Advantages and Disadvantages of Computer

Advantages of Computers 

The five major advantages of computers which make them powerful and useful are: 

1. Speed: They work at an incredible speed. The speed is measured in terms of instructions per second (IPS). A modern computer can process information at the speed of a couple of million instructions per second (MIPS). 

2. Accuracy: In addition to speed, computers are also highly accurate. They either give correct answer or do not answer at all. However a computer is capable of doing only what it is instructed to do. If faulty instructions are provided for processing data, obviously faulty answers will be produced. 

3. Consistency: Computers are highly consistent. They never get bored by repetitive work. Hence they are ideal for carrying out repetitive and voluminous work. 

4. Storage capacity: Today's computers can store huge amounts of data. Information can be recovered almost instantly and is never forgotten once it has been recorded. Thus a single CD ROM can contain the entire Encyclopedia Britannica and more. 

5. Flexibility: Computer is a versatile machine and its use is limited only by your imagination. Today computers can practically be used in any field to great advantage. Unlike other machines which are designed for a particular task, computers are the most general purpose machines. You can use computers to play music, see movies, type letters, send e-mail, diagnose illness, fix problems in complex manufacturing operations, design buildings and bridges and so on and so forth. 

Disadvantages of Computer

The main disadvantages of computers are that 

1. They are not originally creative and they will never be.

2. Lack of IQ - Most people think that computers have superhuman abilities. But that is not true. Computers do not have the innate intelligence that humans have.

3. Lack of decision making ability - Computers cannot make decisions on their own. They do not have the intuitive abilities that humans have.