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  1. 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 …

  2. 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.

  3. 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, …

  4. computer summary | Britannica

    Database, any collection of data, or information, that is specially organized for rapid search and retrieval by a computer. Databases are structured to facilitate the storage, retrieval, modification, and deletion …

  5. 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 …

  6. Personal computer (PC) | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica

    Nov 27, 2025 · personal computer (PC), a digital computer designed for use by only one person at a time.

  7. John Mauchly | Biography, Computer, & Facts | Britannica

    Jan 4, 2026 · John Mauchly (born August 30, 1907, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.—died January 8, 1980, Ambler, Pennsylvania) was an American physicist and engineer, co-inventor in 1946, with John P. …

  8. Artificial intelligence (AI) | Definition, Examples, Types ...

    2 days 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 …

  9. Computer - Output Devices | Britannica

    Dec 10, 2025 · Computer - Output Devices: Printers are a common example of output devices. New multifunction peripherals that integrate printing, scanning, and copying into a single device are also …

  10. Binary number system | Definition, Example, & Facts | Britannica

    The importance of the binary system to information theory and computer technology derives mainly from the compact and reliable manner in which 0s and 1s can be represented in electromechanical …