
Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, & Facts | Britannica
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 design, constituent …
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 - 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 became apparent …
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 programming language | Definition, Examples, & Popularity ...
A computer programming language is any of various languages for expressing a set of detailed instructions for a computer. The earliest programming languages were assembly languages, not far …
Computer science - Networking, Communication, Protocols | Britannica
Jan 7, 2026 · Computer science - Networking, Communication, Protocols: The field of networking and communication includes the analysis, design, implementation, and use of local, wide-area, and …
Computer - Time-sharing, Minicomputers, Multitasking | Britannica
Dec 22, 2025 · It was built by Fernando Corbato and Robert Jano at MIT, and it connected an IBM 709 computer with three users typing away at IBM Flexowriters. This was only a prototype for a more …
Computer - Home Use, Microprocessors, Software | Britannica
Feb 6, 2026 · Computer - Home Use, Microprocessors, Software: Before 1970, computers were big machines requiring thousands of separate transistors. They were operated by specialized …
Artificial intelligence (AI) | Definition, Examples, Types ...
1 day ago · Artificial intelligence is the ability of a computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks that are commonly associated with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the …