Computer mouse tips

Using the mouse in combination with the keys on your keyboard can give you several different advantages and help improve your overall productivity on the computer. Below are just a few examples.

Almost all text editors

Many text editors or programs that allow you to edit text support the ability to quickly highlight all or portions of text by using the Shift key and the mouse. For example, move the cursor to the beginning of the text you wish to highlight, hold down the shift key, and click at the end of the text you wish to highlight. If supported and done properly this will highlight all text in-between the points you clicked.

Microsoft Word

In Microsoft Word holding down the ALT key on your keyboard while clicking and dragging your mouse and you will be able to drag a box and highlight only portions of text and not the whole line.

Windows Explorer and many other file

Microsoft Windows Explorer and other file managing programs allow users to select multiple files by holding down the CTRL key and clicking each file or folder they wish to select or hold down the shift key and selecting multiple files at once.

Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and other browsers

Users who visit a website with tables and wish to only select one row of that table can hold down the CTRL key and click and drag on the text in the row they wish to copy.

Mozilla Firefox users

Mozilla Firefox users can also hold down the CTRL key and individually click on each cell they wish to copy.

CD-ROM / CD-DVD Cleaning

CD-ROM or other disc drive cleaning

Why? A dirty CD-ROM drive or other disc drive can cause read errors with CD discs. These read errors could cause software installation issues or issues while running the program.

Procedure: To clean the CD-ROM drive we recommend purchasing a CD-ROM cleaner from your local retailer such as a local Radio Shack. Using a CD-ROM cleaner should sufficiently clean the CD-ROM laser from dust, dirt, and hair.

In addition to cleaning the drive with a special disc designed to clean drives users can also use a cloth dampened with water to clean the tray that ejects from the drive. Make sure however that after the tray has been cleaned that it completely dry before putting the tray back into the drive.

Also see our CD cleaning recommendation for steps on cleaning each of your CDs.

Additional help: CD-ROM Page

CD / DVD cleaning

Why? Dirty CDs can cause read errors and/or cause CDs to not work at all.

Procedure: Cleaning CDs and DVDs should be done with a cleaning kit but can also be done with a normal clean cotton cloth or shirt. When doing this with a clean cotton cloth or shirt, wipe against the tracks, starting from the middle of the CD or DVD and wiping towards the outer side as shown in the below picture. Never wipe with the tracks; doing so may put more scratches on the disc.

Top 10 free PC Programs Everyone Should Have

There are millions of free and open source projects available, many of them better than any commercially available product. Below is a short listing of what we think is the best out there, broken down into ten categories.

Anti-virus and malware protection

Most PC users realize that they need some type of protection on their computer or may have an installed anti-virus program from their computer manufacturer. What most don't realize is that there are free programs that are just as good and in some cases better than the commercial products. Below are our recommendations

Anti-virus program: Avast! or AVG

Malware / Spyware protection: Malwarebytes

Backup solutions

There are dozens of free and commercially available backup programs for computers. Unfortunately many of those backups are stored locally, meaning if your house were to catch fire, get robbed, or if you simply lost your backup discs all your data would be lost. This is why when dealing with important data we suggest users use online backup services.

Online backup solution: Mozy *
* Free 2GB of online backup for personal use

Browsers

Although Microsoft Internet Explorer comes pre-installed on Windows computers. There are several excellent free alternatives that everyone should try. These free alternatives can often be faster, have more options, and in many cases be more secure than Internet Explorer.

Internet Browser: Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome

Compression utility

When downloading files on the Internet you'll eventually encounter a .zip, .rar, or other compressed file. Dealing with these files can be easy with our below free file compression utility.

File compression utility: 7-zip

Disc ripper and creation utility

Creating an audio or data CD/DVD, ripping the data from an audio CD, or creating a CD from a .ISO file can also be done freely using our below free recommendation.

CD burner / ripper utility: CDBurnerXP

E-mail

E-mail is yet another service that can be done freely. Most users today use online e-mail solutions like the one listed below. However, for those still using an e-mail client such as Microsoft Outlook we strongly suggest one or both of the below suggestions.

E-mail client: Mozilla Thunderbird

Online e-mail: Gmail

FTP, SFTP, and SSH Utility

Users who maintain their own web page or need to upload / download files to or from a server will have to use an FTP utility and/or a SSH client. There are many commercial programs capable of doing this but our below free recommendations beats them all.

