
Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, & Facts | Britannica
Oct 17, 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
Oct 20, 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
Oct 17, 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 summary | 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.
Computer science | Definition, Types, & Facts | Britannica
Dec 2, 2025 · Computer science is the study of computers and computing, including their theoretical and algorithmic foundations, hardware and software, and their uses for processing information.
Digital computer | Evolution, Components, & Features | Britannica
Oct 17, 2025 · 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 …
Computer Control, Process Automation, Robotics - Britannica
Oct 24, 2025 · Although other automated systems are typically controlled by computer, the term computer process control is generally associated with continuous or semicontinuous production …
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 …
Computer - Memory, Storage, Processing | Britannica
Oct 17, 2025 · 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 …