Brief Introduction of Computer
Do You have a Computer?
Passage A
An Hui (A) and Xiao Ming (B)are two high-school students,They meet each other when they are now on their way home.
A,Hello,Xiao Ming.
B,Hi,An Hui,
A,You look so happy these days,did something particularly happy happen to you? Can you share it with me?
B,Yeah,my father bought a computer for me the day before yesterday,
A,Really? Is it interesting? And do you like it?
B,Of course,I like it.
A,Oh,that’s so nice,I will ask my father to buy me one,too.
B,That’s a good idea,If you have the interest,you can go with me to my home and have a look at it.
A,Certainly,I’d like to,Let’s go.
Passage B
They have gotten Xiao Ming’s home,They are now talking about the new computer.
A,Oh,it looks nice,Can you give me an introduction of it?
B,No problem,You see,this is a display,
A,It is somewhat like a TV.
B,yeah,it is used to display the information and data that you need,Sometimes it is called monitor,
A,I know,And what is this?
B,This is a printer,Its function is to print the information and data on a piece of paper.
A,Is this a keyboard?
B,Yes,you are right,How do you know it?
A,I just guess it,because there are so many buttons on it.
B,That’s right,The keyboard is one of the input devices,Do you know what this is?
A,No.
B,This is a modem,It plays an important role when you want to use the Internet.
A,Is that all?
B,No,This is a mouse,And these two are called disk drives,they are by the system unit.
A,I don’t know much about that,
B,You’ll when you have your own computer.
A,I will ask my father to buy one as soon as possible.
参考译文第1篇
A,肖鸣，你好。
B,你好，安惠。
A,你这几天看起来特别高兴，肯定有什么好事吧？能跟我分享一下吗？
B,是的，我爸前天给我买了台电脑。
A,真的吗？它很有趣吗？你喜欢吗？
B,我当然喜欢。
A,哦，真是太好了。我也要叫我爸给我买一台。
B,好主意。 如果你有兴趣的话，你跟我一起回家，我给你看一下。
A,我当然愿意，走吧。
第2篇
A,哦，真漂亮。你能给我介绍一下吗？
B,没问题。你看，这是显示器。
A,它有点像电视机。
B,是的，它用来显示你需要的信息和数据。有时候它也可以叫“监视器”。
A,我知道。这是什么？
B,这是打印机。它的作用是将信息或数据打印到纸上。
A,这是键盘吗？
B,是的。你怎么知道的？
A,我只是猜的，因为它上面有很多键。
B,是的。键盘是输入设备之一。你知道那是什么吗？
A,不知道。
B,那是调制解调器。当你要上网的时候，它起着很大的作用。
A,就这些吗？
B,不。这是鼠标。而这两个是磁盘驱动器，它们都在主机的旁边。
A,我对它不太了解。
B,当你也有电脑时你就会了解了。
A,我会叫我爸尽快给我买一台。
Components of Computer
Passage A
A computer system includes hardware and software,Hardware consists of input,processing and output devices,Software refers to programs.
First,we introduce hardware,The basic input device of a computer system is keyboard,Mouse is input device,too,Keyboard inputs data or programs into the computer,The processing device executes and stores programs and data,Display,an output device of the computer,serves as a window on the processing device,It allows users to view its contents,Printer is also an output device of the computer.
Secondly,we introduce programs,Program consists of many instructions,Programmers or computer users use them to tell computers what to do,One of the basic programs is Disk Operating System,we call it DOS.
Passage B
A standard keyboard mainly consists of three functional groups,They are typewriter character keys,numeric keypad and special functional keys.
In the middle of the keyboard,there are typewriter character keys,Their functions are like those of an ordinary typewriter,The numeric keypad is on the right of typewriter character keys,There are functional keys on the first line of the keyboard,They belong to special functional keys.
There are also three important special functional keys on the keyboard,They are Esc (Escape),Ctrl (Control) and Alt (Alternate),If you want to know more information,you can find them in your user’s manual.
