Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, & Facts
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 …
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
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 - 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 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 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 …
COBOL | Definition & Facts | Britannica
Sep 26, 2025 · COBOL, high-level computer programming language, one of the first widely used languages and for many years the most popular language in the business community. It …
list of notable computer viruses and malware - Encyclopedia …
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 …
Computer security | Definition & Facts | Britannica
Oct 15, 2025 · Computer security, the protection of computer systems and information from harm, theft, and unauthorized use. Computer hardware is typically protected by serial numbers, …
What can computers do? | Britannica
Oct 20, 2025 · What can computers do? The most powerful computers can perform extremely complex tasks, such as simulating nuclear weapon experiments and predictin