Final answer:
A computer is a machine that receives, processes, and outputs data based on stored instructions, functions made efficient with the development of microprocessors. The advent of microprocessors in the early 1970s led to the affordability of personal computers and their subsequent integration into everyday life.
Step-by-step explanation:
A computer is a machine that accepts data as input, processes data without human intervention by using stored instructions, and outputs information. In the early stages of computing, large, room-filling machines required complex data management systems to operate, such as those used by the U.S. Census Bureau in the 1950s. Microprocessors made it possible for digital computers to efficiently process large amounts of information.
Developed independently around 1971 by Texas Instruments and Intel, microprocessors are integrated circuits that implement a computer processor on a single chip, enabling the development of minicomputers and later personal computers. Notable examples include the Apple II that established Apple in the market, and the IBM personal computer, which became prominent in business and government sectors. By the 1990s, the proliferation of microprocessor-based devices meant that almost everyone in the developed world was interacting with computers, often without realizing it.
We can think of the mind's relationship to the brain as analogous to software's relationship to a computer's hardware, reflecting how deeply integrated computing has become in our understanding of the world.