buying a computer essay

Essay on Computer and its Uses for School Students and Children

500+ words essay on computer.

In this essay on computer, we are going to discuss some useful things about computers. The modern-day computer has become an important part of our daily life. Also, their usage has increased much fold during the last decade. Nowadays, they use the computer in every office whether private or government. Mankind is using computers for over many decades now. Also, they are used in many fields like agriculture, designing, machinery making, defense and many more. Above all, they have revolutionized the whole world.

History of Computers

It is very difficult to find the exact origin of computers. But according to some experts computer exists at the time of world war-II. Also, at that time they were used for keeping data. But, it was for only government use and not for public use. Above all, in the beginning, the computer was a very large and heavy machine.

Working of a Computer 

The computer runs on a three-step cycle namely input, process, and output. Also, the computer follows this cycle in every process it was asked to do. In simple words, the process can be explained in this way. The data which we feed into the computer is input, the work CPU do is process and the result which the computer give is output.

Components and Types of Computer

The simple computer basically consists of CPU, monitor, mouse, and keyboard . Also, there are hundreds of other computer parts that can be attached to it. These other parts include a printer, laser pen, scanner , etc.

The computer is categorized into many different types like supercomputers, mainframes, personal computers (desktop), PDAs, laptop, etc. The mobile phone is also a type of computer because it fulfills all the criteria of being a computer.

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Uses of Computer in Various Fields

As the usage of computer increased it became a necessity for almost every field to use computers for their operations. Also, they have made working and sorting things easier. Below we are mentioning some of the important fields that use a computer in their daily operation.

Medical Field

They use computers to diagnose diseases, run tests and for finding the cure for deadly diseases . Also, they are able to find a cure for many diseases because of computers.

Whether it’s scientific research, space research or any social research computers help in all of them. Also, due to them, we are able to keep a check on the environment , space, and society. Space research helped us to explore the galaxies. While scientific research has helped us to locate resources and various other useful resources from the earth.

For any country, his defence is most important for the safety and security of its people. Also, computer in this field helps the country’s security agencies to detect a threat which can be harmful in the future. Above all the defense industry use them to keep surveillance on our enemy.

Threats from a Computer

Computers have become a necessity also, they have become a threat too. This is due to hackers who steal your private data and leak them on internet. Also, anyone can access this data. Apart from that, there are other threats like viruses, spams, bug and many other problems.

The computer is a very important machine that has become a useful part of our life. Also, the computers have twin-faces on one side it’s a boon and on the other side, it’s a bane. Its uses completely depend upon you. Apart from that, a day in the future will come when human civilization won’t be able to survive without computers as we depend on them too much. Till now it is a great discovery of mankind that has helped in saving thousands and millions of lives.

Frequently Asked Questions on Computer

Q.1  What is a computer?

A.1 A computer is an electronic device or machine that makes our work easier. Also, they help us in many ways.

Q.2 Mention various fields where computers are used?

A.2  Computers are majorly used in defense, medicine, and for research purposes.

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Essays About Computers: Top 5 Examples Plus Prompts

Computers are helpful technology that many of us use on a daily basis; if you are writing essays about computers, use our essay examples and prompts below. 

We often recognize computers as the devices we use to browse the internet, communicate with others, and type down notes, but there is more to a computer than this. A complex set of processes, calculations, and operations performs everything we do on a computer. Without a doubt, computers make our lives easier and enhance our personal and working life.

5 Top Essay Examples

1. types of computers by brent dawson, 2. uses of computers in education by kristina barroso, 3. our dependency on computers by nora fox, 4. neural networks: is your brain like a computer by shamli prakash.

• 5. ​​The Human Brain vs. Supercomputers… Which One Wins? By John Staughton

1. The Many Uses of Computers

2. can computers take over society, 3. is computer science a worthwhile program to study, 4. pros and cons of computers, 5. can computers compete with the human brain.

“Calculations for things such as automotive design, weather forecasting, and aerospace use supercomputers. Embedded computers are used for functions in a larger product. They are located in things such as automobiles, consumer electronics and office machines. As we all know computers come in many shapes and sizes. They can be used for many different things and can be located anywhere. Technology has increased so much that the most unheard compact thing can be a computer.

Dawson stresses that computers can come in all shapes and sizes. There are different types of computers, such as personal computers, mobile computers, game consoles, and supercomputers, each with its own functions and specialties. He briefly touches on each type of computer and its uses. Technology has come a long way, as the most complex computers are everywhere, whether in laboratories, offices, or even our mobile phones or watches. 

“Critics argue that spell check and other computer features that automatically correct errors in spelling and punctuation make students too lazy to learn and apply the rules themselves. These features, however, help point out where students went wrong and offer valuable learning opportunities that can help students enhance their understanding of appropriate spelling and punctuation.”

In her essay, Barroso discusses the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating computers into education. They allow schools to maximize online resources, foster student engagement, and make it easier for teachers and students to perform school-related tasks. However, they may make students lazy to check mistakes, thinking that the computers will automatically check them. Ultimately, the pros outweigh the cons. 

“As far as I concerned, computer is a great invention and it is useful to human life. It should be impossible to live without computer as we get too much used of computers nowadays. However, we should use it wisely. We know the fact that the more we rely on computer, the more we will lose in our life. So, we should also find ways to make our dependence on computers less dangerous to us, so that we will not rely on computer completely.”

Fox discusses the state of society today where we rely far too much on computers. They help us greatly in our daily lives, but they have made us depend on technology for information rather than thinking for ourselves. And if something goes wrong, like the servers crash, the world is at a standstill. Computers are a net good for society, but we must avoid revolving our lives around technology. 

“In data science terms, this phase is somewhat akin to ‘Model Training’ — the more things a child is exposed to the more the synapses associated with it get built. A good example is language — the more a child is exposed to linguistics in early years, the more evolved the area of her brain that is associated with languages would get. Ditto for other cognitive and non-cognitive abilities.”

Prakash discusses the different ways in which our brains operate as computers. An information processing system has five components: input, output, storage, processing, and program. The human brain does have all of these components, which are used to perform our daily functions. She looks into how human intelligence can be “trained,” like computers are developed. 

5. ​​ The Human Brain vs. Supercomputers… Which One Wins? By John Staughton

“When the brain identifies a more efficient or effective way to compute and function, it can morph and alter its physical and neuronal structure, hence the term “plasticity“. Until we achieve true Artificial Intelligence (in which computers should theoretically be able to re-wire themselves), neuroplasticity will always keep the human brain at least one step ahead of “static” supercomputers.”

Staughton writes about how much more advanced computers have become in recent decades, with some of them being able to outsmart humans in tasks such as chess. However, he explains that our brains are very different from technology and are inherently superior to even the most powerful computers in terms of efficiency, adaptability, and many other factors. However, he keeps the door on computers, eventually developing beyond our capabilities in the future. 

5 Helpful Writing Prompts on Essays About Computers

Computers aid us in many tasks; it is undeniable that they make our lives easier. Think of the different uses of computers, both in your life and in general, and list them. Briefly explain each, and if you want, also explain how computers have been most helpful in your life. You can also check out these essays about the internet .

This is a question many have grappled with and is the subject of many science-fiction and dystopian stories. Many believe that only good can come from greater technological advancement, while others believe humanity will be subject to much conflict and suffering. Based on research, decide whether we should introduce computers into more aspects of our lives. You can cite articles, essays, books, or even movies to prove your point. 

In your essay, discuss how helpful an education in computer science would be. Research the course’s requirements, benefits, disadvantages, and expectations and, based on your personal opinion, write about whether it would be worth it to pursue this program. This essay is more suited for those with experience, but if not, consult online sources or interview people with experience for a solid evidence base.

