
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 …
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 - Technology, Invention, History | Britannica
Oct 17, 2025 · Before Babbage there is no evidence that anyone had ever conceived of such a device, let alone attempted to build one. The machine was designed to consist of four …
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 architecture | Definition & Facts | Britannica
Nov 11, 2025 · Computer architecture, structure of a digital computer, encompassing the design and layout of its instruction set and storage registers. The architecture of a computer is chosen …
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.”
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 …
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.
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 …
Computer virus | Definition & Facts | Britannica
Oct 18, 2025 · A more damaging virus can wreak havoc on an extremely large computer system within a matter of minutes or hours, causing it to crash and thereby destroy valuable data, or …