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History of the computer

The first digital computer and what most people think of as a computer was called the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer). It was built during World War II (1943-1946) and was designed to help automate the calculations being done by human computers. By doing these calculations on a computer, they could achieve results much faster and with fewer errors.

Early computers like the ENIAC used vacuum tubes and were large (sometimes room size) and only found in businesses, universities, or governments. Later, computers began utilizing transistors and smaller and cheaper parts that allowed the ordinary person to own a computer.

How are computers used today?

Today, computers do jobs that used to be complicated much simpler. For example, you can write a letter in a word processor, edit it anytime, spell check, print copies, and send it to someone across the world in seconds. All these activities would have taken someone days, if not months, to do before. Also, these examples are a small fraction of what computers can do.

• How are computers used?

• How does a computer work?

• What are the advantages of using a computer?

What components make up a desktop computer?

Today's desktop computers have some or all the components (hardware) and peripherals below. As technology advances, older technologies, such as a floppy disk drive and Zip drive (shown below), are no longer required or included.

• Case or Chassis

• Case Fan

• Optical drive: Blu-ray, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD.

• CPU (central processing unit)

• Floppy disk drive

• Hard drive

• Keyboard

• RAM (random-access memory)

• Microphone

• Monitor, LCD (liquid-crystal display), or another display device.

• Motherboard

• Mouse

• Network card

• Power Supply

• Printer

• Sound card

• Speakers

• Video card

• Wearable

What parts are needed for a computer to work?

A computer does not require all the components mentioned above. However, a computer cannot function without having at the very minimum the parts listed below.

• Processor - Component that executes instructions from the software and hardware.

• Memory - Temporary primary storage for data traveling between the storage and CPU.

• Motherboard (with onboard video) - Component that connects all components.

• Storage device (e.g., hard drive) - Slower secondary storage that permanently stores data.

However, if you had a computer with only the minimum parts above, you would be unable to communicate with it until you connected at least one input device (e.g., keyboard). Also, you would need at least one output device (e.g., monitor) for you to see what is happening.

• What does the inside of a computer look like?

Computer connections

All computers have different types of connections. An example of the back of a personal computer and brief descriptions of each connection is found on our computer connections page.

• How to set up a new computer.

Types of computers

Computers can be classified as one of three types of computers: a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or specialized computer.

A general-purpose computer is what most people think of when thinking about a computer and is what this page covers.

A special-purpose computer is embedded in almost all electronic devices and is the most widely-used computer. This computer is designed for a specific task and is found in ATMs, cars, microwaves, TVs, the VCR (video cassette recorder), and other home electronics. See our special-purpose computer page for further information and examples.

A specialized computer is like a general-purpose computer but is designed only to perform one or a few different tasks. See our specialized computer for further information and examples of these computers.

When talking about a computer or a "PC," you're usually referring to a desktop computer found in a home or office. However, the lines of what makes these computers are blurring. Below are different examples of what's considered a computer today.

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