What is a Computer?

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What is a Computer?

1. A device that computes, especially a

programmable electronic machine that performs high-speed mathematical or

logical operations or that assembles, stores, correlates, or otherwise

processes information. 2. One who computes.

Free Dictionary Definition

A computer is a general purpose device that can be programmed

to carry out a set of arithmetic or logical operations. Since a

sequence of operations can be readily changed, the computer can solve

more than one kind of problem.

Wikipedia Definition

Photos from 'freedigitalphotos.net'

The first computers were huge machines that filled entire rooms but had less power than a modern day calculator! Computers have now significantly developed and if you visit a computer shop today, you will see desktop computers with monitors, keyboards and a mouse attached, laptops that have everything built in, tablets that are touch screen and have no keyboard or mouse attached and smart phones that are also mini computers.

Computers are devices that can carry out programmable operations to complete tasks. These tasks can be anything from loading the operating system, running a game, storing data in a database to sharing files across the internet or updating a Facebook status.

Input, Process, Output & Storage

INPUT

OUTPUT

PROCESS

STORAGE

Keyboard

Mouse

Finger Print Reader

Web Cam

Microphone

Hard Drive (Long-term storage)

RAM (Short-term storage)

USB Drive (Portable storage)

CD Rom (Permenant storage)

DVD Rom (Permenant storage)

Running Programs

Opening/Closing Files

Creating/Deleting/Saving Files

Playing media - video, sound etc

Picture on a monitor

Print out via a printer

Sound out via speakers

Manufactured item via Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM) hardware.

What is a Computer?

Input, Process, Output & Storage