Computer

What is a computer? A computer is something that can be programmed to follow a set of instructions.

A very early type of computer, called a Commodore. Notice how different it is to computers today.

When you use a computer, you concentrate on giving the computer instructions through a keyboard, joystick, mouse, touchscreen or other input device, and you see the results of these instructions on the screen, printed out at your printer or you see something like a machine take the action you wanted.

But whatever you do, the heart of the computer is a fantastically fast calculator. The computer calculates using electrical signals. It is the results of the calculations that, for example, turn a mouse or finger movement to a movement of a cursor on a screen.

Video: History of computers.

Explore these further resources...

(These links take you to other parts of our web site, never to outside locations.)

You can search in these books:


You can look in this topic for more books, videos and teacher resources:

Jump to Modern times toolkit screen
The toolkit screen link will take you to a library containing a selection of:
an i-topic, more books, pictures, videos and teacher's stuff related to the search word.
© Curriculum Visions 2021