
Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, & Facts | Britannica
Oct 17, 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 …
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, …
Computer - Technology, Invention, History | Britannica
Oct 17, 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.
Computer science | Definition, Types, & Facts | Britannica
Oct 17, 2025 · Computer science is the study of computers and computing, including their theoretical and algorithmic foundations, hardware and software, and their uses for processing information.
Computer - History, Technology, Innovation | Britannica
Oct 17, 2025 · Computer - History, Technology, Innovation: A computer might be described with deceptive simplicity as “an apparatus that performs routine calculations automatically.”
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. Application software …
Personal computer (PC) | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica
Nov 1, 2025 · personal computer (PC), a digital computer designed for use by only one person at a time.
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 expressing it in an …
list of notable computer viruses and malware - Encyclopedia Britannica
Malware (a portmanteau of the terms malicious and software) consists of computer viruses, spyware, computer worms, and other software capable of stealing devices’ data or running harmful code.
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.