USES of the COMPUTER

Uses of computers Computers are used where there is a lot of data to be manipulated complex tasks must be managed there is a need for real-time access to information from geographcially distant locations

Computers in the office Management of records Analysis of data Preparation of documents (reports, letters, etc.) Management of information (e.g., adding, updating, deleting information and retrieving information)

Advantages of using computers to perform office tasks (1)  Computer records can be  rapidly searched to retrieve information  accessed without human assistance (e.g., staff can retrieve information directly from central records using own office computers, without requiring someone else to gather and copy the appropriate data  easily stored and archived (computer records usually take up less space than paper records)

Advantages of using computers to perform office tasks (2)  Computer data can be  processed to automatically generate reports (such as a list of all unpaid bills)  readily fed to other computer systems (that is, once the information is in electronic form, it can be readily used by any computer program for various purposes, such as analysis)

Computers in industry Most important uses of computers is in product development (Computer Aided Design, CAD) manufacturing control (Computer Aided Manufacturing, CAM).

Computer Aided Design (1) A developer may use CAD to design a product  as a collection of geometric shapes (such as spheres and cuboids and cylinders)  by specifying dimensions and materials  by specifiying typical forces expected to be applied to the product during use, so that the computer can calculate the resulting strain in the various parts of the products, using stored characteristics of the materials

Computer Aided Design (2) A designer can use computers to  simulate the action of a product, such as the motion of an aeroplane wing through air,  calculate the resulting forces on the product  repeat analyses with different criteria such as temperature and wind speed, and different product dimensions

Computer Aided Design (3)  Such information can be used to  improve safety  reduce component weight  reduce production costs by trying different combinations of materials, or improve product performance

Computer Aided Design (4) Analyses tend to be time consuming and expensive, but cheaper than alternatives such as building prototypes and using real tests.

Computer Aided Manufacturing The advantages of computer controlled manufacture is that the computer can organize what may be extremely complex operations (manufacturing products containing perhaps thousands of parts) to make best use of available equipment.

Computers in Banking & Finance Computers are used in banks for record management even more intenstively in stock exchanges for exchange of data - replacing the exchange of paper bonds to mediate the exchange between bank and customer (e.g., through ATM machines)

Computers in Retailing Check-out machines scan bought goods and add up cost. Check-out computers may report directly to a central computer that controls the stock room, informing retailers when the supplies of a particular product are low. Stock-room computers may send an order to the appropriate manufacturer. Charge cards similar to ATM cards can be used to authorize direct payment from the customers’ bank accounts.

Computers in Education Computers are also widely used in education for administration teaching