
Computer | Definition, History, Operating Systems, & Facts | Britannica
5 days ago · 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
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 - 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 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.
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 science | Definition, Types, & Facts | Britannica
Jan 23, 2026 · Computer science is the study of computers and computing, including their theoretical and algorithmic foundations, hardware and software, and their uses for processing information.
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 - 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 …
PDA | Definition, Meaning, History, & Facts | Britannica
Jan 27, 2026 · PDA, an electronic handheld organizer used in the 1990s and 2000s to store contact information, manage calendars, communicate by e-mail, and handle documents and spreadsheets, …
Computer science - Algorithms, Complexity, Programming | Britannica
Jan 23, 2026 · The development and analysis of algorithms is fundamental to all aspects of computer science: artificial intelligence, databases, graphics, networking, operating systems, security, and so on.