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  1. Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, & Facts

    Feb 6, 2026 · A computer is a programmable device for processing, storing, and displaying information. Learn more in this article about modern digital electronic computers and their …

  2. What is a computer? | Britannica

    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, calculating …

  3. Computer - Technology, Invention, History | Britannica

    Feb 6, 2026 · 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.

  4. 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 …

  5. Computer - Home Use, Microprocessors, Software | Britannica

    Feb 6, 2026 · Computer - Home Use, Microprocessors, Software: Before 1970, computers were big machines requiring thousands of separate transistors. They were operated by specialized …

  6. Computer - History, Technology, Innovation | Britannica

    Feb 6, 2026 · It is not too great a stretch to say that, in the Jacquard loom, programming was invented before the computer. The close relationship between the device and the program …

  7. Computer science | Definition, Types, & Facts | Britannica

    Jan 23, 2026 · Computer science is the study of computers and computing, including their theoretical and algorithmic foundations, hardware and software, and their uses for processing …

  8. Computer virus | Definition & Facts | Britannica

    Feb 17, 2026 · 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 …

  9. Computer - Time-sharing, Minicomputers, Multitasking | Britannica

    Feb 6, 2026 · Computer - Time-sharing, Minicomputers, Multitasking: In 1959 Christopher Strachey in the United Kingdom and John McCarthy in the United States independently …

  10. Personal computer (PC) | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica

    personal computer (PC), a digital computer designed for use by only one person at a time.