
Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, & Facts
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 …
Computer - History, Technology, Innovation | Britannica
Dec 22, 2025 · The inventors who labored to bring the computer into the world had to learn that the thing they were inventing was not just a number cruncher, not merely a calculator.
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 …
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.
Personal computer (PC) | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica
Nov 27, 2025 · A small firm named MITS made the first personal computer, the Altair. This computer, which used Intel Corporation ’s 8080 microprocessor, was developed in 1974. …
Douglas Engelbart | Inventor of the Computer Mouse | Britannica
Douglas Engelbart (born January 30, 1925, Portland, Oregon, U.S.—died July 2, 2013, Atherton, California) was an American inventor whose work beginning in the 1950s led to his patent for …
computer - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
An English inventor named Charles Babbage designed the first computer in the 1830s. It was mechanical, not electronic, because scientists did not yet know how electricity worked.
Hardware | Definition, Devices, & Facts | Britannica
Hardware, computer machinery and equipment, including memory, cabling, power supply, peripheral devices, and circuit boards. Computer operation requires both hardware and software.
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 …
History, Computer, Stands For, Machine, & Facts - Britannica
ENIAC, the first programmable general-purpose electronic digital computer, built during World War II by the United States and completed in 1946. The project was led by John Mauchly, J. …