
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.
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 …
Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, & Facts
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 - History, Technology, Innovation | Britannica
Oct 17, 2025 · Computer - History, Technology, Innovation: A computer might be described with deceptive simplicity as “an apparatus that performs routine calculations automatically.”
Hacker | Definition, Types, & Word Origin | Britannica
The first computer hackers were MIT students during the 1950s and ’60s. The word hack in this case was slang for a shortcut—something for which computer-science students at MIT were …
Computer - Output Devices | Britannica
Oct 17, 2025 · Computer - Output Devices: Printers are a common example of output devices. New multifunction peripherals that integrate printing, scanning, and copying into a single …
Computer - Home Use, Microprocessors, Software | Britannica
Oct 17, 2025 · Computer - Home Use, Microprocessors, Software: Before 1970, computers were big machines requiring thousands of separate transistors. They were operated by specialized …