参考译文第1篇一个计算机系统包括硬件和软件。硬件由输入设备、处理设备和输出设备组成。软件则指程序。
首先，我们介绍硬件。计算机系统的基本输入设备是键盘。鼠标也是输入装置之一。键盘将数据或程序输入到计算机。处理设备则执行和存储程序和数据。作为计算机输出设备的显示器就当作处理设备的一个窗口，它允许使用者查看它显示的内容。打印机也是计算机的输出装置之一。
然后，我们介绍一下程序。程序由多条指令组成。程序员或计算机使用者使用它们来告诉计算机做什么。磁盘操作系统就是基本程序之一，我们叫它DOS。
第2篇一个标准键盘主要由3个功能部件组成，它们是字母键、数字键盘区和特殊功能键。
在键盘的中央有很多字母键，它们的作用跟平常的打字机类似。数字键盘区在键盘的右边。在键盘的第1行有很多功能键，它们都属于特殊功能键。
键盘上还有3个重要的特殊功能键，它们是Esc、Ctrl和Alt。假如你想了解更多的信息，可以查阅用户手册。
Kinds of Computers
A computer is a multi-functional and programmable electronic processing machine,This means a computer is made up of electronic components and can be programmed to do a number of different tasks,The program is stored actually inside the machine,making it a stored program,A computer’s function is to accept data and process them into information,Data flow into the machine as input and flow from the machine as output.
All computers,from the first room-sized mainframes,to today’s powerful desktop,laptop and even hand-held PCs,perform the same general operations on information,What changes over time is the information handled,how it is handled,and how quickly and efficiently it can be done.
When you think about a computer and what it does,you of course think that,it computes”,And this is indeed one part of its job,Computing is really another term for,information transformation”—changing information from one form to another.
One special form of information the computer process is its instructions,These are the commands that programmers give the computer to tell it what to do,Every time you do anything with a computer,you are really talking to a program that is talking to the computer,The language that computers speak,which is called machine language,is very complex and hard to understand.
Computers can be general classified by size and power as follows:
Microcomputer
Microcomputer is generally a synonym for the more common term,personal computer,or PC,which is a small single-user computer based on a microcomputer,In addition to the microprocessor,a personal computer has a keyboard for entering data,a monitor for displaying information,and a storage device for saving data.
Workstation
Workstation is a powerful single-user computer,It is like a personal computer,but it has a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor.
Mainframe Computer
Mainframe or mainframe computer is a powerful multi-user computer,It is capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands of users at the same time,It is now usually referred to a,large server”.
Minicomputer
Minicomputer (a term no longer much used) is a multi-user computer of a size between a microcomputer and a mainframe.
Supercomputer
Supercomputer is an extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of instructions per second,but now it refers to a,very large server” and sometimes includes a system of computers using parallel processing.
参考译文
计算机是一种多功能和可编程的电子处理机器。这意味着计算机由电子器件组成，并可以按照程序执行各种不同的任务。实际上，程序存储在计算机内部，所以叫存储程序。计算机的功能就是接收数据并将之处理成信息。将数据调入到计算机内是输入，反之则是输出。
从第1批像房间大小的大型机，到今天功能强大的台式电脑、膝上型电脑和手提电脑，所有计算机都进行着相同的信息操作。随时间变化的是所处理的信息内容、信息的处理方式以及信息处理的速度和效率。
当你想到计算机以及计算机的工作时，你当然认为“它会计算”，实际上这也的确是它的工作之一。计算确实是“信息转换”的另一种方式，也就是说，将信息从一种形式转换成另一种形式。
计算机处理的一种特殊形式的信息是指令。指令是由计算机编程者指示计算机执行任务的一组命令。每当你用计算机进行操作时，实际上是在跟程序对话，而程序也在跟计算机对话。计算机所使用的语言是机器语言，该语言非常复杂，难以读懂。
根据规模和功能可将计算机作下列划分：
微机微机同时是更通用的术语——个人计算机的同义词。个人计算机是微机基础上的小型单用户计算机。除了微型处理器，个人计算机还有输入数据的键盘、显示信息的监视器和存储数据的存储装置。
工作站工作站是功能强大的单用户计算机。它与微机相似，但其微型处理器功能更强大，并且监视器的质量更好。
大型计算机大型计算机是一种功能强大的多用户计算机。它能支持成千上万用户同时使用。现在通常指“大型服务器”。
小型计算机小型计算机（这个词已经不太常用了）是一种多用户计算机。
巨型计算机巨型计算机是一种速度极快的计算机，每秒钟能完成上亿条指令，但现在指“特大型服务器”，有时也包括一系列进行并行处理的计算机。
Generations Of Electronic Computer
The development of computer has experienced four generations till now,Let’s take a look at each of them.
