Computer is a machine that is capable of processing certain data and providing us with an output that we can use. Thus defined, computer is a medium of value addition to data. Originally, a ‘computer’ was a person who performed certain calculations under the direction of a mathematician, and in this process he could use some gadgets, like the abacus. Later on, the emphasis of computing was thrust onto a machine, which could work on its own when provided with certain logic, and come to certain conclusions. The logic that we provide to the computer is the program, or the software. Without the software, the computer hardware is just a piece of plastic and metal. In usual parlance, when referring to computers, we mean both.

The computer was a great help in calculating, data processing, analyzing, and indispensable in doing certain other things that could not be done without it. It worked faster, made few mistakes, and could work for long without losing concentration. It was a perfect slave that would do man’s bidding for as long as man wanted. Although, putting the conceptual framework of a computer into a functioning machine took time, when we had put it together, the computer revolution took us by storm. Today, computers are everywhere, and without them, life does not move.

Once we had made the computer, it was necessary to put them together. This had many advantages: the computers could work together on the same problem and hence give results faster; data communication was possible; specialization within a domain was possible, etc. Hence we put all computers together, and called it a Network. The Internet is a form of ultimate network that has developed over the decades, from the humble ARPANET of the 1950s, to the present incarnation we know today. Internet too has become an indispensable part of our lives.

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