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Computer

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Tesfaye
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


For other uses, see Computer (disambiguation).
Computers and computing devices from different eras—left to right, top to bottom:

 Early vacuum tube computer (ENIAC)


 Mainframe computer (IBM System 360)
 Smartphone (LYF Water 2)
 Desktop computer (IBM ThinkCentre S50 with monitor)
 Video game console (Nintendo GameCube)
 Supercomputer (IBM Summit)

A computer is a machine that can be programmed to automatically carry out sequences of


arithmetic or logical operations (computation). Modern digital electronic computers can perform
generic sets of operations known as programs. These programs enable computers to perform a
wide range of tasks. The term computer system may refer to a nominally complete computer
that includes the hardware, operating system, software, and peripheral equipment needed and
used for full operation; or to a group of computers that are linked and function together, such as a
computer network or computer cluster.
A broad range of industrial and consumer products use computers as control systems, including
simple special-purpose devices like microwave ovens and remote controls, and factory devices
like industrial robots. Computers are at the core of general-purpose devices such as personal
computers and mobile devices such as smartphones. Computers power the Internet, which links
billions of computers and users.

Early computers were meant to be used only for calculations. Simple manual instruments like the
abacus have aided people in doing calculations since ancient times. Early in the Industrial
Revolution, some mechanical devices were built to automate long, tedious tasks, such as guiding
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, both electromechanical and using thermionic valves. The first semiconductor
transistors in the late 1940s were followed by the silicon-based MOSFET (MOS transistor) and
monolithic integrated circuit chip technologies in the late 1950s, leading to the microprocessor
and the microcomputer revolution in the 1970s. The speed, power, and versatility of computers
have been increasing dramatically ever since then, with transistor counts increasing at a rapid
pace (Moore's law noted that counts doubled every two years), leading to the Digital Revolution
during the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Conventionally, a modern computer consists of at least one processing element, typically a


central processing unit (CPU) in the form of a microprocessor, together with some type of
computer memory, typically semiconductor memory chips. The processing element carries out
arithmetic and logical operations, and a sequencing and control unit can change the order of
operations in response to stored information. Peripheral devices include input devices
(keyboards, mice, joysticks, etc.), output devices (monitors, printers, etc.), and input/output
devices that perform both functions (e.g. touchscreens). Peripheral devices allow information to
be retrieved from an external source, and they enable the results of operations to be saved and
retrieved.

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