The first generation of computer (1946 ~1958)
The first generation of computer was characterized by the main feature of the ENIAC-vacuum tubes,Through 1950s,several other computers were built,each contributing significant advancements,such as binary arithmetic,random access,and the concept of stored programs,These computer concepts are common in today’s computers.
The second generation of computer (1959~1964)
To most people,the invention of the transistor meant small portable radios,To those in the data processing business,it signaled the start of the second generation of computer,The transistor meant more powerful,more reliable,and less expensive computers that would occupy less space and give off less heat than did vacuum-tube-powered computers.
The expense item should be emphasized,During the first,second,and part of the third generations,the cost of a computer represented a significant portion of a company’s budget,Computers were expensive,Significant innovations have resulted in enormous increases in computer performance and obvious reductions in price,This trend,established with the introduction of second-generation computers,continues today.
The Third Generation of Computer (1964~1971)
On April 7,1964,IBM announced their System 360 line of computers,It was considered to be the most important event in the history of computer,It is the beginning of the third generation of computer,which was characterized by the integrated circuits or IC (集成电路),
The compatibility problems of second-generation computers were almost eliminated in third-generation computers,In other ways,third-generation computers work so quickly that they provide the capacity to run more than one program concurrently,For example,at any given time the computer might be printing payroll checks,accepting orders,and testing programs.
The Fourth Generation of Computer (1971~now)
The start of the fourth generation of computers was 1971,Large-Scale Integration circuits became basic computers,Our personal computers,or microcomputers,belong to this generation.
One of the most significant contributions of the fourth generation of computer is the microprocessor,The microprocessor can be contained on a single silicon chip,The first fully operational microprocessor was invented in 1971,And they have been developing very fast,This device costs less than a soft drink and can be found in everything from lifts to satellites.
Most computers producers classify their computers as being in the fourth generation of computer,and a few call theirs the,fifth generation”,The first three generations were characterized by significant technological breakthroughs in electronics—the use of vacuum tubes,then transistors,and then integrated circuits,Some people prefer to consider the start of the fourth generation as 1971,while some others argue that if we accept this premise,then there would probably have been a fifth,a sixth,and maybe be seventh generation since 1971.
As science and technique are developing continually,new generations of computer will emerge in the future.
参考译文计算机发展到现在已经经历了4代，让我们分别去了解它们。
第1代计算机（1946年～1958年）
第1代计算机是以ENIAC电子管为主要特征的计算机。在20世纪50年代，几种其他的计算机也被制造出来，每一种都有明显的进步，如二进制算术、随机存储以及存储程序的概念，这些在现在的计算机中很普遍。
第2代计算机（1959年～1964年）
对于大多数人来说，晶体管的发明意味着小型手提收音机；对于那些处于数据处理行业的人来说，它标志着第2代计算机的开始。晶体管意味着功能更强大、更可靠、更便宜的计算机，这些计算机占用更少的空间，同时又比电子管计算机散发更少的热量。
费用问题也该强调一下。在第1代、第2代和第3代的部分时期，计算机的花费占了公司预算的一大部分。计算机在那时是很贵的。技术创新带来的结果是计算机功能的大大增加和价格的明显下降。这个趋势自第2代计算机开始一直延续到现在。
第3代计算机（1964年～1971年）
1964年4月7日，IBM推出他们的360系列计算机。这被认为是计算机历史上最重要的事件。这是第3代计算机的开始，它以集成电路为特征。
第2代计算机的兼容性问题在第3代计算机中大多得到了解决。换句话说，第3代计算机工作得如此之快以至于它们有同时运行几个程序的能力。例如，在某一给定时间内，计算机可能在打印工资账单的同时，也在接收订单和测试程序。
第4代计算机（1971年～现在）
第4代计算机始于1971年。大规模数字电路变成基本计算机。我们的个人计算机或微机都属于这一代。
第4代计算机的突出贡献之一就是微处理器。一个微处理器能被包容在一个小小的硅片上。第1个完全能运行的微处理器发明于1971年。它们一直发展得很快。这种器件的价格比一杯饮料还便宜，而且从电梯到人造卫星上到处都可见到。
目前大多数的计算机制造商将他们的计算机归作第4代，少数则称属于“第5代”。前3代计算机都以电子学的重大突破为标志，即电子管、晶体管和集成电路。有一些人主张把1971年当作第4代计算机的开始，而同时另外一些人则认为，如果我们接受这个前提的话，那自1971年起第5、第6甚至第7代计算机都很可能有了。
随着科学技术的不断发展，其他的新型计算机也将在未来出现。
Do You have a Computer?
