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History Of Computing

1 General principles 1
2 Etymology (Where the word is from) 2
3 The exponential progress of computer development 2
4 Classification of computers 2
4.1 Classification by intended use 2
4.2 Classification by implementation technology 3
4.3 Classification by design features 3
4.3.1 Digital versus analog 3
4.3.2 Binary versus decimal 4
4.3.3 Programmability 4
4.3.4 Storage 4
4.4 Classification by capability 4
4.4.1 General-purpose computers 4
4.4.2 Special-purpose computers 6
4.4.3 Single-purpose computers 6
4.5 Classification by type of operation 6
5 Computer applications 6
5.1 The Internet 7
6 How computers work 7
6.1 Instructions 8
6.2 Memory 8
6.3 Processing (Processor) 8
6.4 Control (Control Unit) 9
6.5 Input and output 9
6.6 Architecture 9
6.7 Programs 9
6.7.1 Operating system 10
7 Sources: 10

A computer is a device or machine for making calculations or controlling operations that are expressible in numerical or logical terms. Computers are made from components that perform simple well-defined functions. The complex interactions of these components give computers the ability to process information. If correctly configured, a computer can be made to represent some aspect of a problem or part of a system. If a computer is configured in this way is given input data, then it can automatically solve the problem or predict the behavior of the system.
1 General principles
Computers can work through the movement of mechanical parts, electrons, photons, quantum particles or any other well-understood physical phenomenon. Although computers have been built out of many different technologies, nearly all popular types of computers have electronic components.
Computers may directly model the problem being solved, in the sense that the problem being solved is mapped as closely as possible onto the physical phenomena being exploited. For example, electron flows might be used to model the flow of water in a dam. Such analog computers were once...