
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 …
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 - 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. …
Computer - Home Use, Microprocessors, Software | Britannica
Dec 10, 2025 · Computer - Home Use, Microprocessors, Software: Before 1970, computers were big machines requiring thousands of separate transistors. They were operated by specialized …
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 …
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 …
Digital computer | Evolution, Components, & Features | Britannica
Oct 17, 2025 · Since the development of the Harvard Mark I, the digital computer has evolved at a rapid pace. The succession of advances in computer equipment, principally in logic circuitry, is …
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 …
Computer science - Programming Languages, Syntax, Algorithms
Oct 17, 2025 · Computer science - Programming Languages, Syntax, Algorithms: Programming languages are the languages with which a programmer implements a piece of software to run …
Computer - Time-sharing, Minicomputers, Multitasking | Britannica
Oct 17, 2025 · It was built by Fernando Corbato and Robert Jano at MIT, and it connected an IBM 709 computer with three users typing away at IBM Flexowriters. This was only a prototype for …