Chapter 16 OpenOffice.org Base
Computers have thousands of uses, but in the end, the most important things they do come down to two major and equally important functions. The first is mathematics. More specifically, the computer makes it possible to do complex (or simple) mathematics quickly. The key word here is quickly. Whether it is figuring out ballistic tables to better ensure the trajectory of a missile and cracking complex codes (as was the impetus for the computer’s development during World War II) or processing a company’s financial information, math is central to every computing operation.
The second most useful function a computer has is storing, sorting, and retrieving data quickly. (Again that word quickly.) Search engines ...
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