CSCA0101 Computing Basics Chapter 1

Study Notes

A computer is a programmable machine that manipulates data based on a list of instructions.
It aids humans in various calculations and computations.
Key principles: responds to specific instructions, executes pre-recorded lists of instructions, stores and retrieves large data amounts efficiently.

The term "computer" originally referred to human calculators as early as 1613.
Calculations were labor-intensive and often required extensive training in mathematics.

Tally sticks served as ancient devices to record quantities and messages.
The abacus, invented in Babylonia around 2400 B.C. and popularized in China by 500 B.C., aided basic arithmetic operations.

Charles Babbage invented the Difference Engine in 1822 and the Analytical Engine in 1834, marking the first mechanical computers.

Augusta Ada Byron, in 1840, wrote programs for Babbage’s Analytical Engine, advocating for the use of the binary system.

Scheutzian Calculation Engine, created by Per Georg Scheutz in 1843, was the first printing calculator based on Babbage's Difference Engine.
Tabulating Machine invented by Herman Hollerith in 1890 assisted with information summary and accounting.

Harvard Mark 1 (1943): First electro-mechanical computer, also known as IBM ASCC.
Z1 (1936-1938): Created by Konrad Zuse, the first programmable computer using punch tape.
Atanasoff-Berry Computer (1939-1942): The first electronic digital computing device, developed by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry.
ENIAC (1946): The first electronic general-purpose computer, built by John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly.
UNIVAC I: The first commercial computer designed by Eckert and Mauchly.
EDVAC (1952): First stored program computer designed by Von Neumann.

Osborne 1, released in 1981, was the first portable computer.
The first computer company, Electronic Controls Company, was founded in 1949 by Eckert and Mauchly.

First generation computers required significant space and power; they generated substantial heat.
Second generation computers transitioned to assembly languages and improved instruction storage.
Third generation brought miniaturized components and user-friendly operating systems, making computers more accessible.
Fourth generation innovations included powerful microprocessors, networking, and handheld devices.
Fifth generation aims for advancements in AI and natural language processing capabilities.