
Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, & Facts | Britannica
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 design, constituent …
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.
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.
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 data, …
Computer - Memory, Storage, Processing | Britannica
Dec 22, 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 …
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 …
Computer - History, Technology, Innovation | Britannica
Dec 22, 2025 · 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 became apparent …
Computer science - Programming Languages, Syntax, Algorithms
Jan 7, 2026 · Computer science - Programming Languages, Syntax, Algorithms: Programming languages are the languages with which a programmer implements a piece of software to run on a …
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.
Computer security | Definition & Facts | Britannica
Jan 2, 2026 · Computer security, the protection of computer systems and information from harm, theft, and unauthorized use. Computer hardware is typically protected by serial numbers, doors and locks, …