Computers have many advantages as well as disadvantages. List down the pros and cons of computers you can come up with, and discuss a few of them in your essay. Then, based on the evidence you’ve provided, decide whether computers are a net good or bad for society in the long run. 

A few essay examples above have compared technology and artificial intelligence to the human brain, as they are both “computers,” so to speak. In your opinion, will technology ever come to a point where it will rival our abilities? Conduct research and cite credible sources for a strong essay .  

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining “ what is persuasive writing ?”If you’d like to learn more, our writer explains how to write an argumentative essay in this guide.

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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Buying a new computer

by Chris Woodford . Last updated: July 27, 2022.

B uying yourself a new computer can be a daunting prospect. There are literally hundreds of different models to choose from and, what's worse, they all look exactly the same! Compare the specifications and you'll find that looks aren't the only thing they have in common: unless you know your Wi-Fi from your Bluetooth and your Linux from your Windows, you'll be hard-pressed to tell one machine from another. It's hardly surprising that most computer buyers make a few feeble attempts to compare a handful of likely contenders and then just pick something more or less at random based on whichever brand sounds most familiar. But isn't there a more scientific approach to parting with your hard-earned cash? The best thing you can do is make a list of all the features that really matter to you, make a shortlist of half a dozen different machines, and then see which machine ticks the most boxes. But whether you go for the scientific approach or just trust your gut, here are some things to think about before you fill your shopping cart and click "checkout."

Photo: How much computer can you get for your money? Desktop or laptop? Laptops are more convenient than desktops if you don't have a lot of room, and use less energy, but they're easier to damage, harder to upgrade, and cost more to repair.

What will you use it for?

This is absolutely the most important question when it comes to buying a new computer. Most home users do little more than browse the Web , send emails, word-process the occasional letter, download MP3 music tracks, and store and process photographs from a digital camera . For basic Internet (email and Web) work and word processing, all you need is a basic computer—you don't need anything fancy and you certainly don't need to worry about getting the very latest model. Processor speeds and drive sizes are virtually irrelevant if you'll do nothing but Web browsing and sending emails; even a 10-year-old secondhand laptop may be good enough (though it might struggle to run the latest version of Windows).

If you'll be using your computer to manage music tracks on an iPod (or other MP3 player), the most important thing you need is plenty of disk space—but virtually any new computer will have more than you could possibly need. Once, we would have talked about making sure you had a big enough "hard drive," but many computers now use SSDs (solid-state drives, essentially flash memory chips) instead of old-style magnetic disks. (As a general rule of thumb, I suggest multiply your iPod's storage capacity by 2–3 and aim for a drive that size to ensure you have plenty of room for other things.) When it comes to storing videos and digital photographs, storage is rather more of an issue. But even if you buy a computer with a hard disk that turns out to be too small, you can easily add an external drive at relatively low cost to overcome the problem. Alternatively, you can now buy USB flash memory sticks that have as much memory as an average PC had just a few years ago—and they make great portable backups. And you can always use cloud storage (storing your stuff on a third-party service like Google Drive, Amazon Drive, Dropbox, or similar) instead of keeping your files locally.

In short, as far as most home users are concerned, virtually any new off-the-shelf computer will be able to handle what you want to do. The only exception is people who like to play games (either alone or online). If you plan to do a lot of that, you'll need a computer with a fast processor—and the processor speed will probably override all other considerations. If you're a games player, always buy the fastest machine (the one with the highest processor speed) you can afford.

Laptop, desktop... phone or tablet?

Even if you always use your laptop in the same room in your home (mine is permanently sitting on a desk plugged into a printer , external keyboard, and so on), that doesn't necessarily mean a desktop is a better bet. I often work away from home so it's brilliant to be able to unplug the laptop in a couple of minutes and take it with me; I couldn't do that with a desktop. On the other hand, if you organize your files sensibly, you can probably just copy your entire "My documents" folder onto a USB stick and take that with you, and if you use a web-based email service like Gmail or Yahoo!, you don't need to take your laptop with you at all.

Most laptops now come with a multi-function audio CD-player , CD-ROM drive, CD rewriter, DVD, and DVD rewriter—so you don't have to worry too much about this. (You can always add an external USB CD or DVD drive if you need to do.) The appearance of Blu-ray drives adds a new complication, but don't worry about them too much unless you're a games player. Most of us can cope with a standard CD/DVD reader and rewriter, which will come with most new desktops and laptops. Compact discs and DVDs are going to be around for a while yet, even though, for a lot of us, it's all about downloading and streaming now.

Widescreen?

One area where laptops, in particular, have changed considerably over the last couple of decades is in the size of their LCD screens and their aspect ratio. Older laptops had much squarer screens; the latest laptops have widescreens so you can watch movies from DVDs or streamed online. Don't worry too much about screen dimensions unless you plan to watch plenty of movies on your computer. But if you're planning to do lots of Web work and you're buying a small computer with a tiny screen, bear in mind that many, wider websites will display with scroll bars (only showing part of the screen at a time)—and that can get a bit irritating after a while.

Connectivity?

Computers used to be solitary machines you used in the comfort of your own home without worrying about other people; now, thanks to the Internet, and things like Facebook and Twitter, they're a much more social phenomenon than anyone ever expected: 21st-century home computers are more like super-enhanced versions of 20th-century telephones . That's why most computer users now expect their machines to be online the whole time. If you're buying a laptop, and especially if you're getting an older model secondhand, make sure it has a wireless networking (Wi-Fi) card built in so you can use it all around your home (you will need to buy a separate wireless broadband modem/router or a mobile broadband dongle as well). Some ancient laptops still have built-in dial-up modems , but they're much less useful than they were; it's virtually impossible to use the web without broadband these days because most websites are deliberately designed to make use of faster connections.

Photo: If you buy a secondhand laptop and it doesn't have a built-in Wi-Fi card, you can always buy a PCMCIA adapter card (made by companies such as Netgear and Belkin). It's a bit bigger than a credit card and it just slots into the side of the machine. If you're using Windows, the card should install itself automatically. You can buy these cards amazingly cheaply on auction sites.

Buying secondhand

Ten years ago, the smartest way to buy a laptop was to get a two or three year-old secondhand machine at a fraction of the cost of a new model. Having spent a bit of time looking at prices on eBay, I get a sense that you can currently buy a 2–5 year-old secondhand laptop for about a half to a third the price of a new one. Bear in mind the drawbacks of going the secondhand route: you can spend an inordinate amount of time on auction websites checking out the features of secondhand machines and worrying about whether they're still up-to-date enough for your needs, the reliability of the seller, whether the machine is stolen, and all kinds of other things as well. A few years ago, I would have advised students and people on low budgets definitely to buy secondhand; now, it's harder to see a justification for buying secondhand unless you're really pushed for cash. If you're environmentally minded and interested in recycling , it's relatively easy to find refurbished, ex-corporate machines on eBay; you might not save that much on buying a new model, but you'll have the satisfaction that you've saved one more machine from a landfill in India. Laptops are high on the list of items when it comes to auction fraud, so make sure you buy secondhand machines from reputable sources (ex-demo or reconditioned models are sometimes available from official dealers). Some of the big manufacturers have outlets for selling their own refurbished machines; some of the big online stores (including Amazon) also offer refurbished machines with short warranties.

How to buy a used computer on eBay

Windows, mac, or linux.

