Computers are electronic computers that form a single coherent system.
Short story
This article is about what a computer is, and, regarding this issue, one cannot but tell about the history of the appearance of these machines improving our lives.
As has long been known, a person always seeks to make his life easier, and therefore has created an electronic computer that allows you to quickly perform the required actions. The first computer, or its semblance, was called an abacus - this is an ordinary counting board. It allowed for the simplest calculations, and was arranged quite simply.
The first computer device circuit was developed and proposed by the famous mathematician named John von Neumann in 1946. Despite the progressive development of technology, the appearance of more and more new projects, many of the principles of operation of the first computer are also used by modern devices.
Von Neumann did not work alone, but with co-authors. With their help, he determined the structure of the future mechanism. In his opinion, he should have had several devices along with external ones, without which it is impossible to do without it. This is a device that performs logical and arithmetic operations, or ALU (arithmetic-logical device), control, or UU. Some memory was also needed in order to store programs and data. External devices performed the function of input and output of various information.
John von Neumann suggested that the memory should be arranged in such a way that all its cells would be accessible to other computer devices on an equal footing.
In addition to the structure, the mathematician determined the basic principles of the first computer, which are as follows. Commands must be executed by the processor in strict sequence, which is called the principle of program control. All programs, along with data, should be stored in only one memory, which, in turn, consists of cells. Each of them has its own number and is available to the processor at any time.
These principles are observed on some modern computers, which are called "von Neumann." So, Neumann already in the middle of the XX century, we can say, gave a definition of what a computer is.
Modern computers
The task of modern PCs is to provide high speed information collection, its processing, transmission and receipt of data. This should be convenient for employees of control and production apparatuses. Nowadays, during the rapid development of technology, the emergence of new types of technologies, every second person has a PC, if not all. Usually this is a personal computer that is connected to the computer network, thereby becoming a very important part of our whole life.
The computer is now the main information tool both in the office and in the home. Almost all work with information is carried out with its help, whether it is a regular set of text messages or watching an interesting movie.
The most advanced modern computers are also used in modeling complex biological and physical processes, in solving problems that do not have a clearly constructed action algorithm, which is called artificial intelligence. In this area, computers are just starting their development, therefore, it is impossible to say what computers are in solving such problems.
Unique modern computers belong to fourth-generation computers, but some rank them as fifth. And it is quite justified, given the rapid development of software. Therefore, there is no single and accurate answer to this question.
So, computers are something that today no man can do without in modern life. More than enough has been written about what computers are and how their history has developed.