For years, the computer has been one of the most important inventions by man. The computer has been around since the abacus which was first used around 300 B.C. I have been doing research on the internet, ironically, and I think Wikipedia words the definition of a computer the best. “Conventionally, a computer consists of at least one processing element, typically a central processing (CPU) and some form of memory. The processing element carries out arithmetic and logic operations, and a sequencing and control unit that can change the order of operations based on stored information. Peripheral devices allow information to be retrieved from an external source, and the result of operations saved and retrieved.” However, we know that today computers do much more than that because they are based on integrated circuits.

Who invented the computer? No one person invented the computer, but the invention of the computer was a group effort by many people.

 Can you imagine what it would be like if computers were not invented? There would be no internet, no computer games, no movie editing, and we would be forced to read books to find the answer to a question we may have. 

The computer has done many things to change the world; in fact, it has been called “The Machine that Changed the World”. It was named “Machine of the year” by Times magazine. The computer, first theorized in the Renaissance, has been developed to greater levels by many people. A few would be: Joseph Marie Jacquard, Konrad Zuse, and Alan Turing. 

The first computers were big and bulky, but today a computer can be so small that they can fit into mobile devices such as smart phones, iPads, and laptops.

In this WebQuest, I will talk about the history of computers, when they first made better computers, and when significant inventions were invented to make computers more efficient.