Introduction to Computer Information Systems/What is a Computer?

Data are calculated and processed on a daily basis through computers in business, at home, and in education. Data are essentially the raw facts that are usually typed into a computer. We call these "raw" facts due to them being unorganized. They can come in any form from audio and visual, to text and numerical. When the data is entered into the computer, it is considered input. The computer calculates the data and spits out the information. Since this information is the output, it becomes the organized version of what used to be raw facts. This system is considered information processing. Data can also come in other forms including figures, experiments, and surveys. Most everything that is entered into a computer becomes data, which is why this term is so vital to understanding computers and how they operate. Information is produced by the data; it is form of knowledge, and computers calculate detailed information.

When most people think of information, the first source that comes to mind is Google. Google allows you to access a lot of information in a short amount of time. What most do not know is that is exactly what a computer does behind the scenes every time you are entering data into a computer, most of the time without even considering it to be "data." Information is a way to get answers to questions, because they are the output of the data you have put in to process. Many online sources provide endless amounts of information. Without information, people will not have reliable sources for school and their career. Work can be made much easier with information, including jobs which need to calculate employee's total hours worked, or any "total data" that needs to be found or calculated. Data and information are very valuable, and is most certainly the backbone of a computer. These two components may help your computer to be user-friendly by working behind what you are typing to make data useful and organized.