Uses of Computer

PC at Home

Common uses for the computer within the home.

• Computer games
• Working from Home
• Banking from Home
•  Connecting to the Web  
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  Health and Medicine :

  Computer technology is radically changing the tools of medicine. All medical information can now be digitized. Software is now able to computer the risk of a disease. Mental health researchers are using computers to screen troubled teenagers in need of psychotherapy. A patient paralyzed by a stroke has received an implant that allows communication between his brain and a computer; as a result, he can move a cursor across a screen by brainpower and convey simple messages.
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 Computers in Education

Getting the right kind of information is a major challenge as is getting information to make sense. College students spend an average of 5-6 hours a week on the internet.Research shows that computers can significantly enhance performance in learning. Students exposed to the internet say they think the web has helped them improve the quality of their academic research and of their written work. One revolution in education is the advent of distance learning. This offers a variety of internet and video-based online courses. 

 CBT (Computer Based Training)

• Computer Based Training (CBT) offers a low cost solution to training needs where you need to train a large amount of people on a single subject.

• These programs are normally supplied on CD-ROM and combine text, graphics and sound.

• Packages range from general encyclopaedias right through to learning a foreign language.

 

Science

Scientists have long been users of it. A new adventure among scientists is the idea of a “collaboratory”, an internet based collaborative laboratory, in which researchers all over the world can work easily together even at a distance. An example is space physics where space physicists are allowed to band together to measure the earth’s ionosphere from instruments on four parts of the world.

Automated Production Systems

• Many car factories are almost completely automated and the cars are assembled by computer-controlled robots.  This automation is becoming increasingly common throughout industry.

Design Systems

• Many products are designed using CAD (Computer Aided Design) programs to produce exact specifications and detailed drawings on the computer before producing models of new products.  

 

 

Business

Business clearly see the interest as a way to enhance productivity and competitiveness. Some areas of business that are undergoing rapid changes are sales and marketing, retailing, banking, stock trading, etc. Sales representatives not only need to be better educated and more knowledgeable about their customer’s businesses, but also must be comfortable with computer technology. The internet has become a popular marketing tool. The world of cybercash has come to banking – not only smart cards but internet banking, electronic deposit, bill paying, online stock and bond trading, etc.

Office Applications

 Stock Control

•  Stock control is ideal for automation and in many companies
  it is now completely computerized.

•   The stock control system keeps track of the number of items in stock and can automatically order replacement items when required.

Accounts / Payroll

• In most large organizations the accounts are maintained by a computerized system.

• Due to the repetitive nature of accounts a computer system
  is ideally suited to this task and accuracy is guaranteed.   

 

 

 

Recreation and Entertainment:

Our entertainment and pleasure-time have also been affected by computerization. For example:

i) In movies, computer generated graphics give freedom to designers so that special effects and even imaginary characters can play a part in making movies, videos, and commercials.

ii) In sports, computers compile statistics, sell tickets, create training programs and diets for athletes, and suggest game plan strategies based on the competitor’s past performance.

iii) In restaurants, almost every one has eaten food where the clerk enters an order by indicating choices on a rather unusual looking cash register; the device directly enters the actual data into a computer, and calculates the cost and then prints a receipt.

Government:

Various departments of the Government use computer for their planning, control and law enforcement activities. To name a few – Traffic, Tourism, Information & Broadcasting, Education, Aviation and many others.

Defence:

There are many uses computers in Defence such as:

1) Controlling UAV or unmanned air-crafts an example is Predator. If you have cable I would recommend watching the shows “Future Weapons" and “Modern Marvels". The show future weapon gives an entire hour to the predator.

2) They are also used on Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) that uses GPS and Computers to help the missile get to the target.

3) Computers are used to track incoming missiles and help slew weapons systems onto the incoming target to destroy them.

4) Computers are used in helping the military find out where all their assets are (Situational Awareness) and in Communications/Battle Management Systems.

5) Computers are used in the logistic and ordering functions of getting equipments to and around the battlefield.

6) Computers are used in tanks and planes and ships to target enemy forces, help run the platform and more recently to help diagnose any problems with the platforms.

7) Computers help design and test new systems.

Sports:

In today's technologically growing society, computers are being used in nearly every activity. 

Recording Information

Official statistics keepers and some scouts use computers to record statistics, take notes and chat online while attending and working at a sports event.

Analyzing Movements

The best athletes pay close attention to detail. Computers can slow recorded video and allow people to study their specific movements to try to improve their tendencies and repair poor habits.

Writers

Many sportswriters attend several sporting events a week, and they take their computers with them to write during the game or shortly after while their thoughts are fresh in their mind.

Scoreboard

While some scoreboards are manually updated, most professional sports venues have very modern scoreboards that are programmed to update statistics and information immediately after the information is entered into the computer.

Safety

Computers have aided in the design of safety equipment in sports such as football helmets to shoes to mouth guards.

Frequent breaks away from the computer

• Appropriate positioning of screens, chairs and keyboards

• Provision of adequate lighting and ventilation.

 Health & Safety Precautions

• Make sure that cables are safely secured

• Make sure that power points are not overloaded

 Also be aware of:

• Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

• Glare from screens

• Bad posture 

 

 

Value of Backup

• The most important thing that you store
  on your computer is information.

• Often the contents of a hard disk can represent years of work.

• If the hard disk stops working one day you could lose all those years of work.

• For this reason it is VITAL that you take regular backups of the information that is stored on the computer.

• Organize your computer for more efficient  backups

• Complete vs. incremental backups
•   Use 'off-site' storage  

• Use passwords

• Understand the Importance of shutting down your computer properly

• Use a UPS (Un-interruptible Power Supply)

 

 

Likes & Dislikes of Computer

Things computer like:

• Good ventilation

• Clean environment

• Stable, vibration free surface

Things computer don’t like:

• Dust

• Drinking and eating over the keyboard

• Heat, Cold or Moisture

• Don’t place objects on top of monitors.

• Don’t place floppy disks near monitors. 

 

 

Software Copyright 

Be aware on software copyright issues

• Freeware

• Shareware

• What about software that you find on the Internet?

• Software site licenses

•  If your computer system holds
  information about individuals then you
  have a moral and legal duty to treat
  that information with respect.

• In a free society you have a right to ensure that information held about you is not abused.

• In many countries this right is enshrined under data protection laws