A few years ago, no one seriously considered buying anything other than a Windows PC. Apple Macintosh machines were the preserve of graphic designers and people in the creative world, but for everyone else there was only one way to go: Microsoft. Following the rise of the Internet (and the iPhone), things have changed considerably: Macintosh computers are now more affordable and more compatible with Windows PCs than they used to be. If all you plan to do is surf the Web and write the occasional letter or essay, it doesn't matter whether you use a Windows PC or a Mac. If you prefer the smart and stylish Steve Jobs vision to the geeky utilitarian approach personified by Bill Gates, you can plump for a Mac with no qualms—or fear.

Photo: A version of Linux called Ubuntu is the third most popular operating system after Windows and the Mac operating system. Once it's up and running, it looks and works (to an end user) in much the same way as those others. Fixing technical problems is more of a challenge, however.

Over the last few years, the appearance of Linux (a freely available "open-source" operating system that shares advantages of both Windows and Mac) has given computer buyers something extra to think about. The beauty of Linux is that it costs little or nothing so a computer that ships with a Linux operating system can be considerably cheaper than the same model shipping with Windows. That's one reason why netbooks (small-scale laptops like the Asus Eee PC) are sold at such low prices. Although Linux is much more affordable than Windows, you might find problems making peripherals (printers, scanners , webcams , and so on) work correctly, though this is less of a problem than it used to be.

Still confused? It's simpler than it looks:

• If you're a basic home user and you'll be Web surfing, sending emails, writing letters, and storing photos, almost any off-the-shelf computer will be fine for your needs. Don't worry too much about processor speeds or drive space.
• If you'll be storing lots of photos or music tracks, make sure you have plenty of drive space.
• If you're a games player, you'll need a machine with a fast processor.
• If your machine will be used all round the home by different members of your family, in different rooms, a laptop with wireless Internet is a good choice.
• If you work from home and plan to use a computer all day long, a desktop is a better bet than a laptop—or use a laptop with a plug-in keyboard (and possibly plug-in screen as well).
• If your computer hasn't got exactly the features you want, don't worry. Virtually all machines have USB ports (for plugging in extra equipment). Simply buy yourself an external mouse, keyboard, hard drive, webcam (or whatever), and plug it in.
• If you're on a tight budget, consider a secondhand or reconditioned machine. Be sure to buy it from a reputable source. Consider whether the money you're saving is really worth the extra worry and hassle. Linux is a great way to "revive" machines too old to run the latest version of Windows.

If you liked this article...

Find out more, on this website.

• How computers work
• How to repair a laptop computer
• Windows 11 For Dummies by Andy Rathbone, For Dummies, 2021 and Windows 10 For Dummies by Andy Rathbone, For Dummies, 2018. Helpful advice and good for new computer users. The Dummies books are generally updated quite regularly.
• Windows 10 For Seniors for Dummies by Peter Weverka. John Wiley, 2018. Geared more to older readers than the traditional Dummies books.
• PCs For Dummies by Dan Gookin. For Dummies, 2015. This book has been in print for a few years now and is regularly updated. If you're buying it, make sure you get one that matches your current operating system.
• How Computers Work by Ron White. Que Pub, 2008. Quite a good reference, though you may not want to know "how your machine works" so much as "how to make it work for you"—and there is a big difference.
• You Can't Find a Laptop. Now What? by Shira Ovide. The New York Times, 18 August 2020. With homeworking on the rise, demand for laptops has never been higher.
• Ask Jack: Is it worth buying a refurbished PC for under £150? by Jack Schofield. The Guardian, 15 February 2018. Jack steers budget-conscious buyers to ex-corporate PCs and laptops by Dell, HP, and Lenovo.

Text copyright © Chris Woodford 2008, 2022. All rights reserved. Full copyright notice and terms of use .

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Buying a Computer for College

Introduction.

The selection of a correct computer in the rapidly changing world of technology is vital, and a student starting computer science studies has to do this more than others. Tampa Bay Computers for College Scholarship has generously offered a $2,500 scholarship grant. With this money, I can buy a high-quality computer that is adequate to meet the stringent needs of learning Computer Science without going beyond my given budget. The article intends to provide a detailed analysis of different computers.

Understanding Computer Requirements for Computer Science Students

Computer science is more than just knowing a programming language, so you will need not only ordinary computers capable of running complex algorithm programs and working with large amounts of information, but The computer of a computer science student should have a high-power processor, for instance, the Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 since they are used to handle different programs without lapses. It must be considered that the minimum requirement of RAM should be at least 8 GB, but going for 16 GB will give better performance.

Another important thing is to provide an SSD (solid state drive) of at least 256 GB, which is also necessary for computer science. Indeed, SSD drives are much faster in terms of reading information than standard hard drives. A fourteen-inch full HD screen is recommended for the image clarity it promotes and for health reasons for a computer science student’s eye comfort.

Review and Analysis of Potential Computer Options

High-end options.

This MacBook Pro m2 max is not only about performing tasks; it does tasks very fast and smoothly so that complex programming and large data processing become seamlessly enjoyable. Students and professionals should find it easy to multitask many demanding applications without affecting performance quality using a 12-core CPU. This massive piece of equipment excels in dealing with every aspect of complex code problems or high-level software development tasks, making it convenient for users who need more than just adequate support.

Nevertheless, having this much power entails lots of costs; to purchase the MacBook Pro M2 Max requires a huge amount, even for any scholar whose budget is limited by 2500 dollars received from the Tampa Bay Computers for College Scholarship. Although this cost reflects the MacBook’s high-end characteristics, it leaves limited options when one wants extra hardware or software, which are crucial in providing a computer science toolkit. This mode of financial investment makes it a big consideration because purchasing this MacBook Pro M2 Max is more than a laptop; it is equipment that will determine the budget spent on student tech gadgets.

  Mid-Range Options

The mid-range options such as Microsoft’s Surface Pro 9 have what can be called a perfect package that combines functionality as well as ease of portability featuring a powerful Intel i7 processor coupled with 16 GB RAM, making the device not a laptop alone but rather an incredible instrument that The HP Envy 15 and Asus ZenBook 14 are other models that resonate with this balancing act of performance and affordability, which can be beneficial for college-bound students seeking a device able to deliver high quality but at reasonably low prices, enabling them to purchase necessary The consideration of cost factors and functions in midrange means to solve the educational problems where they do not lose education without compromises.

Budget-Friendly Options

Acer Aspire 5 is a good option for people looking to save money. Although the raw power is not comparable to its expensive counterpart, it provides a strong basis for the average needs of a computer scientist student equipped with an upgraded Intel Iris Xe graphics card.

Decision-Making Factors Beyond Technical Specifications

These factors include brand reliability and customer service. It is solidly built, and good warranty service from the manufacturer ensures a long period of usage and rest assured. Another essential element is future-proofing, which denotes a computer’s capability to stay useful and contemporary for decades. Comfort also comes from ergonomics and design, which are often ignored. Furthermore, other investment opportunities, such as peripherals and warranties that could amount to the whole sum of $2,500 should also be considered before buying personal computers.

Upon comprehensive scrutiny, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is the best option for a Computer Science student. As with scholarship, it finds a point where performance, cost, and versatility overlap, providing the fullest possible picture of this curriculum. This choice demonstrates how crucial proper investigation and thoughtful decisions should be when buying items, including educational materials.

Nenye.(June 21, 2023)  21 Best Laptops For Computer Science Students . SCHOLARSLY. https://scholarsly.com/best-laptops-for-computer-science-students/

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Essay on Computer

500+ words essay on computer.

