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

    Dec 10, 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 10, 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 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 electronic machinery.

  5. 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 …

  6. 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.

  7. Binary number system | Definition, Example, & Facts | Britannica

    Oct 29, 2025 · The importance of the binary system to information theory and computer technology derives mainly from the compact and reliable manner in which 0s and 1s can be represented in …

  8. 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 …

  9. John Mauchly | Biography, Computer, & Facts | Britannica

    John Mauchly (born August 30, 1907, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.—died January 8, 1980, Ambler, Pennsylvania) was an American physicist and engineer, co-inventor in 1946, with John P. Eckert, of …

  10. 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 device are also …