Computing (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what computing is, its history, what it is for and other characteristics. Also, its basics in detail.

What is computing?

IT or computing It is the science that studies the methods and techniques to store, process and transmit information in an automated manner, and more specifically, in digital format using computerized systems.

There is not really a single and universal definition of what computer science is, perhaps because it is one of the most recent sciences, although with the most rapid and unbridled development.

That is why in many academic spaces they tend to differentiate between this discipline and computer science (or computer engineering), considering that the latter have a more theoretical approach to the subject, while computer science always has a practical and applied side, linked with electronic devices.

Others, however, consider Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology and Software Engineering as subdisciplines of computing.

In any case, computer science as a discipline has to do with the automatic processing of information. through electronic devices and computer systems the latter provided with three basic functions: data entry (input), data processing and results transmission (output).

Computing Features

Computing, broadly speaking, can be characterized as follows:

Its object of study can be summarized in the automated information processing through computerized digital systems.
It is proposed both the theoretical and practical approach of computer systems, although it is not an experimental science.
Borrow the formal language of logic and mathematics to express the relationships between data systems and the operations they execute.
It is one of the youngest scientific disciplines, formally emerged in the second half of the 20th century.

History of computing

Computing - Konrad Zuse - Z3 — Konrad Zuse invented the first computer called z3.

Contrary to popular belief, computing predates the invention of computers. It has very old background in the mental calculating machines of the philosophers of ancient Greek such as Euclid (c. 325-265 BC) and his famous algorithm, or in the mechanical calculators of the 17th century and the programmable machines of the 19th century.

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However, In the first half of the 20th century, the technology necessary to develop the first computers was created. Among these advances were the vacuum tube, logic gates and the first circuits, which inaugurated a field of knowledge that soon revolutionized all others and changed the way we think about work.

Also Work on algorithms was central during the first three decades of the century under the genius of figures such as the British mathematician Alan Turing (1912-1954). On the other hand, the context of the Second World War prompted the first automatic calculators that were available to decipher the enemy's war codes.

The first fully programmable and automatic calculating machine was invented in 1941 called Z3, and in 1944 the first electromechanical machine, at Harvard University in the United States: the Mark I.

Since then, computer systems have not stopped changing. New technologies were incorporated such as transistors, semiconductors and various information storage mechanisms, from punched cards to the first magnetic tapes.

The first computer in history was the ENIAC (1946) from the University of Pennsylvania, which took up an entire room. It was the first of several generations of computer systems to come, increasingly smaller and more powerful.

The first computer schools, within the framework of universities, emerged between the 1950s and 1960s. At the same time, the computer industry, nascent but powerful, permeated all other areas of human knowledge in just 60 years of development.

What is computing for?

informatics importance satellite — Almost no aspect of daily life is kept out of the digital world.

The key purpose of computing is storage and retrieval of information which has been one of the key concerns of humanity since the beginning of time. In that sense, the first storage system was writing itself, which allowed messages to be encoded and later retrieved through marks on a surface.

Importance of computing

The importance of computing today could not be more evident. In a hyper-technological and hyper-connected world, Information has become one of the most precious assets in the world, and the complex computer systems we have built allow us to manage it faster and more efficiently than ever before in history.

computing It is one of the most in-demand disciplines in the university market of the world. It has the greatest and fastest job opportunity, given that almost no aspect of daily life is still outside the digital world and large information processing systems.

The big data (or “big information”) that our devices gather from us is evidence of this: we truly live in the information age, and computing then couldn't be more important.

Computer Basics

computer programs — The application software offers functions ranging from work to leisure.

The most basic concepts of computing are hardware and the software.

The hardware It is the physical, rigid, concrete and tangible aspect of computer systems. They are, thus, the parts and components that we can touch, exchange, break, etc., something like the “body” of the computer.

This category includes vital processing components (such as the calculation processor) or storage devices (memory and hard drives), but also peripheral devices, which are independent accessories of the system, which connect with it to allow you to perform various functions.

Depending on what these functions are, we can talk about:

Input devices Those that allow information to be entered into the system, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a web camera or a scanner.
Output devices Those that allow information to be extracted or recovered from the system, such as the monitor, a printer or speakers.
Input/output devices Those that are capable of performing both functions at the same time or successively, such as a multifunctional printer or a touch monitor.

computer technology

Computer technology is understood to mean study, development, management and implementation of computer systems automated, especially from a software perspective.

Thus, computer technology specialists are dedicated to different areas of computerized activity, such as software design, the establishment of computer networks, the management of computerized systems, the design of databases, etc. Its purpose is to facilitate the implementation of these technologies in business, productive or organizational settings.

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