A computer is an electronic device that performs complex calculations. It is a wonderful product of modern technology. Nowadays, computers have become a significant part of our life. Whether it is in the sector of education or health, computers are used everywhere. Our progress is entirely dependent on computers powered by the latest technology. This ‘Essay on Computer’ also covers the history of computers as well as their uses in different sectors. By going through the ‘Computer’ Essay in English, students will get an idea of writing a good Essay on Computers. After practising this essay, they will be able to write essays on other topics related to computers, such as the ‘Uses of Computer’ Essay.

The invention of the computer has made our lives easier. The device is used for many purposes, such as securing information, messages, data processing, software programming, calculations, etc. A desktop computer has a CPU, UPS, monitor, keyboard, and mouse to work. A laptop is a modern form of computer in which all the components are inbuilt into a single device. Earlier, computers were not so fast and powerful. After thorough and meticulous research and work by various scientists, modern-day computers have come up.

History of Computers

The history of computer development is often used to reference the different generations of computing devices. Each generation of computers is characterised by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers work. Most of the major developments from the 1940s to the present day have resulted in increasingly smaller, more powerful, faster, cheaper and more efficient computing devices.

The evolution of computer technology is often divided into five generations. These five generations of computers are as follows:

Uses of Computers

Computers are used in various fields. Some of the applications are

1. Business

A computer can perform a high-speed calculation more efficiently and accurately, due to which it is used in all business organisations. In business, computers are used for:

• Payroll calculations
• Sales analysis
• Maintenance of stocks
• Managing employee databases

2. Education

Computers are very useful in the education system. Especially now, during the COVID time, online education has become the need of the hour. There are miscellaneous ways through which an institution can use computers to educate students.

3. Health Care

Computers have become an important part of hospitals, labs and dispensaries. They are used for the scanning and diagnosis of different diseases. Computerised machines do scans, which include ECG, EEG, ultrasound and CT Scan, etc. Moreover, they are used in hospitals to keep records of patients and medicines.

Computers are largely used in defence. The military employs computerised control systems, modern tanks, missiles, weapons, etc. It uses computers for communication, operation and planning, smart weapons, etc.

5. Government

Computers play an important role in government services. Some major fields are:

• Computation of male/female ratio
• Computerisation of PAN card
• Income Tax Department
• Weather forecasting
• Computerisation of voters’ lists
• Sales Tax Department

6. Communication

Communication is a way to convey an idea, a message, a picture, a speech or any form of text, audio or video clip. Computers are capable of doing so. Through computers, we can send an email, chat with each other, do video conferencing, etc.

Nowadays, to a large extent, banking is dependent on computers. Banks provide an online accounting facility, which includes checking current balances, making deposits and overdrafts, checking interest charges, shares, trustee records, etc. The ATM machines, which are fully automated, use computers, making it easier for customers to deal with banking transactions.

8. Marketing

In marketing, computers are mainly used for advertising and home shopping.

Similarly, there are various other applications of computers in other fields, such as insurance, engineering, design, etc.

Students can practise more essays on different topics to improve their writing skills. Keep learning and stay tuned with BYJU’S for the latest update on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams. Also, download the BYJU’S App for interactive study videos.

Frequently asked Questions on Computer Essay

How has the invention of the computer been useful to students.

Easy and ready access to information has been possible (internet) with the invention of the computer.

How to start writing an essay on a computer?

Before writing an essay, first plan the topics, sub-topics and main points which are going to be included in the body of the essay. Then, structure the content accordingly and check for information and examples.

How to use the computer to browse for information on essays?

Various search engines are available, like Google, where plenty of information can be obtained regarding essays and essay structures.

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Counselling

Buying a Laptop: Personal Experience

Although the modern computer hardware market provides a lot of options to choose from, buying a laptop is not an easy task. It is necessary to find such a model that would satisfy the technical requirements of a customer and be reasonably priced. The current paper describes the experience of purchasing a laptop and pays special attention to the behavior of a salesperson.

Coming to the electronics store, I had three primary requirements for a laptop: it should have a widescreen, a lightweight, and an affordable price. However, there were way too many laptops of various brands that satisfied the demands. Hence, I asked a salesperson to tell the weak and strong sides of each device. The shop assistant informed me of the charge duration, memory capacity, the volume level of music speakers, the quality of the integrated camera, and the brightness of the screen. Besides, he inquired for which purposes I need a laptop because one for study would not be suitable for gaming. Undoubtedly, communication with the salesmen was a decisive factor in buying the computer that I use now.

At the same time, it should be noticed that the salesmen, by all means, tried to increase sales and recommended me to buy a bag, a mouse, and install the software in the shop for extra payments. Even though I highly appreciate his assistance, the pressure to buy more goods was irritative because, from the very beginning, I denoted the maximum amount of money that could be spent.

To conclude, I am satisfied with the laptop since it works just as well as the salesmen promised. Talking about his attempt to sell more goods, he was performing the duties and could not be blamed for this. Still, salespeople should be more attentive to the words and behavior of the clients to avoid making suggestions that the latter would deny. Most importantly, the assistance of the seller enabled me to economize my time and make the best possible choice.

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Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer: Essays

A brief meditation on the role of technology in his own life and how it has changed the landscape of the United States from “America’s greatest philosopher on sustainable life and living” ( Chicago Tribune ).

“A number of people, by now, have told me that I could greatly improve things by buying a computer. My answer is that I am not going to do it. I have several reasons, and they are good ones.” Wendell Berry first challenged the idea that our advanced technological age is a good thing when he penned “Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer” in the late 1980s for  Harper’s Magazine , galvanizing a critical reaction eclipsing any the magazine had seen before. He followed by responding with “Feminism, the Body, and the Machine.” Both essays are collected in one short volume for the first time.

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Buying A Computer 8 Pages 1953 Words

                                       Buying a Computer today is much more complicated then it was ten years ago. The choices we have are abundant, and the information we must gather to make those choices is much greater. The average consumer is a more educated buyer; they at least have some ideas of what they want in a computer. Yet, we must still ask ourselves these significant questions; such as: What will the primary function of my computer be? What computer components should I consider at the time of purchase? How much money do I have to spend? Where should I go to purchase my computer?                           For this report, I will consider the requirements of a typical family: using a mini-tower PC with the Windows 95 operating system, word processing, and entry-level publishing programs; as well as, an anti-virus package, games with high-level graphics and sound, and the internet. I will also consider the following components; those essential for the computer to work faster, and more efficient. They are as follows: Central Processing Unit (CPU) – System Memory (RAM) – Storage Device(s). The following is a detailed look at the CPU, RAM, and Storage devices; the important components that you should consider when purchasing a PC.                           Computer systems, particularly the higher-end models, come in several Configurations: desktop, mini tower, or tower. The configuration you chose should depend - to some extent - on the amount of expansion, (if any) you may want to plan for in the future. Most tower configurations have a greater amount of expandability than mini tower and desktop models. Also, the amount of space that you have in your home for the system should be taken into consideration. Tower configurations are usually placed on the floor; (however, not the mini tower models) whereas, desktop models are made to sit on                                        the surface where the keyboard and monitor are located. The first consideration is the CPU.                           Today, the Intel Corporation is still the leading...

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Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer: Essays Paperback – February 9, 2021

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First published in Harper’s magazine in the late 1980s, Wendell Berry’s “Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer” challenges the idea circulating then (and now) that our advanced technological age is a good thing. The volume of reader response to his essay far exceeded any the magazine had seen before. Berry answered his critics with the longer essay "Feminism, the Body, and the Machine” which is included here in this slim volume.

Each palm-size book in the Counterpoints series is meant to stay with you, whether safely in your pocket or long after you turn the last page. From short stories to essays to poems, these little books celebrate our most-beloved writers, whose work encapsulates the spirit of Counterpoint Press: cutting-edge, wide-ranging, and independent.

