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| A computer is a machine
that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. |
| The first devices that
resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century (1940–1945), although
the computer concept and various machines similar to computers existed
earlier. Early electronic computers were the size of a large room, consuming
as much power as several hundred modern personal computers (PC). Modern
computers are based on tiny integrated circuits and are millions to billions
of times more capable while occupying a fraction of the space. Today, simple
computers may be made small enough to fit into a wristwatch and be powered
from a watch battery. Personal computers, in various forms, are icons of
the Information Age and are what most people think of as "a computer";
however, the most common form of computer in use today is the embedded
computer. Embedded computers are small, simple devices that are used to
control other devices — for example, they may be found in machines ranging
from fighter aircraft to industrial robots, digital cameras, and children's
toys. |
| The ability to store
and execute lists of instructions called programs makes computers extremely
versatile and distinguishes them from calculators. The Church–Turing thesis
is a mathematical statement of this versatility: any computer with a certain
minimum capability is, in principle, capable of performing the same tasks
that any other computer can perform. Therefore, computers with capability
and complexity ranging from that of a personal digital assistant to a supercomputer
are all able to perform the same computational tasks given enough time
and storage capacity. |
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