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w  Application Software: Software that is designed for a user and is made to do a specific kind of work is called
            application software. Some of the examples of application software are:
            * Microsoft Word and Open Office Writer are used for designing, editing and printing documents.
            * Spreadsheet  is  used  for  creating  data  in  a  tabular  form  so  that  data  calculation,  analysis  and  graphical
              representation can be done easily.
        Basic Operations of a Computer

        Computer performs four basic operations that are input, process, output and storage. Let us discuss these in detail.

        Input (Raw Data)
        Input is the collection of raw facts or figures in the form of text, numbers, graphs, etc. provided to the computer using
        input devices like keyboard, mouse, scanner etc. It is also called raw data or unprocessed data.

        Process
        Process is a method to convert raw data into meaningful information. The Central Processing Unit(CPU) of the computer
        is responsible for processing of data.

        Output (Information)
        Output is the processed data. It is obtained after manipulation and processing of input (raw) data. It is also called
        meaningful data or Information. Computer displays the output to the user through output devices like monitor, printer,
        speakers, etc.

        Storage
        Storage is the process of storing either raw data or processed information. The data can be stored either using secondary
        storage devices like flash drive, hard disc, compact disc or online storage medium like Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.

        Input-Process-Output Cycle

        All computing work revolves around three parts, which are input, process, and output. These terms are interrelated.
        •  An input is accepted by the user through the input devices.
        •  It is then processed by CPU and sent to the user as an output using output devices.
        •  There can be a need to store the output for later use in the storage devices.
        •  Sometimes the result generated acts as an input for the next stage of data flow.
        •  This flow of information follows a cycle which is known as the Input-Process-Output Cycle.


                                              Input                    Output
                                  Data                     Process                Information







                                                          Storage


        Characteristics of a Computer
        Following are some of the important characteristics of a computer:

        •  Speed: A computer can process data at a speed of millions of instructions per second. It is faster than human beings
          in doing complex tasks which can otherwise take a few days to process manually. It uses its internal clock to measure
          the processing speed for completing the job. The unit of computer speed is Hertz = one cycle per second.



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