Is a computer more intelligent than Windy?

Windy: I had a tough week with lots of homework to do. I managed it all with my computer.

Cliparti: That’s really intelligent of you.

Fluppy: Computer is more intelligent than Windy.

Windy: How dare you say that?

Cliparti: No. Man is superior to computers. It is the man who has made the computer, right?

Fluppy: Then how does it work so efficiently?

Windy: It is an electronic machine, which takes input, processes it & finally gives the output.

Cliparti: For processing, it needs some set of information, which we call input. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) located inside the computer works on it and processes it and gives you the output.

Windy: So you see, Fluppy, It is just like your brain, which takes information through your eyes, ears, nose, hands etc., and interprets it for you.

Fluppy: When it is so similar to me, why do I need it then?

Windy: Good question, Fluppy. Well, in today’s world, where time is of great importance, computer helps us to save time. It has a tremendous speed at which it can perform any operation like calculation, comparison, decision-making etc.

Cliparti: It can also store information in its memory just as your cupboard does. Moreover it can be used for a variety of jobs.

Windy: its operations are 100 per cent accurate and not like yours. Moreover it does not even get tired like you do, Fluppy Little.

Fluppy: So what, everybody gets tired and let me remind you that I am not a machine.

Cliparti: So now you see the difference between a machine and a man.

Fluppy: Yeah, computer is like a super adult.

Windy: What is that?

Fluppy: Well, they can do lots of things intelligently like adults. But they are super in the sense that they won’t scold or get angry with us if we keep asking them the same questions repeatedly.

Windy: You know, Cliparti, I had a project to do in school and I didn’t need to take my father’s help for it. He was so surprised and glad too.

Cliparti: But then how did you do it, Windy?

Windy: Haven’t you heard of the site called "askjeeves for kids," Cliparti? It’s at http://www.aj.com. Here you can get the answer to any question. It can be about anything in the world.

Fluppy: Wow! That can answer all my questions?

Windy: Yeah, Fluppy, even your stupid questions.

Cliparti: That’s really a good site. Even I am aware of a site that is a virtual zoo from where you can get any information about animals. It’s at http://library.advanced.org/11922.

Fluppy: But here we can’t take pictures like we do when we go to a zoological park.

Cliparti: Of course! you can, Fluppy. Here you do not need the skills of a good photographer. Instead of clicking the camera, you’ve got to click the mouse.

Windy: Apart from animals, there are so many sites, which give you pictures for school or fun. Some of these are

Fluppy: Tell me Cliparti, are these files in the form of paper?

Cliparti: No, these files are not in paper, Fluppy. They are written in bits & bytes and saved in the form of virtual files on a floppy in the floppy drive, CD or the Hard disk.

Fluppy: I have seen a floppy. What is a floppy drive?

Cliparti: Like cassette recorders, floppy drives read and record the data on a floppy. But in order to use a floppy you have to insert it into the floppy drive.

Windy: By the way, have you ever worked on a computer?

Fluppy: Well, to be frank, no. Actually, I only played that soccer game last week, which my father started for me. But I have often watched Dad working on it.

Cliparti: Never mind, Fluppy. Do you know how to open up a computer?

Fluppy: No.

Cliparti: Okay! So listen carefully, Fluppy. Do as I say, first of all you press the power button and wait for a while, as the computer will do necessary jobs automatically to start the computer for you. When it stops, it will ask you for a password. Enter the password here or hit the Esc (escape) key situated on the top left of your keyboard.

Fluppy: Why a password?

Windy: A password is used to ensure that nobody else is able to access the information of your computer without your permission.

Cliparti: The first screen that comes is the Windows desktop. The small pictures that you see on it are known as icons. If your double click the left mouse button on any of the icons present on the screen, the window associated with that icon gets displayed on the screen.

Windy: Now if you take the cursor at the bottom left of the screen, you will see a Start button. When you click it, you will see some sub-menus.

Fluppy: What is a sub-menu? I know of only 1 menu i.e. a restaurant menu.

Cliparti: Good! It is similar to that menu as this menu also contains detailed information about the computer programmes.

Fluppy: Don’t get into details now. Just tell me how to open up some game now.

Cliparti: Okay. So once you click on start, you get sub-menus like Program documents, Settings find, Help Run and Shut down. Now you press Program, which opens another sub-menu and allows you to view the list of all programs or software available on the machine.

Fluppy: Go on, now I see another list, which includes accessories etc.

Cliparti: So now press Accessories and…

Fluppy: Again another set of sub menus.

Windy: Yeah. Now you locate games and click on that.

Cliparti: You can click on to the game you wish to play.

Fluppy: Now, I finally see a game appearing on the screen.

Cliparti: You can have many more games in a computer.

Windy: Let him be occupied in this for the time being, Cliparti, I see a lot of things on the Internet that I wish to tell you. But I often forget those interesting things that I come across, once I leave my computer.

Cliparti: That’s human, Windy. Since the Internet is such a big world and has so much in it, it is often difficult to get back to something that you have read before. But then if you wish to return to what you have read before, you should bookmark the links you come across.

Fluppy: That’s like a bookmark I use while reading a storybook?

Windy: Hmmm, he has already started becoming intelligent.

Cliparti: So I see. Effects of a computer?