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Definition: computer power


The effective performance of a computer, which is primarily one thing: speed. Computer power is generally expressed in instructions per second (IPS). The number of bytes of memory and storage, the number of bits in a word and the speed of the bus pathways (bits/bytes per second) are additional measurements of power. See compute.

However, such specifications are only guidelines. Real power includes the quality and performance of the software and whether the combination of the hardware and software gets the job done without driving the user crazy! See instructions per second, word and bus.

Software Is Also Powerful
An operating system or application may be called "powerful" if it has a large number of features.