Earliest Computing Devices Overview

Earliest Computing Devices

The earliest data processing was done manually with mechanical devices due to lack of electricity and industrial technology
The abacus is the first known information processing tool, advanced in China in the 12th Century, and used beads on rods to compute math
John Napier, a Scottish mathematician, invented logarithms and used them to simplify math problems with manipulation of "bones"
Napier's bones were a set of eleven rods made of bone or ivory, each with a number marked on them, the product of numbers could be attained by placing the rods side by side
The Oughtred’s Slide Rule invented in 1620 by William Oughtred was a pair of movable rulers that allowed for proportional measurements
Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and physicist invented a calculating device known as Pascal’s Calculator in 1645, it allowed for addition and subtraction of numbers and was operated by chains of wheels
Leibniz's Calculator, invented by Gottfried Leibniz, added multiplication and division, as well as square roots to Pascal’s Calculator
Charles Babbage, an Englishman considered the father of the modern computer, invented the "Difference Engine" in 1822, which automated polynomial calculations
The Difference Engine relied on the principle that the difference between certain values is constant

The First Generation of Computers (1940 - 1956)

The First Generation employed vacuum tubes, making them large, bulky and prone to heat
They used machine language for programming, and were slow and expensive
They were used for scientific and military applications
ENIAC, a general-purpose computer, was one of the first electronic computers, finished in 1946
UNIVAC was the first commercial computer
The First Generation was also known as the "Giant Brain" era because the computers were very large and complex

The Second Generation (1956 - 1963)

Silicon transistors replaced vacuum tubes, making the devices smaller, faster and more energy-efficient
Transistors were less expensive to produce than vacuum tubes which made computers more affordable for businesses
This era saw the development of magnetic core memory
The Second Generation used assembly language for programming, which was easier to learn, making usage for more people possible
The Second Generation computers were used for a variety of applications such as business, science, and government

Third Generation (1964 -1971)

Integrated circuits replaced transistors
The third generation saw the development of operating systems which handled input, output, and memory management
The third generation saw miniaturization in computers and lower costs
The third generation saw the use of high level programming languages that were easier to use, resulting in increased accessibility
The third generation computers began to be used in education, healthcare, and banking
The third generation computers, due to their size and capability, were commonly referred to as a "computer revolution"
The development of Minicomputers, smaller and less expensive than the previous generation computers

Fourth Generation (1971 - Present)

The use of Microprocessors, which brought about the advent of the personal computer in the mid 70s
The Fourth Generation saw the development of personal computing and user friendliness
This era saw the development of graphical user interfaces, the use of networking and the internet
The development of supercomputers with advanced computing power
The Fourth Generation computers saw a wider range of applications, including artificial intelligence
The Fourth Generation saw growth in storage capacity, faster processing speeds and increased memory
The Fourth Generation saw increased use of web-based technologies, cloud computing and e-commerce

Fifth Generation (Present and beyond)

The Fifth Generation focuses on artificial intelligence, parallel processing and high-speed computing
The Fifth Generation saw the development of expert systems, natural language processing, and robotics
The Fifth Generation sees computers that can translate languages, diagnose medical conditions, etc, with human-like capabilities

Classification of Computers

Size, speed, capacity and cost are some common factors used to classify computers
Computers need not necessarily be the same to be considered computers
Classification can be based on the overall purpose of the computer, whether it is for general or specific tasks
Computers can be classified through generation, technology, and cost

Types of Computers

Personal Computers (PC): single user, desktop or laptop, used for general tasks
Workstations: powerful single user, usually used for specific tasks, such as graphic design, video editing, or scientific research
Mainframes: larger, more powerful, used by large organizations or institutions for complex tasks
Supercomputers: very powerful, used for scientific and research purposes, handle massive data computations
Servers: used for sharing resources between multiple clients in a network
Embedded Computers: small computers built into other devices like cars, appliances, or phones, used for specific functions

Earliest Computing Devices

The abacus, invented in China around the 12th century, was the first known device used for information processing. It consisted of beads strung on wires or rods, and mathematical calculations were performed by manipulating these beads.
John Napier, a Scottish mathematician, invented "Napier's Bones" in 1617. It was a set of eleven rods made of bone or ivory, each with a number marked on them. These rods allowed users to calculate the products and quotients of large numbers by simply placing the rods side by side.
William Oughtred, an English mathematician, invented the "Oughtred's Slide Rule" in 1620. This device consisted of movable rulers positioned alongside each other. Each ruler had markings that were proportional to the logarithms of the numbers, allowing users to perform various mathematical calculations.
Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, designed the "Pascal's Calculator" in 1645. This device could add and subtract numbers and was operated via a chain of wheels. It was about the size of a cigar box and could handle numbers up to 8 digits.
In the mid-17th century, Gottfried Leibniz, a renowned scientist, developed a machine that performed mathematical calculations and saved labor. While the machine used the same principles of addition and subtraction as Pascal's calculator, it offered additional functionalities like multiplication, division, and square root extraction.
Charles Babbage, an English mathematician in the 19th century, is considered a pioneer of modern computing. Although he couldn't fully develop the device, his ideas were instrumental in laying the groundwork for modern computers. He began working on the "Difference Engine" in 1822, which aimed to automate the calculation of polynomial roots. This device functioned based on the principle that the difference between consecutive values in certain formulas remains constant.