• Book 6 of 7 Counterpoints
• Print length 80 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Counterpoint
• Publication date February 9, 2021
• Dimensions 3.9 x 0.3 x 5.9 inches
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Counterpoint (February 9, 2021)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 80 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1640094571
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1640094574
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Wendell E. Berry (born August 5, 1934) is an American novelist, poet, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer. A prolific author, he has written many novels, short stories, poems, and essays. He is an elected member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, a recipient of The National Humanities Medal, and the Jefferson Lecturer for 2012. He is also a 2013 Fellow of The American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Berry was named the recipient of the 2013 Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. On January 28, 2015, he became the first living writer to be ushered into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Guy Mendes (Guy Mendes) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, getting college essay help: important do's and don’ts.

College Essays

If you grow up to be a professional writer, everything you write will first go through an editor before being published. This is because the process of writing is really a process of re-writing —of rethinking and reexamining your work, usually with the help of someone else. So what does this mean for your student writing? And in particular, what does it mean for very important, but nonprofessional writing like your college essay? Should you ask your parents to look at your essay? Pay for an essay service?

If you are wondering what kind of help you can, and should, get with your personal statement, you've come to the right place! In this article, I'll talk about what kind of writing help is useful, ethical, and even expected for your college admission essay . I'll also point out who would make a good editor, what the differences between editing and proofreading are, what to expect from a good editor, and how to spot and stay away from a bad one.

Table of Contents

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

What should an editor do for you, what kind of editing should you avoid, proofreading, what's good proofreading, what kind of proofreading should you avoid.

What Do Colleges Think Of You Getting Help With Your Essay?

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

What's next, what kind of help with your essay can you get.

Rather than talking in general terms about "help," let's first clarify the two different ways that someone else can improve your writing . There is editing, which is the more intensive kind of assistance that you can use throughout the whole process. And then there's proofreading, which is the last step of really polishing your final product.

Let me go into some more detail about editing and proofreading, and then explain how good editors and proofreaders can help you."

Editing is helping the author (in this case, you) go from a rough draft to a finished work . Editing is the process of asking questions about what you're saying, how you're saying it, and how you're organizing your ideas. But not all editing is good editing . In fact, it's very easy for an editor to cross the line from supportive to overbearing and over-involved.

Ability to clarify assignments. A good editor is usually a good writer, and certainly has to be a good reader. For example, in this case, a good editor should make sure you understand the actual essay prompt you're supposed to be answering.

Open-endedness. Good editing is all about asking questions about your ideas and work, but without providing answers. It's about letting you stick to your story and message, and doesn't alter your point of view.

Think of an editor as a great travel guide. It can show you the many different places your trip could take you. It should explain any parts of the trip that could derail your trip or confuse the traveler. But it never dictates your path, never forces you to go somewhere you don't want to go, and never ignores your interests so that the trip no longer seems like it's your own. So what should good editors do?

Help Brainstorm Topics

Sometimes it's easier to bounce thoughts off of someone else. This doesn't mean that your editor gets to come up with ideas, but they can certainly respond to the various topic options you've come up with. This way, you're less likely to write about the most boring of your ideas, or to write about something that isn't actually important to you.

If you're wondering how to come up with options for your editor to consider, check out our guide to brainstorming topics for your college essay .

Help Revise Your Drafts

Here, your editor can't upset the delicate balance of not intervening too much or too little. It's tricky, but a great way to think about it is to remember: editing is about asking questions, not giving answers .

Revision questions should point out:

• Places where more detail or more description would help the reader connect with your essay
• Places where structure and logic don't flow, losing the reader's attention
• Places where there aren't transitions between paragraphs, confusing the reader
• Moments where your narrative or the arguments you're making are unclear

But pointing to potential problems is not the same as actually rewriting—editors let authors fix the problems themselves.

Bad editing is usually very heavy-handed editing. Instead of helping you find your best voice and ideas, a bad editor changes your writing into their own vision.

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

• Add material (examples, descriptions) that doesn't come from you
• Use a thesaurus to make your college essay sound "more mature"
• Add meaning or insight to the essay that doesn't come from you
• Tell you what to say and how to say it
• Write sentences, phrases, and paragraphs for you
• Change your voice in the essay so it no longer sounds like it was written by a teenager

Colleges can tell the difference between a 17-year-old's writing and a 50-year-old's writing. Not only that, they have access to your SAT or ACT Writing section, so they can compare your essay to something else you wrote. Writing that's a little more polished is great and expected. But a totally different voice and style will raise questions.

Where's the Line Between Helpful Editing and Unethical Over-Editing?

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your college essay editor is doing the right thing. Here are some guidelines for staying on the ethical side of the line.

• An editor should say that the opening paragraph is kind of boring, and explain what exactly is making it drag. But it's overstepping for an editor to tell you exactly how to change it.
• An editor should point out where your prose is unclear or vague. But it's completely inappropriate for the editor to rewrite that section of your essay.
• An editor should let you know that a section is light on detail or description. But giving you similes and metaphors to beef up that description is a no-go.

Proofreading (also called copy-editing) is checking for errors in the last draft of a written work. It happens at the end of the process and is meant as the final polishing touch. Proofreading is meticulous and detail-oriented, focusing on small corrections. It sands off all the surface rough spots that could alienate the reader.

Because proofreading is usually concerned with making fixes on the word or sentence level, this is the only process where someone else can actually add to or take away things from your essay . This is because what they are adding or taking away tends to be one or two misplaced letters.

Laser focus. Proofreading is all about the tiny details, so the ability to really concentrate on finding small slip-ups is a must.

Excellent grammar and spelling skills. Proofreaders need to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Good proofreaders should correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. They should put foreign words in italics and surround quotations with quotation marks. They should check that you used the correct college's name, and that you adhered to any formatting requirements (name and date at the top of the page, uniform font and size, uniform spacing).

Limited interference. A proofreader needs to make sure that you followed any word limits. But if cuts need to be made to shorten the essay, that's your job and not the proofreader's.

A bad proofreader either tries to turn into an editor, or just lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.

Some signs that you're working with a bad proofreader are:

• If they suggest making major changes to the final draft of your essay. Proofreading happens when editing is already finished.
• If they aren't particularly good at spelling, or don't know grammar, or aren't detail-oriented enough to find someone else's small mistakes.
• If they start swapping out your words for fancier-sounding synonyms, or changing the voice and sound of your essay in other ways. A proofreader is there to check for errors, not to take the 17-year-old out of your writing.

What Do Colleges Think of Your Getting Help With Your Essay?

Admissions officers agree: light editing and proofreading are good—even required ! But they also want to make sure you're the one doing the work on your essay. They want essays with stories, voice, and themes that come from you. They want to see work that reflects your actual writing ability, and that focuses on what you find important.

On the Importance of Editing

Get feedback. Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Don't allow someone else to rewrite your essay, but do take advantage of others' edits and opinions when they seem helpful. ( Bates College )

Read your essay aloud to someone. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals flaws in the essay's flow, highlights grammatical errors and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended. ( Dickinson College )

On the Value of Proofreading

Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well—such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend—and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit. ( Yale University )

Proofread and then ask someone else to proofread for you. Although we want substance, we also want to be able to see that you can write a paper for our professors and avoid careless mistakes that would drive them crazy. ( Oberlin College )

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style. ( Carleton College )

Ask for input (but not too much). Your parents, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, and teachers are great people to bounce ideas off of for your essay. They know how unique and spectacular you are, and they can help you decide how to articulate it. Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. ( Vanderbilt University )

Now let's talk about some potential people to approach for your college essay editing and proofreading needs. It's best to start close to home and slowly expand outward. Not only are your family and friends more invested in your success than strangers, but they also have a better handle on your interests and personality. This knowledge is key for judging whether your essay is expressing your true self.

