Simply stated, a computer is anything that receives input then provides some type of output in a useful format. With this broad of a definition, mechanical computer examples have existed since the man first began recording his history. The first computers that were powered by electricity were developed around the 1940 to 1945 time span.

They were gigantic (the size of a large room) compared to what we know today. In fact, they consumed as much power as hundreds of current personal computers.

Modern computers run with integrated circuits. Integrated circuits are electronic circuits manufactured into a semiconductor like silicon. Especially as they have gotten smaller, they have revolutionized all of the electronic equipment used in the world today.

The circuits execute the computer’s instructions. The instructions are called a computer program. A computer program is a series of instructions written in source code (or a programming language) developed to perform a computer task. The tasks are executed from a central processor in the computer.

Source code is a gathering of statements written in a human-readable computer programming language. The source code is held in text files and stored in databases. The result is a collection of files that are necessary to convert the code from human-readable to a designated type of computer-executable form.

In the past, computer programs were manually input into the central processor using switches, paper tape or punched cards. After being loaded, the starting address was set and the execute button was pressed to begin processing.

In current situations, the computer programs are embedded right into the hardware. To begin working, primary computer programs stored in read-only memory need to boot-up. When your computer is booting, it is identifying and initializing all facets of the computer system including memory, controllers and CPU registers.

After that, the operating system is loaded and the computer starts its normal operations.