computer is a machine (mostly electronic) that is able to take information (input), and process it

to make new information (output). Calculating machines have existed for much of
human history. Early examples are the astrolabe and the abacus. There are four main
processing steps in a computer, and they are: inputting, storage, outputting and processing.
Modern computers are very different from early computers. They can do billions of calculations
per second. Most people have used a personal computer in their home or at work. Computers
do many different jobs where automation is useful. Some examples are controlling traffic
lights, vehicle computers, security systems, washing machines and digital televisions.
A computer user can control it by a user interface. Input devices include keyboard, mouse,
buttons, and touch screens. Some very sophisticated computers can also be controlled with
voice commands or hand gestures or even brain signals through electrodes implanted in the
brain or along nerves.
Computers can be designed to do almost anything with information. Computers are used to
control large and small machines which in the past were controlled by humans. They are also in
homes, where they are used for things such as listening to music, reading the news and writing.
Modern computers are electronic computer hardware. They do mathematical arithmetic very
quickly but computers do not really "think". They only follow the instructions in their software
programs. The software uses the hardware when the user gives it instructions, and gives useful
output.
Computer programs are designed or written by computer programmers. A few programmers
write programs in the computer's own language called machine code. Most programs are written
using a programming language like C++, Java, and Fortran. These programming languages are
more like the language with which one talks and writes every day. The computer translates the
user's instructions into binary code (machine code) that the computer will understand and do
what is needed.

Contents
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1History of computers
o 1.1Definition
o 1.2Automation
o 1.3Programming
o 1.4The Computing Era
o 1.5Analog and Digital Computers
o 1.6High-scale computers
2Kinds of computers
o 2.1All-in-one PC
3Common uses of home computers
4Common uses of work computers
5Working methods
6The Internet
7Computers and waste
8Main hardware
9Largest Computer Companies
10References
11Other websites
History of computers[change | change source]