Parents or Close Relatives

Your family may be full of potentially excellent editors! Parents are deeply committed to your well-being, and family members know you and your life well enough to offer details or incidents that can be included in your essay. On the other hand, the rewriting process necessarily involves criticism, which is sometimes hard to hear from someone very close to you.

A parent or close family member is a great choice for an editor if you can answer "yes" to the following questions. Is your parent or close relative a good writer or reader? Do you have a relationship where editing your essay won't create conflict? Are you able to constructively listen to criticism and suggestion from the parent?

One suggestion for defusing face-to-face discussions is to try working on the essay over email. Send your parent a draft, have them write you back some comments, and then you can pick which of their suggestions you want to use and which to discard.

Teachers or Tutors

A humanities teacher that you have a good relationship with is a great choice. I am purposefully saying humanities, and not just English, because teachers of Philosophy, History, Anthropology, and any other classes where you do a lot of writing, are all used to reviewing student work.

Moreover, any teacher or tutor that has been working with you for some time, knows you very well and can vet the essay to make sure it "sounds like you."

If your teacher or tutor has some experience with what college essays are supposed to be like, ask them to be your editor. If not, then ask whether they have time to proofread your final draft.

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

The best thing about asking your counselor to edit your work is that this is their job. This means that they have a very good sense of what colleges are looking for in an application essay.

At the same time, school counselors tend to have relationships with admissions officers in many colleges, which again gives them insight into what works and which college is focused on what aspect of the application.

Unfortunately, in many schools the guidance counselor tends to be way overextended. If your ratio is 300 students to 1 college counselor, you're unlikely to get that person's undivided attention and focus. It is still useful to ask them for general advice about your potential topics, but don't expect them to be able to stay with your essay from first draft to final version.

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

Although they most likely don't have much experience with what colleges are hoping to see, your peers are excellent sources for checking that your essay is you .

Friends and siblings are perfect for the read-aloud edit. Read your essay to them so they can listen for words and phrases that are stilted, pompous, or phrases that just don't sound like you.

You can even trade essays and give helpful advice on each other's work.

If your editor hasn't worked with college admissions essays very much, no worries! Any astute and attentive reader can still greatly help with your process. But, as in all things, beginners do better with some preparation.

First, your editor should read our advice about how to write a college essay introduction , how to spot and fix a bad college essay , and get a sense of what other students have written by going through some admissions essays that worked .

Then, as they read your essay, they can work through the following series of questions that will help them to guide you.

Introduction Questions

• Is the first sentence a killer opening line? Why or why not?
• Does the introduction hook the reader? Does it have a colorful, detailed, and interesting narrative? Or does it propose a compelling or surprising idea?
• Can you feel the author's voice in the introduction, or is the tone dry, dull, or overly formal? Show the places where the voice comes through.

Essay Body Questions

• Does the essay have a through-line? Is it built around a central argument, thought, idea, or focus? Can you put this idea into your own words?
• How is the essay organized? By logical progression? Chronologically? Do you feel order when you read it, or are there moments where you are confused or lose the thread of the essay?
• Does the essay have both narratives about the author's life and explanations and insight into what these stories reveal about the author's character, personality, goals, or dreams? If not, which is missing?
• Does the essay flow? Are there smooth transitions/clever links between paragraphs? Between the narrative and moments of insight?

Reader Response Questions

• Does the writer's personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of "who he or she is"?
• Where did you feel most connected to the essay? Which parts of the essay gave you a "you are there" sensation by invoking your senses? What moments could you picture in your head well?
• Where are the details and examples vague and not specific enough?
• Did you get an "a-ha!" feeling anywhere in the essay? Is there a moment of insight that connected all the dots for you? Is there a good reveal or "twist" anywhere in the essay?
• What are the strengths of this essay? What needs the most improvement?

Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

One alternative to asking someone you know to help you with your college essay is the paid editor route. There are two different ways to pay for essay help: a private essay coach or a less personal editing service , like the many proliferating on the internet.

My advice is to think of these options as a last resort rather than your go-to first choice. I'll first go through the reasons why. Then, if you do decide to go with a paid editor, I'll help you decide between a coach and a service.

When to Consider a Paid Editor

In general, I think hiring someone to work on your essay makes a lot of sense if none of the people I discussed above are a possibility for you.

If you can't ask your parents. For example, if your parents aren't good writers, or if English isn't their first language. Or if you think getting your parents to help is going create unnecessary extra conflict in your relationship with them (applying to college is stressful as it is!)

If you can't ask your teacher or tutor. Maybe you don't have a trusted teacher or tutor that has time to look over your essay with focus. Or, for instance, your favorite humanities teacher has very limited experience with college essays and so won't know what admissions officers want to see.

If you can't ask your guidance counselor. This could be because your guidance counselor is way overwhelmed with other students.

If you can't share your essay with those who know you. It might be that your essay is on a very personal topic that you're unwilling to share with parents, teachers, or peers. Just make sure it doesn't fall into one of the bad-idea topics in our article on bad college essays .

If the cost isn't a consideration. Many of these services are quite expensive, and private coaches even more so. If you have finite resources, I'd say that hiring an SAT or ACT tutor (whether it's PrepScholar or someone else) is better way to spend your money . This is because there's no guarantee that a slightly better essay will sufficiently elevate the rest of your application, but a significantly higher SAT score will definitely raise your applicant profile much more.

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

On the plus side, essay coaches have read dozens or even hundreds of college essays, so they have experience with the format. Also, because you'll be working closely with a specific person, it's more personal than sending your essay to a service, which will know even less about you.

But, on the minus side, you'll still be bouncing ideas off of someone who doesn't know that much about you . In general, if you can adequately get the help from someone you know, there is no advantage to paying someone to help you.

If you do decide to hire a coach, ask your school counselor, or older students that have used the service for recommendations. If you can't afford the coach's fees, ask whether they can work on a sliding scale —many do. And finally, beware those who guarantee admission to your school of choice—essay coaches don't have any special magic that can back up those promises.

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

On the plus side, essay editing services provide a similar product to essay coaches, and they cost significantly less . If you have some assurance that you'll be working with a good editor, the lack of face-to-face interaction won't prevent great results.

On the minus side, however, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of the service before working with them . If they are churning through many application essays without getting to know the students they are helping, you could end up with an over-edited essay that sounds just like everyone else's. In the worst case scenario, an unscrupulous service could send you back a plagiarized essay.

Getting recommendations from friends or a school counselor for reputable services is key to avoiding heavy-handed editing that writes essays for you or does too much to change your essay. Including a badly-edited essay like this in your application could cause problems if there are inconsistencies. For example, in interviews it might be clear you didn't write the essay, or the skill of the essay might not be reflected in your schoolwork and test scores.

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

Let me elaborate. There are super sketchy places on the internet where you can simply buy a pre-written essay. Don't do this!

For one thing, you'll be lying on an official, signed document. All college applications make you sign a statement saying something like this:

I certify that all information submitted in the admission process—including the application, the personal essay, any supplements, and any other supporting materials—is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented... I understand that I may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, should the information I have certified be false. (From the Common Application )

For another thing, if your academic record doesn't match the essay's quality, the admissions officer will start thinking your whole application is riddled with lies.

