Computing History: From Mechanical to Electronics

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Questions and Answers

What was the weight of the ENIAC computer?

30 tons (correct)

15 tons

10 tons

20 tons

How often did the processing power of computers double according to Moore's Law?

Every 2 years (correct)

Every year

Every 5 years

Every 10 years

What is the short form of 'Binary Digits'?

BYTE

BITD

BIT (correct)

What was the cost of building the ENIAC computer?

$487,000 PKR Signup and view all the answers

What was the size of the ENIAC computer?

1800 square feet Signup and view all the answers

Who launched the first PC in 1981?

IBM Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of Charles Babbage's machine?

To print results of computations on paper to eliminate transcription errors Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary method of data entry in the machines of Pascal and Leibniz?

Establishing initial gear positions mechanically Signup and view all the answers

What was the main advantage of Charles Babbage's machine over Pascal and Leibniz's machines?

It could print results of computations on paper Signup and view all the answers

In which time period did the quest for more sophisticated computing machines begin?

After the Middle Ages and before the Modern Era Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary component of the Abacus?

Beads strung on rods Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following inventors is NOT associated with the development of computing machines?

Galileo Galilei Signup and view all the answers

How many patterns can be represented using 3 bits?

16 Signup and view all the answers

What is the equivalent of 1 KB in bytes?

1024 Signup and view all the answers

What is the decimal number represented by the binary pattern 01101001?

65 Signup and view all the answers

How many bits are required to represent 256 different patterns?

8 Signup and view all the answers

What is the binary representation of the decimal number 27?

11011 Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the ASCII codes mentioned in the text?

To represent different characters Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary contribution of Herman Hollerith to the field of computing?

Applying the concept of representing information as holes in paper cards to speed up the tabulation process Signup and view all the answers

What was the name of the machine developed by George Stibitz in 1940 at Bell Laboratories?

Electromechanical machine Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the machines developed by Howard Aiken and a group of IBM engineers in 1944 at Harvard University?

They made heavy use of electronically controlled mechanical relays Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary reason for the obsolescence of machines like the Mark I and the electromechanical machine of George Stibitz?

They were soon replaced by totally electronic computers Signup and view all the answers

What was the name of the first electronic computer developed by John Mauchly?

ENIAC Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary advantage of the machines developed in the 1940s over those of the 19th century?

They were more flexible and adaptable to different tasks Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Punch Cards and Their Impact

Herman Hollerith (1860–1929) introduced punched cards to optimize data tabulation for the 1890 U.S. census.
The innovation led to the formation of IBM, establishing a foundational technology for computing.
Punched cards remained prevalent for computer communication until the 1970s.

Transition from Mechanical to Electronic Machines

Original 19th-century machines were too complex and costly due to mechanical limitations.
Advances in electronics during the early 1900s enabled the development of sophisticated machines.
Notable examples include:
- George Stibitz's electromechanical machine (1940, Bell Laboratories).
- Mark I, developed by Howard Aiken and IBM engineers (1944, Harvard University).

ENIAC

ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator) was developed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert at the University of Pennsylvania.
Key specifications include:
- Occupied 1800 square feet.
- Contained 20,000 vacuum tubes, 1500 relays, 10,000 capacitors, and 70,000 registers.
- Consumed 200 kilowatts of electricity and weighed 30 tons.
- Cost approximately $487,000 (equivalent to PKR 62.5 million).

Rapid Technological Advancements

Post-ENIAC era marked significant milestones:
- Invention of the transistor, leading to smaller and more efficient computers.
- Integrated circuits allowed further size reduction.
- Processing power doubled approximately every two years.
- Emergence of desktop computers by Steve Jobs and Stephen Wozniak (1976).
- IBM introduced its personal computer in 1981.
- Development of the Web and smartphones revolutionized computing.

Bits: The Foundation of Digital Information

Information in computers is stored as bits, the basic unit of storage.
Bits represent binary digits (0 and 1) and can encode various types of data (numbers, text, audio, images).
One bit provides two possible states (0 or 1); multiple bits create multiple patterns.

Bit Units Overview

Common digital storage units include:
- 1 Byte = 8 bits
- 1 Kilobyte (KB) = 1024 Bytes
- 1 Megabyte (MB) = 1024 KB
- 1 Gigabyte (GB) = 1024 MB
- 1 Terabyte (TB) = 1024 GB

Bit Patterns

With bits, the number of different patterns exponentially increases:
- 1 bit = 2 patterns
- 2 bits = 4 patterns
- 3 bits = 8 patterns
- 8 bits = 256 patterns (1 Byte)
ASCII codes use specific bit patterns to represent characters, e.g., the character "A" is represented by the binary pattern 01000001 (decimal 65).

Decimal to Binary Conversion

Binary representation is based on powers of 2.
Conversion involves assigning '1' to the corresponding bit positions of a decimal number and '0' elsewhere.
Example: Decimal 2 in binary is represented by activating the second bit (0010).

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Description

Learn about the evolution of computing from mechanical machines to electronic devices, starting with the Abacus, an early computing device used in ancient civilizations. Discover how computing has transformed over time.