CSCA0101 Computing Basics Chapter 1

Definition of Computer

• 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.

Earliest Computers

• 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 and Abacus

• 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.

Difference Engine and Analytical Engine

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

First Computer Programmer

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

Notable Early Devices

• 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.

Significant Computers

• 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.

Noteworthy Innovations

• 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.

Computer Generations

• Five generations identified:
  • First (1946-1958): Used vacuum tubes, expensive, relied on machine language.
  • Second (1959-1964): Transistors replaced vacuum tubes, smaller and more reliable.
  • Third (1965-1970): Integrated circuits increased speed and efficiency; user-friendly interfaces developed.
  • Fourth (1971-present): Microprocessors and graphic user interfaces (GUIs) emerged, leading to network capabilities.
  • Fifth (present-future): Focused on artificial intelligence (AI), parallel processing, and learning systems.

Technological Advancements

• 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.