Admission officers have full access to your writing portion of the SAT or ACT so that they can compare work that was done in proctored conditions with that done at home. They can tell if these were written by different people. Not only that, but there are now a number of search engines that faculty and admission officers can use to see if an essay contains strings of words that have appeared in other essays—you have no guarantee that the essay you bought wasn't also bought by 50 other students.

• You should get college essay help with both editing and proofreading
• A good editor will ask questions about your idea, logic, and structure, and will point out places where clarity is needed
• A good editor will absolutely not answer these questions, give you their own ideas, or write the essay or parts of the essay for you
• A good proofreader will find typos and check your formatting
• All of them agree that getting light editing and proofreading is necessary
• Parents, teachers, guidance or college counselor, and peers or siblings
• If you can't ask any of those, you can pay for college essay help, but watch out for services or coaches who over-edit you work
• Don't buy a pre-written essay! Colleges can tell, and it'll make your whole application sound false.

Ready to start working on your essay? Check out our explanation of the point of the personal essay and the role it plays on your applications and then explore our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay .

Using the Common Application for your college applications? We have an excellent guide to the Common App essay prompts and useful advice on how to pick the Common App prompt that's right for you . Wondering how other people tackled these prompts? Then work through our roundup of over 130 real college essay examples published by colleges .

Stressed about whether to take the SAT again before submitting your application? Let us help you decide how many times to take this test . If you choose to go for it, we have the ultimate guide to studying for the SAT to give you the ins and outs of the best ways to study.

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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Why Wendell Berry is still not going to buy a computer

• Deep Read ( 3 Min. )
• By Travis Kitchens Contributor

April 18, 2019 | Port Royal, Ky.

In today’s hyperconnected world, it’s hard to imagine life without a computer. In 1988, essayist and cultural critic Wendell Berry shocked Americans by declaring that he was not going to buy a computer. Still computerless three decades later, Mr. Berry is in a unique position to observe the effects of digital life on society. 

“It seemed to me that everybody was jumping into this as if it would save the world,” he tells the Monitor during an interview at his home in Port Royal, Kentucky. “And so, I made a little dissent.”

Why We Wrote This

The digital revolution has certainly been a catalyst for progress. But that comes at a cost. In an exclusive interview, digital resister Wendell Berry cautions against putting blind faith in computers.

From behind his typewriter, he has watched as the internet has placed a library of information in the hands of the world. The ability to call up information instantaneously may satisfy an immediate curiosity, Mr. Berry says, but it “doesn’t contribute to the formation of a mind.”

His abstention from the digital world has been “a part of my strategy to try to keep myself whole as a human being,” he says. “I don’t want my life to be lived for me by a machine.”

While much of the world salivated at the promise of the desktop computer, essayist and cultural critic Wendell Berry was unimpressed.

Three decades after publishing his controversial 1988 essay  “Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer” in Harper’s Magazine, Mr. Berry still doesn’t own one. He doesn’t have a smartphone either.

That perspective has lent the octogenarian a unique view of the role of technology in this increasingly digitized world. From behind his typewriter, he has remained skeptical about what he sees as “a technological fundamentalism,” or blind faith in computers to liberate humanity.

Mr. Berry recently sat down with the Monitor at his home in Port Royal, Kentucky. The following discussion has been edited for clarity and brevity.

What made you want to publicly declare your intention to abstain from the computer bandwagon?

It seemed to me that everybody was jumping into this as if it would save the world. And that was really the way it was being advertised. “This is the solution to all our problems. This is going to speed things up.” And so, I made a little dissent. It’s really a tiny little no that I said.

While you were staging that “little dissent” President Ronald Reagan declared the computer revolution “the greatest force for the advancement of human freedom the world has ever seen.”

The idea that you’re free if you buy everything that’s marketed to you is absurd. You’ve become free only when you begin to choose. Take it – or leave it. That’s our freedom, that’s real freedom.

The way the human race practically bought into this computer sales talk was just contemptible. You come on the market with this thing. It’s exactly the way they marketed television. “This is the answer. Everybody’s going to be smarter now. Everybody’s going to be in touch.” Same line. And they don’t anticipate any negative result. Never.

Three decades later, conversations have turned to controlling those unforeseen negative results. The shooter who recently killed 50 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand, is reported to have found inspiration for his belief system on the internet.

The education industry argument always is that better education will do the trick. And it’s up to us; we’re the last hope of mankind. They never think, much less admit, that to educate a born crook is to make a worse crook than he would have been without an education.

One of the appeals of computers is up-to-the-minute access to information. It’s almost as if computers have transformed people, giving them their own isolated command centers.

They got whole libraries now in these things. And if you want to know something, you could just ask your computer and it’ll tell you. But this doesn’t contribute to the formation of a mind.

Information refers to something with the power to inform. It’s formal. And it’s organic. Your mind is made from within, to a certain extent, by information. Made from without, too, because it responds to its social situation, and its geographic situation, its cultural situation. This is really complex and really interesting.

Nobody could be bored who is really searching the world for knowledge to inform the mind. So why stick a keyboard and a screen between the mind and the world? I’m not without information. I study the fields, the woods, and the river. I read, and I hear, and I remember.

In Martin Ford’s “Rise of the Robots,” he predicts that lawyers, teachers, fast-food workers, radiologists, even journalists, all could be mostly automated in the future.

There is such a thing as human relations. And there is such a thing as getting a lot of satisfaction, joy, fun from human relations. And I don’t understand why people are willing to give up on that. When you write an article for a magazine, you’re offering half – you’re part of a conversation. The reader is invited to complete it, perhaps by disagreeing. This is a relationship.

The only motive that’s worth anything is love. If you don’t do the work that you love, and if you don’t do it for love, your artistry is not informed by love. It can’t be any good. So there’s the argument, as far as I’m concerned, against robots.

You can’t make a robot that will work from love. It doesn’t work from anything; it doesn’t have any motives. Or its motive is electricity, you could say.

So my little essay about the computer, why I’m not going to buy a computer, was just a part of my strategy to try to keep myself whole as a human being. I don’t want my life to be lived for me by a machine.

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Buying College Essays Is Now Easier Than Ever. But Buyer Beware

Tovia Smith

Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market for essays that students can buy and turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it. Angela Hsieh/NPR hide caption

Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market for essays that students can buy and turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it.

As the recent college admissions scandal is shedding light on how parents are cheating and bribing their children's way into college, schools are also focusing on how some students may be cheating their way through college. Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market that makes it easier than ever for students to buy essays written by others to turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it.

It's not hard to understand the temptation for students. The pressure is enormous, the stakes are high and, for some, writing at a college level is a huge leap.

"We didn't really have a format to follow, so I was kind of lost on what to do," says one college freshman, who struggled recently with an English assignment. One night, when she was feeling particularly overwhelmed, she tweeted her frustration.

"It was like, 'Someone, please help me write my essay!' " she recalls. She ended her tweet with a crying emoji. Within a few minutes, she had a half-dozen offers of help.

"I can write it for you," they tweeted back. "Send us the prompt!"

The student, who asked that her name not be used for fear of repercussions at school, chose one that asked for $10 per page, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"For me, it was just that the work was piling up," she explains. "As soon as I finish some big assignment, I get assigned more things, more homework for math, more homework for English. Some papers have to be six or 10 pages long. ... And even though I do my best to manage, the deadlines come closer and closer, and it's just ... the pressure."

In the cat-and-mouse game of academic cheating, students these days know that if they plagiarize, they're likely to get caught by computer programs that automatically compare essays against a massive database of other writings. So now, buying an original essay can seem like a good workaround.

"Technically, I don't think it's cheating," the student says. "Because you're paying someone to write an essay, which they don't plagiarize, and they write everything on their own."

