• Computer is an electronic device which is used to store the data, as per given

instructions it gives results quickly and accurately.

• It is a term used to describe a collection of devices that function together as a system.
• A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions (software)
stored in its own memory unit, that can accept data (input), manipulate data (process),
and produce information (output) from the processing
• Data processing is the re-structuring or re-ordering of data by people or machine to increase
their usefulness and add values for a particular purpose. Data processing consists of the
following basic steps - input, processing, and output. These three steps constitute the data
processing cycle.

Input Processing Output

• Input − In this step, the input data is prepared in some convenient form for processing. The form
will depend on the processing machine. For example, when electronic computers are used, the input
data can be recorded on any one of the several types of input medium, such as magnetic disks,
tapes, and so on.
• Processing − In this step, the input data is changed to produce data in a more useful form. For
example, pay-checks can be calculated from the time cards, or a summary of sales for the month can
be calculated from the sales orders.
• Output − At this stage, the result of the proceeding processing step is collected. The particular form
of the output data depends on the use of the data. For example, output data may be pay-checks for
employees.
• For example, the teacher records the scores of his students in the three quizzes. The teacher inputs
the scores in the excel to compute the average. The average shown in excel is the output.
• The characteristics of computers that have made them so powerful and universally useful are
speed, accuracy, diligence, versatility and storage capacity
• Speed - As you know computer can work very fast. It takes only few seconds for calculations
that we take hours to complete. A powerful computer is capable of performing about 3-4
million simple instructions per second.
• Accuracy - In addition to being fast, computers are also accurate. The degree of accuracy of
computer is very high and every calculation is performed with the same accuracy. The
accuracy level is determined on the basis of design of computer. Errors that may occur can
almost always be attributed to human error (inaccurate data, poorly designed system or faulty
instructions/programs written by the programmer)
• Diligence - Unlike human beings, computers are highly consistent. They do not suffer from
human traits of boredom and tiredness resulting in lack of concentration. Computers, therefore,
are better than human beings in performing voluminous and repetitive jobs. If millions of
calculations are to be performed, a computer will perform every calculation with the same
accuracy. Due to this capability it overpowers human being in routine type of work
• Versatility - Computers are versatile machines and are capable of performing any task as long
as it can be broken down into a series of logical steps. It means the capacity to perform
completely different type of work. You may use your computer to prepare payroll slips. Next
moment you may use it for inventory management or to prepare electric bills
• Storage Capacity - Today’s computers can store large volumes of data. A piece of information
once recorded (or stored) in the computer, can never be forgotten and can be retrieved
almost instantaneously. You can also store data in secondary storage devices such as flash
drives, which can be kept outside your computer and can be carried to other computers.
• Power of Remembering - Computer has the power of storing any amount of information or
data. Any information can be stored and recalled as long as you require it, for any numbers of
years. It depends entirely upon you how much data you want to store in a computer and
when to lose or retrieve these data.
• NO IQ - Computer is a dumb machine and it cannot do any work without instruction from
the user. It performs the instructions at tremendous speed and with accuracy. It is you to
decide what you want to do and in what sequence. So a computer cannot take its own
decision as you can.
• No Feelings - It does not have feelings or emotion, taste, knowledge and experience. Thus it
does not get tired even after long hours of work. It does not distinguish between users.
• It is self directing. The user merely feeds all the instructions to the computer at the start and
later proceeds without any need for human intervention.
• Ability to store and retrieve information. The computer has the ability to remember or recall
data when finds the need for them.
• Ability to perform mathematical operations and solve complex formula at high speed and with
great precision. A very fast computer can perform the addition of 20 million pairs of ten-digit
numbers in one second.
• Ability to perform logic operation. The computer is capable of comparing numbers, letters of
alphabet and special characters. Based on the results of comparison, the computer can direct
to take alternative actions.
• It can do only what is designed or programmed to do. If you ask the computer to get the
total payroll for a certain period, it will give you only the total payroll and not the net salary
or gross salary of each employee.
• It cannot correct input data. If you mistakenly entered an hour rate of P50 per hour, the
computer cannot respond to the actual rate of P40per hour.
• It cannot think and cannot derive meanings from objects. The computer cannot interpret your
favorite poem or your present mood.
• It can only process jobs expressed in a number of steps leading to a precisely defined goal.
• It cannot completely avoid making errors due to power fluctuations, system malfunctions and
human disorders.
• Data is a raw and unorganized fact that required to be processed to make it meaningful.
Data can be simple at the same time unorganized unless it is organized.
• Generally, data comprises facts, observations, perceptions numbers, characters, symbols,
image, etc.
• Data is always interpreted, by a human or machine, to derive meaning.
So, data is meaningless. Data contains numbers, statements, and characters in a raw form.
• Information is a set of data which is processed in a meaningful way according to the given
requirement. Information is processed, structured, or presented in a given context to make it
meaningful and useful.
• It is processed data which includes data that possess context, relevance, and purpose.
It also involves manipulation of raw data.
• Information assigns meaning and improves the reliability of the data. It helps to ensure
undesirability and reduces uncertainty. So, when the data is transformed into information, it
never has any useless details.
• Data is a raw and unorganized fact that is required to be processed to make it meaningful
whereas Information is a set of data that is processed in a meaningful way according to the
given requirement.
• Data does not have any specific purpose whereas Information carries a meaning that has been
assigned by interpreting data.
• Data alone has no significance while Information is significant by itself.
• Data never depends on Information while Information is dependent on Data.
• Good information is that which is used and which creates value. Experience and research
shows that good information has numerous qualities.
• Good information is relevant for its purpose, sufficiently accurate for its purpose, complete
enough for the problem, reliable and targeted to the right person. It is also communicated in
time for its purpose, contains the right level of detail and is communicated by an appropriate
channel, i.e. one that is understandable to the user.
• Accurate - good information is based on correct and complete data, and it has been processed
correctly as expected.
• Timely - Information should be given in a timely manner.
For example, a report that is 6 weeks late is most likely useless.
• Relevant - Information should be relevant both to the context and to the subject.
• Sufficient - Information needs to be sufficient for the purpose it is generated, but just barely
so. There is a lot of information out there in the world and as you grow in management you
need to decide what material to ignore and what to use.
• Worth its Cost - Information is not free.