Passage A
An Hui (A) and Xiao Ming (B)are two high-school students,They meet each other when they are now on their way home.
A,Hello,Xiao Ming.
B,Hi,An Hui,
A,You look so happy these days,did something particularly happy happen to you? Can you share it with me?
B,Yeah,my father bought a computer for me the day before yesterday,
A,Really? Is it interesting? And do you like it?
B,Of course,I like it.
A,Oh,that’s so nice,I will ask my father to buy me one,too.
B,That’s a good idea,If you have the interest,you can go with me to my home and have a look at it.
A,Certainly,I’d like to,Let’s go.
Passage B
They have gotten Xiao Ming’s home,They are now talking about the new computer.
A,Oh,it looks nice,Can you give me an introduction of it?
B,No problem,You see,this is a display,
A,It is somewhat like a TV.
B,yeah,it is used to display the information and data that you need,Sometimes it is called monitor,
A,I know,And what is this?
B,This is a printer,Its function is to print the information and data on a piece of paper.
A,Is this a keyboard?
B,Yes,you are right,How do you know it?
A,I just guess it,because there are so many buttons on it.
B,That’s right,The keyboard is one of the input devices,Do you know what this is?
A,No.
B,This is a modem,It plays an important role when you want to use the Internet.
A,Is that all?
B,No,This is a mouse,And these two are called disk drives,they are by the system unit.
A,I don’t know much about that,
B,You’ll when you have your own computer.
A,I will ask my father to buy one as soon as possible.
参考译文第1篇
A,肖鸣，你好。
B,你好，安惠。
A,你这几天看起来特别高兴，肯定有什么好事吧？能跟我分享一下吗？
B,是的，我爸前天给我买了台电脑。
A,真的吗？它很有趣吗？你喜欢吗？
B,我当然喜欢。
A,哦，真是太好了。我也要叫我爸给我买一台。
B,好主意。 如果你有兴趣的话，你跟我一起回家，我给你看一下。
A,我当然愿意，走吧。
第2篇
A,哦，真漂亮。你能给我介绍一下吗？
B,没问题。你看，这是显示器。
A,它有点像电视机。
B,是的，它用来显示你需要的信息和数据。有时候它也可以叫“监视器”。
A,我知道。这是什么？
B,这是打印机。它的作用是将信息或数据打印到纸上。
A,这是键盘吗？
B,是的。你怎么知道的？
A,我只是猜的，因为它上面有很多键。
B,是的。键盘是输入设备之一。你知道那是什么吗？
A,不知道。
B,那是调制解调器。当你要上网的时候，它起着很大的作用。
A,就这些吗？
B,不。这是鼠标。而这两个是磁盘驱动器，它们都在主机的旁边。
A,我对它不太了解。
B,当你也有电脑时你就会了解了。
A,我会叫我爸尽快给我买一台。
Components of Computer
Passage A
A computer system includes hardware and software,Hardware consists of input,processing and output devices,Software refers to programs.
First,we introduce hardware,The basic input device of a computer system is keyboard,Mouse is input device,too,Keyboard inputs data or programs into the computer,The processing device executes and stores programs and data,Display,an output device of the computer,serves as a window on the processing device,It allows users to view its contents,Printer is also an output device of the computer.
Secondly,we introduce programs,Program consists of many instructions,Programmers or computer users use them to tell computers what to do,One of the basic programs is Disk Operating System,we call it DOS.
Passage B
A standard keyboard mainly consists of three functional groups,They are typewriter character keys,numeric keypad and special functional keys.
In the middle of the keyboard,there are typewriter character keys,Their functions are like those of an ordinary typewriter,The numeric keypad is on the right of typewriter character keys,There are functional keys on the first line of the keyboard,They belong to special functional keys.
There are also three important special functional keys on the keyboard,They are Esc (Escape),Ctrl (Control) and Alt (Alternate),If you want to know more information,you can find them in your user’s manual.
