
What is a computer? | Britannica
Dec 22, 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 | 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 …
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 …
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.
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 …
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 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 …
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 …
List of programming languages | SQL, C, Java, Python, Go, & Facts ...
For a computer to complete tasks, software developers use programming languages to communicate with the device. Here is a list of popular programming languages.
Personal computer (PC) | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica
personal computer (PC), a digital computer designed for use by only one person at a time.