The invention of the computer in 1948 is often regarded as the beginning of the digital revolution. It is hard to disagree that computers have indeed penetrated into the lives of people have changed them once and for all. Computer technologies have affected every single sphere of human activities starting from entertainment and ending with work and education. They facilitate the work of any enterprise, they are of great assistance for scientists in laboratories, they make it possible to diagnose diseases much faster, they control the work of ATMs, and help the banks to function properly. The first computers occupied almost the whole room and were very slow in processing data and performance in general. The modern world witnesses the development of computer technologies daily with computers turning into tiny machines and working unbelievably smoothly. A computer is now trusted as a best friend and advisor. It is treated as a reliable machine able to process and store a large amount of data and help out in any situation. “The storage, retrieval, and use of information are more important than ever” since “(w)e are in the midst of a profound change, going from hardcopy storage to online storage of the collected knowledge of the human race” (Dave, 2007), which is why the computers are of great assistance to us. However, to become a successful person, it is not enough to simply have a computer at home. It is often the case that people use computers merely to play games without knowing about the wide range of activities they may engage a person in. One has to know more about computers and use all their capabilities for one’s own benefit. Knowing the capabilities of one’s computer can help in the work and educational process, as well as it can save time and money. In this essay, you will find out reasons as to why it is important to know your computer; and how much time and money you will save by using all the capabilities of your computer.
What should be mentioned above all is that knowing one’s computer perfectly gives an opportunity of using it for the most various purposes. It depends on what exactly a person needs a computer for, in other words, whether it is needed for studying, for work, or for entertainment. Using a computer for work or education purposes involves much more than is required for playing computer games. These days most of the students are permitted to submit only typed essays, research papers, and other works, which makes mastering the computer vital. “Information technologies have played a vital role in higher education for decades” (McArthur & Lewis, n.d.); they contributed and still continue to contribute to students’ gaining knowledge from outside sources by means of using the World Wide Web where information is easily accessible and available for everyone. To have access to this information one has to know how to use a computer and to develop certain skills for this. These skills should include, first of all, using a Web browser. “In 1995, Microsoft invented a competing Web browser called Microsoft Internet Explorer” (Walter, n.d.), but there exist other browsers the choice of which depends on the user. Moreover, knowing different search engines (for instance, Google, Yahoo, etc,) is required; the user should also be able to process, analyze, and group similar sources by means of extracting the most relevant information. At this, the user is supposed to know that not all Internet sources should be trusted, especially when the information is gathered for a research paper. Trusting the information presented in ad banners is unwise for their main purpose is attracting the users’ attention. They may contain false or obsolete data misleading the user. Utilizing the information obtained from the Internet for scholarly works, one should remember about plagiarism or responsibility for copying somebody else’s works. Students who use such information should cite it properly and refer to the works of other scholars rather than simply stealing their ideas. Plagiarism is punishable and may result in dropping out of school or college. This testifies to the fact that using a computer for studies demands the acquisition of certain computer programs and practice in working with them, which would give a perfect idea on how to search and process the information needed for completion of different assignments.
What’s more, knowing a computer for work is no less important. Mastering certain computer programs depend on the type of work. Any prestigious work demands a definite level of computer skills from the basic to the advanced one. The work of a company involves sometimes more than using standard computer programs; the software is usually designed specifically for the company depending on the business’s application. This means that acquisition of a special program may be needed and a new worker will have to complete computer courses and gain knowledge on a particular program. Nevertheless, the knowledge of basic computer programs is crucial for getting a job one desires. Since the work of most companies is computerized, one will need to deal with a computer anyways and the skills obtained while playing computer games will not suffice. A person seeking a job should be a confident user of basic computer programs, such as Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, Internet Explorer (or other browsers), etc. A confident user is also supposed to know what to do with the computer when some malfunctions arise. Of course, each company has system administrators who deal with computer defects but minor problems are usually born by the users themselves. Apart from knowing the computer, a person should be aware of the policy of using it in the office. For instance, some companies prohibit using office computers for personal purposes, especially when it comes to downloading software and installing it on the computer without notifying the system administrator. This may be connected either with the fact that incorrectly installed software may harm the system of the computer in general or, if the software has been downloaded from the Internet, it may contain spyware which makes the information from your computer accessible for other users. This can hardly be beneficial for the company dealing with economic, political, governmental, or any other kind of issues. Therefore, knowing a computer is necessary for getting a prestigious job and ensuring proper and safe performance of the company one is working for.
And finally, using all the capabilities of a computer can save time and money. Firstly, a personal computer has a number of tools which facilitate people’s life. Special software, for instance, Microsoft Money, makes it possible to plan the budget, to discover faults in the plan, and correct it easily without having to rewrite it from the beginning; the program itself can manage financial information provided by the user and balance checkbooks in addition. Such computer tools as word processors enable the users to make corrections at any stage of the work; moreover by means of them, one may change the size of letters and overall design of the work to give it a better look. Mapping programs can also be useful; by means of a computer one may install such a program (GPS) into the car; the program then will take care about planning the route avoiding traffic jams and choosing the shortest ways. Secondly, electronic mail allows keeping in touch with people not only in your country but abroad. It is cheaper and much faster than writing letters or communicating over the telephone when the connection is often of low quality and the conversation is constantly interrupted. Most telephone companies are aimed at getting profits from people’s communication with their friends and relatives whereas electronic mail is almost free; all that one needs to do is to pay a monthly fee to the Internet Service Provider. Eventually, computer users have an opportunity to do shopping without leaving the apartment; the choice of the products one may want to buy is practically unlimited and the user can always find recommendations from those people who already purchased the product. A personal computer can also help to save money due to its being multifunctional. Knowing much about the capabilities of the computer, one may start using it as a TV set watching favorite programs online, and as a Playstation playing the same games on the personal computer. Not only can a user watch favorite TV shows by means of his/her computer, but can download them at various torrent sites for free. Using a PC to send faxes through online fax services saves money for one does not have to buy a fax machine and to use an additional telephone line; it also saves paper and ink which one would have to buy otherwise.
Taking into consideration everything mentioned above, it can be stated that knowing a computer is important for it can make people’s life much easier. Firstly, computers are helpful in getting an education since by means of them the students can find any possible information necessary for writing research papers and other kinds of written assignments. To do this, a student needs to know how to search the Internet and to process the information he/she can find there. Secondly, knowing a computer raises one’s chances of getting a good job because most of the companies look for employees with a sufficient level of computer skills. When working for a company one should also remember about its policy regarding the use of computer for personal purposes and be able to cope with minor problems arising in the course of work with the computer. Finally, a computer allows saving time and money. It saves the users’ time due to utilizing such tools as word processors, budget planning, and mapping programs which facilitate the users’ life. The computer can also save money serving as a TV, fax, and Playstation giving access to TV shows, online fax services, and allowing playing video games without buying special devices for this.
References
McArthur, D., Lewis, W.M., ND. Web.
Moursund, D. (2007). A College Student’s Guide to Computers in Education. Web.
Walter, R. ND. The Secret Guide to Computers. Web.