Every advance in computers and technology in general has come from improvements in existing designs and new ideas presented by computer scientists. When the word computer is mentioned, many words come to people's minds. These include laptops, PCs, desktops, Windows and maybe even mobiles. Before recent times, however, the computer was actually a job for “one who computes,” or computes (dictionary). Today we tend to think of computers as an object and not a person. The word computer is used today to describe a device, usually electronic, that processes data according to a series of instructions (dictionary). When most people think of computers, they think of this definition of computer. With this definition many objects can be considered a computer such as a calculator or a telephone. A computer definition describing a desktop or laptop is a programmable machine that performs high-speed processing of numbers, as well as text, graphics, symbols, and sounds. All computers contain a central processing unit that interprets and executes instructions; input devices, such as a keyboard and mouse, through which data and commands enter the computer; memory that allows the computer to store programs and data; and output devices, such as printers and screens, that display the results after the computer processes the data (dictionary). This definition of computer describes the machine on which this paper was typed, the laptop on which you check email, and the desktop on which you update your Facebook status. However, all these upgrades and advancements in computers didn't happen overnight, even in the last century. In fact, considering the fact that the term computer was used to describe a person who calculates, the history...... middle of paper ......History of computers. Np, nd Web. 10 February 2014. "Charles Babbage (December 1791, October 1871)." Charles Babbage biography, computer models and inventions. Np, nd Web. March 10, 2014."Computers." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com and Web. 10 February 2014. "History of computers and computing, Automata, Joseph Jacquard." History of computers and information technology, Automata, Joseph Jacquard. Np, nd Web. March 10, 2014"History of computers and information technology, mechanical calculators, pioneers, Blaise Pascal." History of computers and information technology, Mechanical calculators, Pioneers, Blaise Pascal. Np, nd Web. March 11, 2014. “Calculator Rules.” Slide rules. Np, nd Web. March 10, 2014. "The History of Computing." The history of information technology. Np, nd Web. February 10, 2014 "The history of the first computers, from ancient times to 1981." Io9. Np, nd Web. 10 February. 2014.