Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, Facts | Britannica A computer is a programmable device for processing, storing, and displaying information Learn more in this article about modern digital electronic computers and their design, constituent parts, and applications as well as about the history of computing
Computer - Technology, Invention, History | Britannica Computer - Technology, Invention, History: By the second decade of the 19th century, a number of ideas necessary for the invention of the computer were in the air First, the potential benefits to science and industry of being able to automate routine calculations were appreciated, as they had not been a century earlier
What is a computer? | Britannica - Encyclopedia Britannica A computer is a machine that can store and process information Most computers rely on a binary system, which uses two variables, 0 and 1, to complete tasks such as storing data, calculating algorithms, and displaying information
Computer - History, Technology, Innovation | Britannica Computer - History, Technology, Innovation: A computer might be described with deceptive simplicity as “an apparatus that performs routine calculations automatically ” Such a definition would owe its deceptiveness to a naive and narrow view of calculation as a strictly mathematical process
computer - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help A computer is a device for working with information The information can be numbers, words, pictures, movies, or sounds Computer information is also called data
Personal computer (PC) | Definition, History, Facts | Britannica Personal computer, a digital computer designed for use by only one person at a time A typical personal computer assemblage consists of a central processing unit, which contains the computer’s arithmetic, logic, and control circuitry on an integrated circuit; computer memory; and various peripheral devices
computer summary | Britannica computer, Programmable machine that can store, retrieve, and process data A computer consists of the central processing unit (CPU), main memory (or random-access memory, RAM), and peripherals (e g , a keyboard, a printer, disc drives)
Computer - Memory, Storage, Processing | Britannica Computer - Memory, Storage, Processing: The earliest forms of computer main memory were mercury delay lines, which were tubes of mercury that stored data as ultrasonic waves, and cathode-ray tubes, which stored data as charges on the tubes’ screens
Computer - Home Use, Microprocessors, Software | Britannica Computer - Home Use, Microprocessors, Software: Before 1970, computers were big machines requiring thousands of separate transistors They were operated by specialized technicians, who often dressed in white lab coats and were commonly referred to as a computer priesthood
Digital computer | Evolution, Components, Features | Britannica digital computer, any of a class of devices capable of solving problems by processing information in discrete form It operates on data, including magnitudes, letters, and symbols, that are expressed in binary code —i e , using only the two digits 0 and 1