What is a Computer?

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

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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