What is a Computer? Webopedia Definition

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By Vangie Beal

A computer is a programmable machine. The two principal characteristics of a computer are: It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner and it can execute a prerecorded list of instructions (a program).

Modern Computers Defined

Modern computers are electronic and digital. The actual machinery — wires, transistors, and circuits — is called hardware; the instructions and data are called software.

All general-purpose computers require the following hardware components:

• Memory: enables a computer to store, at least temporarily, data and programs.
• Mass storage device: allows a computer to permanently retain large amounts of data. Common mass storage devices include solid state drives (SSDs) or disk drives and tape drives.
• Input device: usually a keyboard and mouse, the input device is the conduit through which data and instructions enter a computer.
• Output device: a display screen, printer, or other device that lets you see what the computer has accomplished.
• Central processing unit (CPU): the heart of the computer, this is the component that actually executes instructions.

In addition to these components, many others make it possible for the basic components to work together efficiently. For example, every computer requires a bus that transmits data from one part of the computer to another.

Computer Classification: By Size and Power

Most people associate a personal computer (PC) with the phrase computer. A PC is a small and relatively inexpensive computer designed for an individual use. PCs are based on the microprocessor technology that enables manufacturers to put an entire CPU on one chip.

Personal computers at home can be used for a number of different applications including games, word processing, accounting and other tasks.

Computers are generally classified by size and power as follows, although there is considerable overlap. The differences between computer classifications generally get smaller as technology advances, creating smaller and more powerful and cost-friendly components.

Personal computer: a small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor. In addition to the microprocessor, a personal computer has a keyboard for entering data, a monitor for displaying information, and a storage device for saving data.

Workstation: a powerful, single-user computer. A workstation is like a personal computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor.

Minicomputer: a multi-user computer capable of supporting from 10 to hundreds of users simultaneously.

Mainframe: a powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously.

Supercomputer: an extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of instructions per second.

Recommended Reading: Webopedia’s Computer Architecture Study Guide is an introduction to computer system basics.

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