Her logic, of course, ignores the question of whether she's plagiarizing. When pressed, she begins to stammer.

"That's just a difficult question to answer," she says. "I don't know how to feel about that. It's kind of like a gray area. It's maybe on the edge, kind of?"

Besides she adds, she probably won't use all of it.

Other students justify essay buying as the only way to keep up. They figure that everyone is doing it one way or another — whether they're purchasing help online or getting it from family or friends.

"Oh yeah, collaboration at its finest," cracks Boston University freshman Grace Saathoff. While she says she would never do it herself, she's not really fazed by others doing it. She agrees with her friends that it has pretty much become socially acceptable.

"I have a friend who writes essays and sells them," says Danielle Delafuente, another Boston University freshman. "And my other friend buys them. He's just like, 'I can't handle it. I have five papers at once. I need her to do two of them, and I'll do the other three.' It's a time management thing."

The war on contract cheating

"It breaks my heart that this is where we're at," sighs Ashley Finley, senior adviser to the president for the Association of American Colleges and Universities. She says campuses are abuzz about how to curb the rise in what they call contract cheating. Obviously, students buying essays is not new, but Finley says that what used to be mostly limited to small-scale side hustles has mushroomed on the internet to become a global industry of so-called essay mills. Hard numbers are difficult to come by, but research suggests that up to 16 percent of students have paid someone to do their work and that the number is rising.

"Definitely, this is really getting more and more serious," Finley says. "It's part of the brave new world for sure."

The essay mills market aggressively online, with slickly produced videos inviting students to "Get instant help with your assignment" and imploring them: "Don't lag behind," "Join the majority" and "Don't worry, be happy."

"They're very crafty," says Tricia Bertram Gallant, director of the Academic Integrity Office at the University of California in San Diego and a board member of the International Center for Academic Integrity.

The companies are equally brazen offline — leafleting on campuses, posting flyers in toilet stalls and flying banners over Florida beaches during spring break. Companies have also been known to bait students with emails that look like they're from official college help centers. And they pay social media influencers to sing the praises of their services, and they post testimonials from people they say are happy customers.

"I hired a service to write my paper and I got a 90 on it!" gloats one. "Save your time, and have extra time to party!" advises another.

"It's very much a seduction," says Bertram Gallant. "So you can maybe see why students could get drawn into the contract cheating world."

YouTube has been cracking down on essay mills; it says it has pulled thousands of videos that violate its policies against promoting dishonest behavior.

But new videos constantly pop up, and their hard sell flies in the face of their small-print warnings that their essays should be used only as a guide, not a final product.

Several essay mills declined or didn't respond to requests to be interviewed by NPR. But one answered questions by email and offered up one of its writers to explain her role in the company, called EduBirdie.

"Yes, just like the little birdie that's there to help you in your education," explains April Short, a former grade school teacher from Australia who's now based in Philadelphia. She has been writing for a year and a half for the company, which bills itself as a "professional essay writing service for students who can't even."

Some students just want some "foundational research" to get started or a little "polish" to finish up, Short says. But the idea that many others may be taking a paper written completely by her and turning it in as their own doesn't keep her up at night.

"These kids are so time poor," she says, and they're "missing out on opportunities of travel and internships because they're studying and writing papers." Relieving students of some of that burden, she figures, allows them to become more "well-rounded."

"I don't necessarily think that being able to create an essay is going to be a defining factor in a very long career, so it's not something that bothers me," says Short. Indeed, she thinks students who hire writers are demonstrating resourcefulness and creativity. "I actually applaud students that look for options to get the job done and get it done well," she says.

"This just shows you the extent of our ability to rationalize all kinds of bad things we do," sighs Dan Ariely, professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University. The rise in contract cheating is especially worrisome, he says, because when it comes to dishonest behavior, more begets more. As he puts it, it's not just about "a few bad apples."

Felicity Huffman And 12 Other Parents To Plead Guilty In College Cheating Scandal

"Instead, what we have is a lot ... of blemished apples, and we take our cues for our behavior from the social world around us," he says. "We know officially what is right and what's wrong. But really what's driving our behavior is what we see others around us doing" or, Ariely adds, what we perceive them to be doing. So even the proliferation of advertising for essays mills can have a pernicious effect, he says, by fueling the perception that "everyone's doing it."

A few nations have recently proposed or passed laws outlawing essay mills, and more than a dozen U.S. states have laws on the books against them. But prosecuting essay mills, which are often based overseas in Pakistan, Kenya and Ukraine, for example, is complicated. And most educators are loath to criminalize students' behavior.

"Yes, they're serious mistakes. They're egregious mistakes," says Cath Ellis, an associate dean and integrity officer at the University of New South Wales, where students were among the hundreds alleged to have bought essays in a massive scandal in Australia in 2014.

"But we're educational institutions," she adds. "We've got to give students the opportunity to learn from these mistakes. That's our responsibility. And that's better in our hands than in the hands of the police and the courts."

Staying one step ahead

In the war on contract cheating, some schools see new technology as their best weapon and their best shot to stay one step ahead of unscrupulous students. The company that makes the Turnitin plagiarism detection software has just upped its game with a new program called Authorship Investigate.

The software first inspects a document's metadata, like when it was created, by whom it was created and how many times it was reopened and re-edited. Turnitin's vice president for product management, Bill Loller, says sometimes it's as simple as looking at the document's name. Essay mills typically name their documents something like "Order Number 123," and students have been known to actually submit it that way. "You would be amazed at how frequently that happens," says Loller.

Using cutting-edge linguistic forensics, the software also evaluates the level of writing and its style.

"Think of it as a writing fingerprint," Loller says. The software looks at hundreds of telltale characteristics of an essay, like whether the author double spaces after a period or writes with Oxford commas or semicolons. It all gets instantly compared against a student's other work, and, Loller says, suspicions can be confirmed — or alleviated — in minutes.

"At the end of the day, you get to a really good determination on whether the student wrote what they submitted or not," he says, "and you get it really quickly."

Coventry University in the U.K. has been testing out a beta version of the software, and Irene Glendinning, the school's academic manager for student experience, agrees that the software has the potential to give schools a leg up on cheating students. After the software is officially adopted, "we'll see a spike in the number of cases we find, and we'll have a very hard few years," she says. "But then the message will get through to students that we've got the tools now to find these things out." Then, Glendinning hopes, students might consider contract cheating to be as risky as plagiarizing.

In the meantime, schools are trying to spread the word that buying essays is risky in other ways as well.

Professor Ariely says that when he posed as a student and ordered papers from several companies, much of it was "gibberish" and about a third of it was actually plagiarized.

Even worse, when he complained to the company and demanded his money back, they resorted to blackmail. Still believing him to be a student, the company threatened to tell his school he was cheating. Others say companies have also attempted to shake down students for more money, threatening to rat them out if they didn't pay up.

The lesson, Ariely says, is "buyer beware."

But ultimately, experts say, many desperate students may not be deterred by the risks — whether from shady businesses or from new technology.

Bertram Gallant, of UC San Diego, says the right way to dissuade students from buying essays is to remind them why it's wrong.

"If we engage in a technological arms race with the students, we won't win," she says. "What are we going to do when Google glasses start to look like regular glasses and a student wears them into an exam? Are we going to tell them they can't wear their glasses because we're afraid they might be sending the exam out to someone else who is sending them back the answers?"

The solution, Bertram Gallant says, has to be about "creating a culture where integrity and ethics matter" and where education is valued more than grades. Only then will students believe that cheating on essays is only cheating themselves.