参考译文第1篇一个计算机系统包括硬件和软件。硬件由输入设备、处理设备和输出设备组成。软件则指程序。
首先，我们介绍硬件。计算机系统的基本输入设备是键盘。鼠标也是输入装置之一。键盘将数据或程序输入到计算机。处理设备则执行和存储程序和数据。作为计算机输出设备的显示器就当作处理设备的一个窗口，它允许使用者查看它显示的内容。打印机也是计算机的输出装置之一。
然后，我们介绍一下程序。程序由多条指令组成。程序员或计算机使用者使用它们来告诉计算机做什么。磁盘操作系统就是基本程序之一，我们叫它DOS。
第2篇一个标准键盘主要由3个功能部件组成，它们是字母键、数字键盘区和特殊功能键。
在键盘的中央有很多字母键，它们的作用跟平常的打字机类似。数字键盘区在键盘的右边。在键盘的第1行有很多功能键，它们都属于特殊功能键。
键盘上还有3个重要的特殊功能键，它们是Esc、Ctrl和Alt。假如你想了解更多的信息，可以查阅用户手册。
Kinds of Computers
A computer is a multi-functional and programmable electronic processing machine,This means a computer is made up of electronic components and can be programmed to do a number of different tasks,The program is stored actually inside the machine,making it a stored program,A computer’s function is to accept data and process them into information,Data flow into the machine as input and flow from the machine as output.
All computers,from the first room-sized mainframes,to today’s powerful desktop,laptop and even hand-held PCs,perform the same general operations on information,What changes over time is the information handled,how it is handled,and how quickly and efficiently it can be done.
When you think about a computer and what it does,you of course think that,it computes”,And this is indeed one part of its job,Computing is really another term for,information transformation”—changing information from one form to another.
One special form of information the computer process is its instructions,These are the commands that programmers give the computer to tell it what to do,Every time you do anything with a computer,you are really talking to a program that is talking to the computer,The language that computers speak,which is called machine language,is very complex and hard to understand.
Computers can be general classified by size and power as follows:
Microcomputer
Microcomputer is generally a synonym for the more common term,personal computer,or PC,which is a small single-user computer based on a microcomputer,In addition to the microprocessor,a personal computer has a keyboard for entering data,a monitor for displaying information,and a storage device for saving data.
Workstation
Workstation is a powerful single-user computer,It is like a personal computer,but it has a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor.
Mainframe Computer
Mainframe or mainframe computer is a powerful multi-user computer,It is capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands of users at the same time,It is now usually referred to a,large server”.
Minicomputer
Minicomputer (a term no longer much used) is a multi-user computer of a size between a microcomputer and a mainframe.
Supercomputer
Supercomputer is an extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of instructions per second,but now it refers to a,very large server” and sometimes includes a system of computers using parallel processing.
参考译文
计算机是一种多功能和可编程的电子处理机器。这意味着计算机由电子器件组成，并可以按照程序执行各种不同的任务。实际上，程序存储在计算机内部，所以叫存储程序。计算机的功能就是接收数据并将之处理成信息。将数据调入到计算机内是输入，反之则是输出。
从第1批像房间大小的大型机，到今天功能强大的台式电脑、膝上型电脑和手提电脑，所有计算机都进行着相同的信息操作。随时间变化的是所处理的信息内容、信息的处理方式以及信息处理的速度和效率。
当你想到计算机以及计算机的工作时，你当然认为“它会计算”，实际上这也的确是它的工作之一。计算确实是“信息转换”的另一种方式，也就是说，将信息从一种形式转换成另一种形式。
计算机处理的一种特殊形式的信息是指令。指令是由计算机编程者指示计算机执行任务的一组命令。每当你用计算机进行操作时，实际上是在跟程序对话，而程序也在跟计算机对话。计算机所使用的语言是机器语言，该语言非常复杂，难以读懂。
根据规模和功能可将计算机作下列划分：
微机微机同时是更通用的术语——个人计算机的同义词。个人计算机是微机基础上的小型单用户计算机。除了微型处理器，个人计算机还有输入数据的键盘、显示信息的监视器和存储数据的存储装置。
工作站工作站是功能强大的单用户计算机。它与微机相似，但其微型处理器功能更强大，并且监视器的质量更好。
大型计算机大型计算机是一种功能强大的多用户计算机。它能支持成千上万用户同时使用。现在通常指“大型服务器”。
小型计算机小型计算机（这个词已经不太常用了）是一种多用户计算机。
巨型计算机巨型计算机是一种速度极快的计算机，每秒钟能完成上亿条指令，但现在指“特大型服务器”，有时也包括一系列进行并行处理的计算机。
Generations Of Electronic Computer
The development of computer has experienced four generations till now,Let’s take a look at each of them.
The first generation of computer (1946 ~1958)
The first generation of computer was characterized by the main feature of the ENIAC-vacuum tubes,Through 1950s,several other computers were built,each contributing significant advancements,such as binary arithmetic,random access,and the concept of stored programs,These computer concepts are common in today’s computers.
