Advantages and Disadvantages of Computers

Advantages and Disadvantages of Computers: Computers have some strength, which makes them immensely useful and popular and also adorable for all. Some of its main characteristics are given below-

a) Accuracy: Computers can perform all the calculation and comparison accurately provided the hardware does not malfunction.

b) Automaticity: Computers are capable of doing certain level of automation provided they are programmed in that order. In the computer, once a task is initiated, it can perform on its own till its completion. It will execute the program in the correct sequence i.e. it will switch on/off the machine at the appropriate time, monitor the operational parameter, send warning signals or take corrective actions if the parameters exceed the control level and so on.

c) Diligence / Reliability: The human being suffers from weaknesses like tiredness, lack of concentration etc. being constant and earnest in efforts and application. Humans also have feelings, so they become sad, depressed, bored and negligent and virtually it is reflected in the work they do. But the computers can perform the task repetitively for n numbers of times without any degradation in quality. So computers are more reliable than human beings.

d) Speed: Computers can calculate at a very high speed. A modern computer can execute millions of instructions in one second.

e) Storage: Computers can store a large amount of information in a very small space. The storage capacity of a computer is virtually unlimited.

f) Versatility: The computer can perform activities ranging from simple calculation to performing complex tasks in any field of knowledge and in different environment conditions, i.e. they can do hazardous jobs even in hospital environment.

            Being an electronic device the computers have certain limitations also, which can be summarized as follows.

a) Lack of Decision Making Power: Computers cannot decide on their own; they are dependent on human instruction. Computers can only do what they are told to do.

b) Zero IQ: Computers are dumb machines with zero IQ. They need to be told in each and every step, however minute it may be.

c) No Heuristic: Heuristic refers broadly to learning from past experiences. If a computer commits an error once and the similar situation / event occurs again, the computer will commit the same error again. i.e. it can not learn from the past experiences.