Four basic actions of a computer

There are four basic things that a computer does. These are:

  1. Receive input
  2. Store data
  3. Process it
  4. Output the result

Input can vary. It can be keystrokes on a keyboard or a mouse movements. However it can also be sound that microphones pick up, or objects that a camera sees.

Storing data can be either short term or long term. Short term storage is usually done with the data that will be processed. Long term storage is done to the data that will be used at a later time.

Process the data is next step of what a computer does. It can be a keystroke in a personal computer that will end up in a text document, or it can be an object that seen by a camera of a self driving vehicle.

The final action in this process is to provide output based on the input. Output can be visual, or things that we see in the monitor of a computer. But output can also be a sound. For example if a computer is tasked to generate a melody, then this melody will become an output. In case of self driving vehicles output will be a decision if it safe to drive or not.

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