Computers

Computers are machines for manipulating data according to a list of instructions and take many physical forms. Early computers were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers. Now computers can be made small enough to fit items smaller than a wrist watch and be powered from a tiny battery. Society now recognizes personal computers and their portable equivalent, the laptop or Notebook computer, as icons of the information age. The most common form of computer in use today is the embedded computer. Embedded computers are small, simple devices that are often used to control other devices—for example, they may be found in machines ranging from fighter aircraft to industrial robots, digital cameras, and even children's toys.