Computer

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"Computer system" redirects here. For other uses, see Computer (disambiguation) and Computer
system (disambiguation).
Computer

A computer is a device that can be instructed to carry out an arbitrary set of arithmetic or logical
operations automatically. Their ability to follow a sequence of operations, called a program,
make computers very flexible and popular. Such computers are used as control systems for a
very wide variety of industrial and consumer devices. This includes simple special purpose
devices like microwave ovens and remote controls, but more importantly in general purpose
devices like personal computers and mobile devices. The internet is run on computers, and
connects millions of these other computers.
Since ancient times, simple manual devices like the abacus aided people in doing calculations.
Early in the Industrial Revolution, some mechanical devices were built to automate long tedious
tasks, such as patterns for looms. More sophisticated electrical machines did specialized analog
calculations in the early 20th century. The first digital electronic calculating machines were
developed during World War II. The speed, power, and versatility of computers increased
continuously and dramatically since then, to the point of possible artificial intelligence in the
near future.
Conventionally, a modern computer consists of at least one processing element, typically a
central processing unit (CPU), and some form of memory. The processing element carries out
arithmetic and logic operations, and a sequencing and control unit can change the order of
operations in response to stored information. Peripheral devices allow information to be retrieved
from an external source, and the result of operations saved and retrieved.

Contents

1 Etymology

2 History
o 2.1 Pre-twentieth century
o 2.2 First computing device
o 2.3 Analog computers
o 2.4 Digital computers

2.4.1 Electromechanical

2.4.2 Vacuum tubes and digital electronic circuits

o 2.5 Modern computers

2.5.1 The concept of modern computer

2.5.2 Stored programs

2.5.3 Transistors

2.5.4 Integrated circuits

o 2.6 Mobile computers become dominant

3 Programs
o 3.1 Stored program architecture
o 3.2 Machine code
o 3.3 Programming language

3.3.1 Low-level languages

3.3.2 High-level languages/Third Generation Language

o 3.4 Fourth Generation Languages

o 3.5 Program design

o 3.6 Bugs

4 Components
o 4.1 Control unit
o 4.2 Central processing unit (CPU)
o 4.3 Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
o 4.4 Memory
o 4.5 Input/output (I/O)
o 4.6 Multitasking
o 4.7 Multiprocessing

5 Networking and the Internet

o 5.1 Computer architecture paradigms

6 Misconceptions
o 6.1 Unconventional computing

7 Future

8 Further topics
o 8.1 Artificial intelligence

9 Hardware
o 9.1 History of computing hardware
o 9.2 Other hardware topics

10 Software

11 Languages
o 11.1 Firmware

12 Types
o 12.1 Based on uses
o 12.2 Based on sizes

13 Input devices

14 Output devices

15 Professions and organizations

16 See also

17 Notes

18 References

19 External links

Etymology
The first known use of the word "computer" was in 1613 in a book called The Yong Mans
Gleanings by English writer Richard Braithwait: "I haue read the truest computer of Times, and
the best Arithmetician that euer breathed, and he reduceth thy dayes into a short number." It
referred to a person who carried out calculations, or computations. The word continued with the
same meaning until the middle of the 20th century. From the end of the 19th century the word
began to take on its more familiar meaning, a machine that carries out computations.[1]