FTP client: Filezilla

SSH client: Putty

Image editor, paint program, and picture organizer

There are many great free solutions for editing, creating, and organizing your images on your computer. Many of the alternative programs capable of doing these types of tasks can be several hundred dollars, but all of the below programs are completely free.

Image editor: GIMP

Paint program: Paint.net

Picture organizer: Google Picasa

Multimedia

There are dozens of different multimedia programs with different capabilities and limitations. Below are our top free multimedia programs for watching video files and recording audio.

Audio editing and creating tool: Audacity

Video and DVD Player: VLC

Office Suite

An Office suite such as Microsoft Office is often one of the most expensive programs that a user can install on their computer. Why install these expensive programs when there are free solutions that are just as good.

Guidance On Repairing Your Computer

Repairing Your Computer is crucial and a lot of attention must be paid in getting it done. There are numerous options you may find when getting your computer fixed. What you opt for and how you choose are important issues that need to be taken care of.

The onshore repairers generally provide services to local people. They are mobile and have their own merits. Firstly, they are great options for people who are not technical developed. Secondly, there may be small scale companies that cannot afford to hire an administrator to see to their need for computer repairs. These mobile onshore repairers can provide efficient assistance to these kinds of groups.

Neverthless, with the growing popularity of online services in almost all spheres these days, online computer repair services are also becoming popular. Online repair services that are offered by the manufacturers of the computers and the companies that make the software you are using, are the most efficient services available on the Internet. There are numerous ways in which such companies repair your computer. Under one such method, you may be required to login to a specific section in their website with the help of your login credentials and provide details of the problem. Once the service providers identify your specific problem, they will repair your computer remotely. Under a different method, they may provide technical assistance over the phone and you will be required to follow the steps they instruct. Here, you will require some fundamental knowledge about the computer.

It is not mandatory for you to employ professional service in order to repair your computer. This is an idea that most service providers lead you to believe. With a few fundamental ideas you may able to solve minor problems of your computer. This may be especially applicable when your computer is infected with malware. Nowadays you can avail of software that help you to eliminate such malware by youself. Such software attempt at checking all the files in your computer and compare them with a pre-defined list of malware files. On being able to find a match with the list, the malware can be identified and then eliminated.

Hence, we notice that there are numerous ways in which we can repair the problems that occur in our computer. The way we get it done is completely for us to decide. The thing we need to bear in mind is that we are seeking to repair our computers and not further increase the problems. Hence, we need to take a lot of care when finalising on the way we wish to get our computers fixed. A good computer repairer is not just able to repair your computer but is also capable of relieving you from all tensions related to your computer.

Cleaning the computer.

Cleaning your computer and your computer components and peripherals helps keep the components and computer in good working condition and helps keep the computers from spreading germs. To the right is an example image of how dirty the inside of your computer case can get. This example is a dirty computer case fan.

General cleaning Tips

Below is a listing of general tips that should be taken when cleaning any of the components or peripherals of a computer as well as tips to help keep a computer clean.

1. Never spray or squirt any type of liquid onto any computer component. If a spray is needed, spray the liquid onto a cloth and then use that cloth to rub down the component.
2. Users can use a vacuum to suck up dirt, dust, or hair around their computer on the outside case and on their keyboards. However, do not use a vacuum for the inside of your computer as it generates a lot of static electricity that can damage the internal components of your computer. If you need to use a vacuum to clean the inside of your computer, use a portable battery powered vacuum designed to do this job.
3. When cleaning a component and/or the computer, turn it off before cleaning.
4. Never get any component inside the computer or any other circuit board damp or wet.
5. Be cautious when using any type of cleaning solvents; some individuals may have allergic reactions to chemicals in cleaning solvents and some solvents can even damage the case. Try to always use water or a highly diluted solvent.
6. When cleaning, be careful not to accidentally adjust any knobs or controls. In addition, when cleaning the back of the computer, if anything is plugged in, make sure not to disconnect any of the plugs.
7. When cleaning fans, especially the smaller fans within a portable computer or laptop it's suggested that you either hold the fan or place something in-between the fan blades to prevent it from spinning. Spraying compressed air into a fan or cleaning a fan with a vacuum may cause damage to some fans or in some cases cause back voltage.
8. Never eat or drink around the computer.
9. Limit smoking around the computer.

