops play a very essential and almost indispensable role in our lives. PCs are used extensively globally and in all kinds of environments. We use computers in companies, factories, homes and government offices. Students use computers at schools for teaching and for keeping student files. Clinics use PCs to store patient records and to deliver health care. Along with these types of workstations, there are also several special computers intended for specific jobs. We find these computers inside other devices such as TVs, sound systems, ATMs and many other electronic devices. We can even found them embedded in devices such as washing machines and refrigerators. Where are workstations found within your environment? PCs are used for various reasons and in several different places. They have different dimensions and processing power, but all PCs have a few features in common: 1. The physical modules, internal and external, that make up a PC, 2. The operating system. This is a group of computer programs that control the hardware of a computer. An OS manages the hardware resources such as the memory and the hard disk. Windows 7 for example is Microsoft's latest operating system, 3. The applications. Every computer has programs that perform specific functions using the installed hardware. An example of application software is a word processor or a computer game. Software programs can be divided into two broad categories: Business-Industry Applications: These are designed for use by a particular business or industry. For instance, warehouse management software, training tools and legal software. General Use Applications: These are used by various organizations and home users for several purposes. These software programs can usually be used by any user or business. General use applications include software packages like Microsoft office 2010 suite. Microsoft office includes several different applications such as Word, Excel, Access, Visio and others. Very popular are the graphics editing and multimedia authoring applications. These software programs permit users to change and improve photos or create rich media presentations that contain voice, video and graphics. Some applications are network capable, and some other applications can work only locally. Local software: This is a local software program, like a word processor, that is installed on the local hard disk of the computer. The software runs only on that computer. Network software: This is a network application that is designed to work over a network, like for example the Internet. Network software has two modules, one that runs on the local PC and one that runs on a remote PC. Microsoft Outlook is an example of a network application. Almost all the computers have both local and network applications installed.

Manolis Skoras is a Cisco, Microsoft and HP Certified Trainer and systems-network engineer. Recently he created a site about IT Certifications to help his students and people around the world to better understand the material they will be tested on, thus having greater success rates. Check Certify4Sure today!