- Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, Facts | Britannica
computer, device for processing, storing, and displaying information Computer once meant a person who did computations, but now the term almost universally refers to automated electronic machinery The first section of this article focuses on modern digital electronic computers and their design, constituent parts, and applications The second
- 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 Specific methods to make automated calculation more practical, such as
- 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 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) Traditional histories of computers assign generations on the basis of technology
- Personal computer (PC) | Definition, History, Facts | Britannica
The personal computer industry truly began in 1977, with the introduction of three preassembled mass-produced personal computers: the Apple Computer, Inc (now Apple Inc ), Apple II, the Tandy Radio Shack TRS-80, and the Commodore Business Machines Personal Electronic Transactor (PET) These machines used eight-bit microprocessors (which process information in groups of eight bits, or binary
- computer - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
A computer system requires both hardware and software Hardware is the computer’s physical parts Software is the programs, or instructions, that tell the hardware what to do All computers have the same basic hardware The microprocessor is the computer’s “brain ” It is also called the CPU, or central processing unit
- Computer science | Definition, Types, Facts | Britannica
Computer science is the study of computers and computing, including their theoretical and algorithmic foundations, hardware and software, and their uses for processing information The discipline of computer science includes the study of algorithms and data structures and artificial intelligence
- 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 The magnetic drum, invented about 1948, used an iron oxide coating on a rotating drum to store data and programs as magnetic patterns
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