Top 10 keyboard shortcuts everyone should know

Using keyboard shortcuts can often cut the time it takes to do something on a computer in half. Below are our top 10 keyboard shortcuts we recommend everyone memorize and use.

Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert

Copy the highlighted text or selected item.

Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert

Paste the text or object that's in the clipboard.

Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y

Undo any change. For example, if you cut text, pressing this will undo it. This can also often be pressed multiple times to undo multiple changes. Pressing Ctrl + Y would re-do the undo.

Ctrl + F

Open the Find in any program. This includes your Internet browser to find text on the current page.

Alt + Tab or Alt + Esc

Quickly switch between open programs.

F1

Open help for the program you're in.

Ctrl + P

Print what's currently being viewed in programs such as Microsoft Word or your Internet browser.

Ctrl + Left arrow / Right arrow

Move the cursor one word at a time instead of one character at a time. If you wanted to highlight one word at a time you can hold down Ctrl + Alt and then press the left or right arrow key to move one word at a time in that direction while highlighting each word.

Ctrl + Home / End

Move the cursor to the beginning or end of a document.

Page Up / Space bar and Page Down

Pressing either the page up or page down key will move that page one page at a time in that direction. When browsing the Internet pressing the space bar will also move the page down one page at a time.

Are You Making Backups Of Your Data?

It is a well-known fact that every year millions of personal computers collapse and destroy all their data. Unfortunately, such simple activity as eventual knocking a cup of tea over your laptop can destroy all important financial documents as well as digital photographs that contain some of the most unforgettable and precious memories from your present and past. Of course, this is very expensive and even sometimes impossible to get all this data back. That is why the case of prevention is cheaper and better than the cure itself. It is the same like a disease: better to prevent than to treat. However, in fact, there are numerous ways of overcoming the problem of data loss. Interestingly, during the years backup methods have become briefer comparing the first big server based installations with the little USB keys. Actually, the problem is, if the way you give preferences to is a kind of the low cost option, the thing in this case is that you have to run the backups on your own. Afterwards, you get the problem of where to store the backups. Admittedly, as far as the process of backing up your computer can be a huge unnecessary hassle, you are likely to easily forget to do this. However, once your personal computer fails, the great need for getting the backup appears. But I must admit that the only one you have is 15 years out of data! I think that this is a considerably long period of time for considering the importance of backing up.

That is why, on my opinion, the only way to successfully and correctly back up your computer is to make an automatic copy of your data and settle it somewhere in the safe place. Thanks to the development of modern technologies online backup allows you to put this desire and need into practice. It is not a secret that the majority of online backup providers can provide you with a small software program to be installed on your personal computer. Besides, you are free to use settings in this program in order to determine what documents will be backed up and when. As soon as you have completed this setup, the program itself is going to automatically connect to the online backup server and then to transfer the real copy of your document to it at the moment, meaning time, you specified.

It is not a secret that some programs can let you take the real time backup. This means that the files are likely to be backed up once they are saved in the hard drive. In case you always forget to do your computer backups, this can be a really precious tool for your business and just for yourself, because you always get nerved when something important just disappear from your computer.

Currently information has become one the most valuable things for us. So such services as Online Backup increase in their popularity. Need to simplify the process of file backup? Looking for an alternative to sites with paid access to download files, long countdown timers, pop up ads? Please go to this site. Lots of info about online data storage backup and how to share your data fast.

How to Replace the LCD on a Notebook Computer

iquid crystal displays are screens frequently used in notebook computers due to their durability and compact size. Unfortunately, you can easily damage LCD screens, causing them to malfunction over time. LCD screens most often fail when the backlight or power inverter malfunctions. Luckily, you can easily replace the LCD screen on your notebook computer with only basic tools.

Instructions

#
Step 1

Locate a replacement screen by contacting your computer's manufacturer. Refer to the model and serial numbers on the bottom of the notebook to find the appropriate part.
#
Step 2

Unplug the computer's power cord from the electrical outlet and power port. Remove the battery from the battery compartment by releasing the latch.
#
Step 3

Locate the LCD screen's hinge screws near the back of the notebook. Remove the screws using a small screwdriver by turning them counterclockwise. Lift the screen from the notebook.
#
Step 4

Locate the screws on the LCD bezel. You can often find them behind small, rubber tabs. Pry the tabs using a screwdriver, and remove the screws. Pry the side of the bezel to remove it. Locate the small LCD frame screws on the back of the bezel. Remove them by turning them counterclockwise.
#
Step 5

