This article is missing information about women in computing. This concern has been noted on the talk page where whether or not to include such information may be discussed. (April 2013) Computer A computer is a general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a finite 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. Conventionally, a computer consists of at least one processing element, typically a central processing unit (CPU) and some form of memory. The processing element carries out arithmetic and logic operations, and a sequencing and control unit that can change the order of operations based on stored information. Peripheral devices allow information to be retrieved from an external source, and the result of operations saved and retrieved. The Z3 by German inventor Konrad Zuse from 1941 was the first working programmable, fully automatic computing machine. Thus, Zuse is often regarded as the inventor of the computer.[1][2][3][4] The first electronic digital computers were developed between 1940 and 1945 in the United Kingdom and United States. Originally they were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers (PCs).[5] In this era mechanical analog computers were used for military applications. Modern computers based on integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more capable than the early machines, and occupy a fraction of the space.[6] Simple computers are small enough to fit into mobile devices, and mobile computers can be powered by small batteries. Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as “computers.” However, the embedded computers found in many devices from MP3 players to fighter aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are the most numerous. Contents [hide] 1 History of computing 1.1 Limited-function early computers 1.2 First general-purpose computers 1.3 Stored-program architecture 1.4 Semiconductors and microprocessors 2 Programs 2.1 Stored program architecture 2.2 Bugs 2.3 Machine code 2.4 Programming language 2.4.1 Low-level languages 2.4.2 Higher-level languages 2.5 Program design 3 Components 3.1 Control unit 3.2 Arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 3.3 Memory 3.4 Input/output (I/O) 3.5 Multitasking 3.6 Multiprocessing 3.7 Networking and the Internet 3.8 Computer architecture paradigms 4 Misconceptions 4.1 Required technology 5 Further topics 5.1 Artificial intelligence 5.2 Hardware 5.2.1 History of computing hardware 5.2.2 Other hardware topics 5.3 Software 5.4 Languages 5.5 Professions and organizations 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links
Posted on: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 02:28:59 +0000
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