Scribd
Upload
9 views2 pages

About Computer

Uploaded by

Tamrat Gashaw
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
9 views2 pages

About Computer

Uploaded by

Tamrat Gashaw
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

• 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.

You might also like