Detach the small LCD cable attachment by gently pulling it from the connector. Pry the sides of the connector with a small screwdriver if it does not come out. Lift the LCD screen to remove it from the bezel assembly.
#
Step 6

Insert the new LCD screen in the same location as the old screen. Attach the LCD cable attachment to the new screen by pressing it together until it snaps in place. Attach the interior bezel mounting screws by turning them in a clockwise direction. Attach the LCD bezel over the LCD screen, and insert the screws. Turn the screws clockwise to fasten the bezel onto the LCD screen.
#
Step 7

Insert the LCD screen assembly onto the hinge on the back of the notebook. Insert the hinge screws, and tighten them. Insert the battery into the battery compartment until it snaps in place. Plug the notebook's power cord into an electrical outlet, and connect it to the notebook.
#
Step 8

Turn on the power to the notebook to test the screen. Adjust the LCD's screen settings by clicking the right mouse button in a vacant area of the desktop. Click "Start > Settings > Display" to adjust the settings. Adjust the settings to your desired preference, and click "Save" to complete the installation

Computer Speakers : Pros and Cons

A brand new computer usually comes together with stock speakers. Consumers are known to complain on the quality of those stock speakers. Stock speakers are complimentary to computer sets, just the same with those complimentary printers. Needless to say, some people opt to replace the speaker with their own choice. Thankfully, there are more options and choices than people can choose from nowadays.

Having speakers on your computer’s desktop significantly decreases the amount of space that you have. Not to mention the presence of the printer, fax machine and perhaps a tiny table lamp. Due to their bulkiness, some owners simply discard their speakers and opt for headphones instead. Others go for the smaller speakers.

Secondly, it is surprising that speakers do tend to break down compared to their counterpart; the headphones. Just a small knock or mishandling will send you to the shop, looking and buying a new set of speakers. Hence, it took extra care for people to use their speakers in order to avoid these misfits. First step, push the buttons with just enough strength to turn on the speaker, not to push them from your desk.

Secondly, if you are good with taking pieces out and assembling them back, then it will be good if you can wipe the interior of the speakers with cotton swab. A fine paintbrush is also a good choice for this. This is to remove any cobwebs of spiders that may have made your speakers their eternal home. Check for any burned wires or cables too. Replace them as soon as you detect them.

After allowing the speaker’s inside to be thoroughly cleaned, assemble the components back again and make sure that they are as tight as before to avoid any gap that can be the highway for lizards and roaches to make a living in your speakers. Put a small piece of mothball in the speaker as an extra precaution against those nasty pests.

When you are going to leave your computer and other appliance for a long time for a camping or an outstation job, unplug everything and store them in dry and cold place. This will not only reduce your electricity bill, it will also help to save your speakers and its friends from being short-circuited should any storm strike your house.

If you serious on buying a satisfactory speaker set, be ready to spend up to RM200. Speakers with the price tag of RM60 and below are usually no better than the stock speakers that came together with your computer set. Why spend that money on the set with same lame quality?

For all reasons of having a good set of computer speakers, you must never sacrifice the quality. Good quality lasts longer and requires less maintenance. Use the speakers with discretion too. You do not want to awake a sleeping baby in the house in the middle of the night just because you forgot to turn down the volume.

Always Protect Your Computer From Spyware.

It can be any software that can collect information through user Internet connection, so the user does not even know about it.
Sometimes, when a user installs accidentally any product, a virus Trojan can be quietly added in this time, because spyware is like a Trojan horse. ”

Spyware can steal a user computer’s memory resources and reduce bandwidth. Because spyware uses the computer’s memory and system resources, spyware software that works in the background, can force your system to cash a check.

Spyware is able to view the files on your hard drive, read cookies, or even change your home page. This is software, which can literally make a fool of somebody’s computer. Spyware watches what you do on your computer, and can then send this information over the Internet. Spyware can collect many different types of information about you or about the users in your network environment.

Do you get these annoying pop-ups? This can be described as an advertising spyware.

Spyware can easily collect your personal information and can even change the configuration of your computer without your consent. There are many tools available that can help you protect your computer. Get started now.

You use antivirus and anti-spyware or not, your computer may still be infected. So, what can you do if your computer is infected?

There are several steps you can take. One of them is to format your hard drive. This is the most time-consuming and expensive method. All data on the hard disk will be erased, and you need a lot of time to reinstall all your programs. This method should be used as a last resort and only if the virus has spread across the disk.

