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, which 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.