The second generation of computer (1959~1964)
To most people,the invention of the transistor meant small portable radios,To those in the data processing business,it signaled the start of the second generation of computer,The transistor meant more powerful,more reliable,and less expensive computers that would occupy less space and give off less heat than did vacuum-tube-powered computers.
The expense item should be emphasized,During the first,second,and part of the third generations,the cost of a computer represented a significant portion of a company’s budget,Computers were expensive,Significant innovations have resulted in enormous increases in computer performance and obvious reductions in price,This trend,established with the introduction of second-generation computers,continues today.
The Third Generation of Computer (1964~1971)
On April 7,1964,IBM announced their System 360 line of computers,It was considered to be the most important event in the history of computer,It is the beginning of the third generation of computer,which was characterized by the integrated circuits or IC (集成电路),
The compatibility problems of second-generation computers were almost eliminated in third-generation computers,In other ways,third-generation computers work so quickly that they provide the capacity to run more than one program concurrently,For example,at any given time the computer might be printing payroll checks,accepting orders,and testing programs.
The Fourth Generation of Computer (1971~now)
The start of the fourth generation of computers was 1971,Large-Scale Integration circuits became basic computers,Our personal computers,or microcomputers,belong to this generation.
One of the most significant contributions of the fourth generation of computer is the microprocessor,The microprocessor can be contained on a single silicon chip,The first fully operational microprocessor was invented in 1971,And they have been developing very fast,This device costs less than a soft drink and can be found in everything from lifts to satellites.
Most computers producers classify their computers as being in the fourth generation of computer,and a few call theirs the,fifth generation”,The first three generations were characterized by significant technological breakthroughs in electronics—the use of vacuum tubes,then transistors,and then integrated circuits,Some people prefer to consider the start of the fourth generation as 1971,while some others argue that if we accept this premise,then there would probably have been a fifth,a sixth,and maybe be seventh generation since 1971.
As science and technique are developing continually,new generations of computer will emerge in the future.
参考译文计算机发展到现在已经经历了4代，让我们分别去了解它们。
第1代计算机（1946年～1958年）
第1代计算机是以ENIAC电子管为主要特征的计算机。在20世纪50年代，几种其他的计算机也被制造出来，每一种都有明显的进步，如二进制算术、随机存储以及存储程序的概念，这些在现在的计算机中很普遍。
第2代计算机（1959年～1964年）
对于大多数人来说，晶体管的发明意味着小型手提收音机；对于那些处于数据处理行业的人来说，它标志着第2代计算机的开始。晶体管意味着功能更强大、更可靠、更便宜的计算机，这些计算机占用更少的空间，同时又比电子管计算机散发更少的热量。
费用问题也该强调一下。在第1代、第2代和第3代的部分时期，计算机的花费占了公司预算的一大部分。计算机在那时是很贵的。技术创新带来的结果是计算机功能的大大增加和价格的明显下降。这个趋势自第2代计算机开始一直延续到现在。
第3代计算机（1964年～1971年）
1964年4月7日，IBM推出他们的360系列计算机。这被认为是计算机历史上最重要的事件。这是第3代计算机的开始，它以集成电路为特征。
第2代计算机的兼容性问题在第3代计算机中大多得到了解决。换句话说，第3代计算机工作得如此之快以至于它们有同时运行几个程序的能力。例如，在某一给定时间内，计算机可能在打印工资账单的同时，也在接收订单和测试程序。
第4代计算机（1971年～现在）
第4代计算机始于1971年。大规模数字电路变成基本计算机。我们的个人计算机或微机都属于这一代。
第4代计算机的突出贡献之一就是微处理器。一个微处理器能被包容在一个小小的硅片上。第1个完全能运行的微处理器发明于1971年。它们一直发展得很快。这种器件的价格比一杯饮料还便宜，而且从电梯到人造卫星上到处都可见到。
目前大多数的计算机制造商将他们的计算机归作第4代，少数则称属于“第5代”。前3代计算机都以电子学的重大突破为标志，即电子管、晶体管和集成电路。有一些人主张把1971年当作第4代计算机的开始，而同时另外一些人则认为，如果我们接受这个前提的话，那自1971年起第5、第6甚至第7代计算机都很可能有了。
随着科学技术的不断发展，其他的新型计算机也将在未来出现。
