Introduction

Computers are electronic devices that were invented to ease work through their ability to capture, process, and store as well as retrieve data. The use of these devices in modern society has become essential since they play a crucial role in controlling critical processes in many organizations. The increased needs in the use of computers have led to the manufacturing of more capable computers to suit the needs of users. This report is centered on modern computers and their distinctive features that enable them to perform specified operations (Nelson and Malerba, 2018, 67-76).

How Modern Computers Operate

Modern computers have been modified to perform specific functions. This has been done to improve on their efficiency, especially in areas that require critical monitoring. A computer is a combination of many parts that work together to form a whole. The different parts work together in coordination to give an output. Modern computers have at least a single processing element that is referred to as the CPU (central processing unit) which has some memory. The peripheral devices are the other parts of a computer system. They include the input and outputs that enable computers to complete their assigned functions.

After turning on a computer, a POST program starts to check that all elements of the device are functional. If all is well, the bootstrap then loads the Os (operating system) into the memory, thus allowing the computer to begin its functions (Bock, 2018, 67).

Materials used in Modern Computers

Computers are made of software (intangible parts) and hardware (tangible components). The intangible part of a computer consists of programs that help it to communicate with its users. Programs are sets of commands that are designed to give instructions to computers. Advancement in modern technology has made it easy to develop software that is tailored to any specific user of a computer. To ease communication between users and computers, modern computers are being manufactured with more sensitive devices to capture and retrieve data. These include touch devices and others that are sensitive to sounds (Jacquot, 2019, 136).

How Computers Represent Information

Modern computers are capable of performing tasks that cannot be done manually by man. This is because the language employed by computers is complex to many people. Computers represent their data on the concept of ON and OFF (1 and 0). Pictures, graphics, and sounds; all are represented with either 1 or 0 in a computer. This is called a binary system because it represents ten digits ranging from 0 to 9. A single 1 or 0 is called a bit while a combination of 1, 0 or both form a byte. A byte is a unit of measuring the memory capacity of a computer. This is because it indicates the amount of data that can be represented at any single time (Bock, 2018, 34).

Storage Capacity of Modern Computers

The increased use of computers in the modern world has necessitated the need for more storage capacity in these devices. Depending on their use, computers are now being manufactured with big memory capacity. Computers have different memory each with its specific function (Jacquot, 2019, 135).

The main memory is the physical and internal part of a computer. This is where computers store all files and programs that are being worked on. Its size is crucial because it dictates the number of programs that can be executed at any single time (Huang, 2018, 2832).

Cache memory is used to reduce the time that a computer can take to access a given file or program. This helps to increase the speed of a computer.

References

Bock, S., 2018. Collaborative Hardware-Software Management of Hybrid Main Memory (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh).pp34-67

Huang, X.Y.., 2018. Evaluating the quality of tomato during storage using fusion information of computer vision and electronic nose. Journal of Food Process Engineering, 41(6), p.e12832.

Jacquot, R.G., 2019. Modern digital control systems. Routledge. Pp. 132-143

Nelson, R.R., and Malerba, F., 2018. Modern evolutionary economics: an overview. Cambridge University Press. Pg 67-76