If the infection is less severe, in this case, you can do the following: clear your hard drive with antivirus and anti-spyware software. To do this, there are many different antivirus programs.

Run an antivirus program, and then activate the scan to determine the location of the virus or spyware. Once the program determines the location of infection, you can do two things: put the infected file in quarantine or delete it entirely. More effective is to remove as it will be a guarantee that you do not accidentally use the infected file. It is also very important to keep anti-virus software, because every day there are more and more new viruses and spyware.

It would be best if you will periodically conduct a virus scan. You can also use it not only for finding viruses and spyware, but also to prevent their falling into your computer. Usually, once spyware gets into your computer, it spreads like a virus and trying to do as much as possible own copies. It is therefore important that the antivirus program can not only remove the old spyware, but also prevent the penetration of the new one.

To keep your computer 100% free from viruses and spyware is a difficult task, but if you perform the above procedures, you can be sure that there will not be viruses any more.

If you need to find a nice remove spyware program or any helpful information about the topic of spyware blockers, please visit the hyperlinked web site.

And it is very important that you follow a final piece of advice – today the Internet technologies give you a truly unique chance to choose exactly what you need for the best price on the market. Funny, but most of the people don’t use this chance. In real life it means that you should use all the tools of today to get any information that you need.

Search Google or other search engines. Visit social networks and have a look on the accounts that are relevant to your topic. Go to the niche forums and participate in the discussion. All this will help you to build up a true vision of this market. Thus, giving you a real opportunity to make a wise and nicely balanced decision.

And also sign up to the RSS feed on this blog, because we will everything possible to keep this blog tuned up to the day with new publications about the market of spyware blockers and any changes on it.

How To Choose Your Computer

It is far simpler to purchase your next computer than it is to purchase your first one, because those who've bought and used a computer in the past already have an idea of what they need in a new computer, but those who are new to the computer world can easily become confused in the innumerable of choices to be had.

The brief answer to "What should I buy?" is "the best". of course that response is very personal because "the best" to one person is not going to be the best to another. Our description of "the best" is the fastest and with the biggest memory, but even that can leave the computer newbie perplexed. Here's a quick rundown of what the computer novice should do and why.

1. buy a computer that includes all the basic components. every computer system can be broken down into four major pieces of equipment: CPU unit, screen, keyboard, and mouse. For the beginner, it's best to buy a computer that has all of these components included so that when it's taken home, assembling the computer is a simple affair of plugging the components in where they belong. Save the individual purchase of these components to those who have more experience.

2. Decide what you'll use the computer for. if you want to use your computer for investigating the Internet, sending email, or performing straightforward word-processing or spreadsheet tasks, a computer with the basic components that we recently described plus a printer should suffice. if you want to use a computer to help with a career in multimedia however, you're going to need to increase your system with maybe a scanner, digital camera, tablet, or digicam as well for example. if you want a computer to help with a career in music, you might require a good microphone and array of loud-speakers.

3. Make a budget and adhere to it. how much can you afford to splurge on a new computer? Although the price of computers is declining, they can still be quite a hefty expenditure particularly if you need additional components as talked about previously. in addition, you'll have to figure in costs for Internet access, repairs, servicing, and insurance.

4. start comparison shopping and search for the quickest and largest. By fastest and biggest, we imply the computer with the quickest processor, the quickest modem, the largest memory, and the biggest hard drive capacity. Even if you consider that you'll never require the amount of speed or space available on the market today, it's important to have in the event that you truly do need that much in the future. having such a large reserve will cut down on expenses when the time comes to upgrade.

5. Stay with the better-known makes. going off the trodden path with lesser-known brands is again an adventure for those who have more familiarity with computers. Although those better-known brands might be a tad more expensive, the computer greenhorn will be thankful for the comfort of purchasing a computer from a company that has a lengthy history of building quality products, and that has the funds available for fulfilling returns, trades, servicing, and warranties.

6. choose a quality store. once you have an idea of what you need in a computer and what sort of computer that you want, the only task left to do is to choose the place where you want to purchase it. There are many places, which embrace computer stores, online stores, auction sites and operated computer shops. For the computer beginner, we advise purchasing a computer from a bricks-and-mortar store. in a physical store, you have the chance to see the computer of interest itself and pose questions. new computer buyers will also have a store guarantee, returns, trades, and services.

