
Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, & Facts
Jun 16, 2025 · 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
Jun 16, 2025 · 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 …
Personal computer (PC) | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica
3 days ago · personal computer (PC), a digital computer designed for use by only one person at a time.
Computer science | Definition, Types, & Facts | Britannica
5 days ago · Computer science is the study of computers and computing, including their theoretical and algorithmic foundations, hardware and software, and their uses for processing information.
Computer - History, Technology, Innovation | Britannica
Jun 16, 2025 · Computer - History, Technology, Innovation: A computer might be described with deceptive simplicity as “an apparatus that performs routine calculations automatically.”
computer summary | Britannica
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 - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Computer software is divided into two basic types—the operating system and application software. The operating system controls how the different parts of hardware work together. Application software gives the computer instructions for doing specific tasks, such as word processing or playing games.
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—that is, using only the two digits 0 and 1.
Computer - Supercomputing, Processing, Speed | Britannica
Jun 16, 2025 · The physical elements of a computer, its hardware, are generally divided into the central processing unit (CPU), main memory (or random-access memory, RAM), and peripherals.
History, Computer, Stands For, Machine, & Facts - Britannica
Jul 11, 2025 · ENIAC, the first programmable general-purpose electronic digital computer, built during World War II by the United States and completed in 1946. The project was led by John Mauchly, J. Presper Eckert, Jr., and their colleagues.