Everybody knows computers are complex machines. IBM introduced the “personal computer” in the early 1980’s, but it took Microsoft and Windows to make them personal enough for our daily lives.

If anything, computers are more complex than ever. A big part of their popularity is due to the fact that Windows hides a lot of that complexity. But they are not simple machines, and it’s good to have resources to help you get the most from them.

Computers only understand two things. In the binary world of the computer there are only ones and zeros; electrical current is either flowing or not flowing, the “electrical switches” inside the computer are either on or off.

That also means computers are very logical; they only know True and False. They are also very fast, although that’s hard to believe sometimes! Inside all that wiring and logic is a clock that beats one to three billion times a second. The computer can execute a lot of instructions in a very short period of time at that kind of speed.

All that being said, the computer is still a very dumb machine. It’s only as good as the instructions and data it’s given. You may have heard the expression “garbage in, garbage out.” Computers are not intelligent; if they seem to be smart it’s because some very sharp people have given them good instructions.

Computers are ultimately just tools to help us accomplish our goals. I once built a large network for a well-known accounting firm in Houston. They impressed on me that the computer was like the pencil their accountants use while working on financial calculations; it’s just a tool to help you do your job. I’ve never lost sight of that simple rule.

At Certified Computer Service we know computers inside and out. And we make sure they do the work you want without a lot of frustration. We specialize in explaining technical concepts in non-technical terms, so you can get on with the work that is important to you.

Remember, you have a resource with Certified Computer Service!