These suggestions ought to give the computer newbie a helpful foundation in choosing a quality computer for the first time and these suggestions apply to either Windows computers or Apple Macintosh computers. After making these decisions and finally picking one that suits your needs, you can then venture into the fascinating world of software – a world that is equally as grand as the world of hardware!

Tips on Improving Your Computer's Performance

There are a lot of ways to improve your computer performance. Here is the simple ways and easy, which can help you:

1. Upgrade your RAM
Put your ear to your computer. If you hear the hard drive clunking away when you are not doing much of anything, you probably need more RAM. RAM is cheap and easy to install (push it in with a firm, steady motion) and can significantly speed up your computer.

2. Get a Video Card
Many desktop computers come with "integrated" video. This means that the processor which handles the video is on the motherboard and shares a number of system resources, including memory. Installing a video card, even a cheap $50 (or so) one, will free up your computer's memory and will also give you much faster performance, especially if you are using Windows Vista or 7 or if you use graphically intensive applications.

3. Clean Your Registry
The Registry is a semi-hidden repository of information which Windows uses to keep track of a variety of different things. Over time, it can be filled with a great deal of information which is unnecessary or even harmful. A registry cleaner, which is a piece of software that attempts to remove unnecessary junk from the registry can make a meaningful difference. Well known registry fixes include PC Tools and Symantec's Norton Registry Cleaner

4. Uninstall Unnecessary Software
Take a look at all of the software you have installed and ask yourself: Do I really use this? If not, get rid of it. Not only will you clean up your Start Menu and Desktop, but you'll save disk space, eliminate registry clutter, and possibly eliminate programs that start up automatically and take up system resources.

Although these four tips just scratch the surface of what you can do to speed up your computer, all will make an immediate difference in its performance. Enjoy life in the fast lane!

Guideline For Beginners in Choosing Best Computer Set

Since computer is a very useful technology in almost all aspects of life, it will be better for people to have a computer set in their house. However, some beginners might face any difficulty in looking for the best computer set to support their job or duty. If you belong to these people, you can get easy tips in choosing best computer for you. Therefore, you will not take a wrong choice and feel disappointed with the performance of the device.

The first consideration in looking for computer is deciding the best type for you. There will be some types of computer that you can get: desktop personal computer, laptop computer, as well as notebook computer. If you are a mobile person who needs to bring your important data with you, choosing laptop or notebook will be great choice. However, if you merely use this device to help your support your job in home or office, buying desktop PC computer will be appropriate.

Surely, buying computer requires you to deal with some computer terms. So, learning the basic terms of computer will be very important to do. Get more information about RAM, bytes, processor, speed, hard drive, operating system (OS), and many more. Therefore, unreliable stores will not trick you and you will not feel disappointed with your choice as well. Asking for recommendation to other people who are more in this technology is also important, so you will get satisfying product in high quality.

Surely, when you are buying a computer, you are supposed to be able to operate the system. If you do not really understand about the operation, it will be better for you to attend computer course. Therefore, you will get more understanding in operating your computer in proper way as well as in maintaining the performance of your computer.

By considering those important things, you can get the most appropriate computer that match well for your requirements. Getting computer device from a certain reliable manufacturer will be very thoughtful to do.

When you are about to buy desktop computer set, choosing a monitor with best quality of images will be important to increase your convenience. You can get excellence quality of images, you can take HD computer monitor. It might be quite expensive, but surely you can find other choices of cheap computer monitor that come in lower price. The main consideration in looking for monitor is choosing a product that will not make your eyes strain.

What You Know About Computer

Maybe you never know how computer is operated and its parts inside, what we know how to use it .Here the parts you should know.

A computer is a programmable machine that receives input, stores and manipulates data, and provides output in a useful format.

Although mechanical examples of computers have existed through much of recorded human history, the first electronic computers were developed in the mid-20th century (1940–1945). These were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers (PCs).^[1] Modern computers based on integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more capable than the early machines, and occupy a fraction of the space.^[2] Simple computers are small enough to fit into small pocket devices, and can be powered by a small battery. Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as "computers". However, the embedded computers found in many devices from MP3 players to fighter aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are the most numerous.

The ability to store and execute lists of instructions called programs makes computers extremely versatile, distinguishing 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 ranging from a netbook to a supercomputer are all able to perform the same computational tasks, given enough time and storage capacity.