What is a computer?

A computer is an electronic device that executes the instructions in a program.

A computer has four functions:

a. accepts data	Input	The Information Processing Cycle
b. processes data	Processing
c. produces output	Output
d. stores results	Storage
In the lessons that follow we will study the parts of the computer and each of the four parts of the Information Processing Cycle.

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Some Beginning Terms

Hardware	the physical parts of the computer.
Software	the programs (instructions) that tell the computer what to do
Data	individual facts like first name, price, quantity ordered
Information	data which has been massaged into a useful form, like a complete mailing address
Default	the original settings; what will happen if you don't change anything.

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What makes a computer powerful?

	Speed	A computer can do billions of actions per second.
	Reliability	Failures are usually due to human error, one way or another. (Blush for us all!)
	Storage	A computer can keep huge amounts of data.