What Tasks Can Computers Perform?

What Tasks Can Computers Perform? — page 1 — COMPUTERS ARE AMAZING A computer is a device that works with and displays information The information can be words pictures movies or sounds Computer information is called data Computers process data very quickly Because they work quickly they can finish tasks faster than people can They make fewer errors too Laptops tablets and cell phones are all computers People use them for different purposes Computers come in many forms and can perform many tasks Supercomputers are very powerful They do complex tasks like tracking 4

What Tasks Can Computers Perform? — page 2 — These servers are housed together in a large room called a server room They have to be kept cool so they won’t overheat Think About It Computers help people do things faster and easier How would people’s lives be different without computers the weather Servers are powerful computers that just store information Desktop personal computers or PCs are used in offices at school and at home People use these computers to send email write reports shop do their banking listen to music and play games Laptops and tablet computers do the same things as PCs but they are smaller and easier to carry No matter what size they are computers are amazing 5

What Tasks Can Computers Perform? — page 3 — THE COMPUTER'S BODY A computer system has both hardware and software Hardware is the physical parts of the computer or the parts you can touch Software is made up of the programs or sets of instructions that the hardware stores and processes All computers have the same hardware Computers keep data including software and files on a storage device called a hard drive Hardware that accesses software and files to make it available to the 6 Computer hardware includes things such as a keyboard a mouse and a monitor They work together to complete tasks

What Tasks Can Computers Perform? — page 4 — Computer apps are software that allow the user to perform tasks on a computer microprocessor is called random-access memory RAM The microprocessor is the computer’s brain It is also called the central processing unit CPU Software is Compare and Contrast Why do you think the CPU is called the computer’s brain Compare and contrast the kinds of tasks a human brain and a CPU do divided into two basic types the operating system OS and application software app The OS controls how different parts of the hardware work together Apps tell the computer how to do specific tasks like word processing or playing games 7

3

PAGE 3 OF 26

›

The only kids' eBook subscription service that offers thousands of high-quality books from well known publishers like HarperCollins, National Geographic and others.

JavaScript Required

Whoops! We're sorry but Epic doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled. Check your web browser's settings to make sure it's enabled.