
Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, & Facts | Britannica
Dec 22, 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 …
What is a computer? | Britannica
Dec 22, 2025 · 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, …
Computer - Technology, Invention, History | Britannica
Dec 22, 2025 · 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.
Personal computer (PC) | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica
Nov 27, 2025 · personal computer (PC), a digital computer designed for use by only one person at a time.
Computer - Output Devices | Britannica
Dec 10, 2025 · Computer - Output Devices: Printers are a common example of output devices. New multifunction peripherals that integrate printing, scanning, and copying into a single device are also …
Computer science | Definition, Types, & Facts | Britannica
Jan 7, 2026 · 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 - Home Use, Microprocessors, Software | Britannica
Dec 22, 2025 · Computer - Home Use, Microprocessors, Software: Before 1970, computers were big machines requiring thousands of separate transistors. They were operated by specialized …
Computer - Supercomputing, Processing, Speed | Britannica
Dec 22, 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.
John Mauchly | Biography, Computer, & Facts | Britannica
Jan 4, 2026 · John Mauchly (born August 30, 1907, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.—died January 8, 1980, Ambler, Pennsylvania) was an American physicist and engineer, co-inventor in 1946, with John P. …
Charles Babbage | Biography, Computers, Inventions, & Facts - Britannica
Dec 22, 2025 · Charles Babbage, English mathematician and inventor who is credited with having conceived the first automatic digital computer. He designed two calculating devices, the Difference …