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  1. 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 …

  2. 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.

  3. 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, …

  4. Computer - Supercomputing, Processing, Speed | Britannica

    Dec 10, 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.

  5. 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.

  6. computer summary | Britannica

    Database, any collection of data, or information, that is specially organized for rapid search and retrieval by a computer. Databases are structured to facilitate the storage, retrieval, modification, and deletion …

  7. Computer program | Definition & Facts | Britannica

    The first digital computer designed with internal programming capacity was the “Baby,” constructed at Manchester in 1948. A program is prepared by first formulating a task and then expressing it in an …

  8. 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.

  9. 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 …

  10. Analog computer | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica

    Dec 23, 2025 · A typical electronic analog computer consisted of numerous types of amplifiers, which could be connected so as to build up a mathematical expression, sometimes of great complexity and …