Podcast
Questions and Answers
What was the first programmable digital computer?
What was the first programmable digital computer?
Colossus
Who is considered the 'father of the computer'?
Who is considered the 'father of the computer'?
Charles Babbage
What is the name of the first commercially available computer?
What is the name of the first commercially available computer?
UNIVAC I
What was the name of the hypothetical machine developed by Vannevar Bush in 1945?
What was the name of the hypothetical machine developed by Vannevar Bush in 1945?
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When was the Apple Macintosh introduced?
When was the Apple Macintosh introduced?
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Who created the Linux operating system?
Who created the Linux operating system?
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What did Hedy Lamarr pioneer in 1941?
What did Hedy Lamarr pioneer in 1941?
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Why is Ada Lovelace known as the first computer programmer?
Why is Ada Lovelace known as the first computer programmer?
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What type of computer was the IBM 701?
What type of computer was the IBM 701?
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Which of the following are key features of the Von Neumann architecture? (Select all that apply)
Which of the following are key features of the Von Neumann architecture? (Select all that apply)
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What was the name of the machine created by Alan Turing in 1936?
What was the name of the machine created by Alan Turing in 1936?
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The first Apple computer was released in 1976.
The first Apple computer was released in 1976.
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The Jacquard Loom used punched cards to store instructions.
The Jacquard Loom used punched cards to store instructions.
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What was the name of the company founded by Herman Hollerith that would later become IBM?
What was the name of the company founded by Herman Hollerith that would later become IBM?
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The Antikythera mechanism used a series of gears to perform calculations.
The Antikythera mechanism used a series of gears to perform calculations.
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Study Notes
The History and Architecture of Computers
- A potted history, from early beginnings to modern PC architecture is presented.
Early Beginnings
- Abacus (c. 500 BCE)
- Antikythera mechanism (c. 100 BCE) [video briefing available]
- Mechanical calculators (1600s):
- Blaise Pascal's Pascaline (1642)
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz's Step Reckoner (1672)
1800s
- Jacquard Loom: used punched paper for "programs" [image available]
- Hollerith punch card system: used for the census, leading to IBM.
Charles Babbage
- Designed the Difference Engine (1822)
- Conceptualized the Analytical Engine (1837).
- Considered the "father of the computer".
Ada Lovelace
- Collaborated with Babbage on the Analytical Engine
- Wrote the first algorithm intended for a machine.
- Regarded as the first computer programmer.
Hedy Lamarr
- Pioneered frequency hopping (1941), initially for torpedoes.
- Frequency hopping now used in GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth technologies.
- Contributions weren't recognized at the time.
Alan Turing
- Developed the concept of the Turing Machine (1936)
- Key figure in breaking the Enigma code during WWII.
- Pioneer in theoretical computer science.
Colossus
- Commonly considered the first programmable digital computer.
- Demonstrated functional in 1943.
- Built during WWII and used in Bletchley Park, designed to break the Lorenz cipher used by German High Command.
Vannevar Bush
- Headed the Office of US Scientific Research and Development during WWII.
- In charge of around 6,000 staff
- Developed the (hypothetical) Memex (Memory Expansion) in 1945
- Memex concept influenced the development of Hypertext and the World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee's team.
ENIAC
- Stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer
- First general-purpose electronic digital computer, completed in 1945.
- Used for calculations in the US Army
Von Neumann Architecture
- Proposed by John von Neumann (1945)
- Basis of most modern computers
- Features a stored-program concept, consisting of a CPU, memory, and I/O devices.
UNIVAC
- Stands for Universal Automatic Computer
- First commercial computer (1951) and delivered to the US Census Bureau.
- Could handle both numerical and textual data.
IBM 701
- IBM's first commercial scientific computer (introduced in 1952).
- Known as the Defence Calculator.
- Helped establish IBM as a major computing player.
The 1960s
- Mainframes became widespread
- Minicomputers were developed
- Time-sharing systems were introduced.
- Software industry rose.
- Intel (1968) and AMD (1969) were founded
The 1970s
- Microprocessor was introduced.
- Intel 4004 (1971) - first microprocessor.
- Early personal computers were developed.
- Computer networking was introduced.
Development of Operating Systems
- System software manages hardware & software interactions.
- Early operating systems were for mainframes
- UNIX introduction (1969)
- CP/M development for microcomputers (1974)
- MS-DOS emergence (1981)
Windows Operating System
- Introduction of Windows 1.0 (1985)
- Windows 95: GUI and Start Menu (1995)
- Windows XP: Stability and user-friendly (2001)
- Windows 10: Unified platform (2015)
macOS
- Apple introduced Macintosh (1984)
- System 1 to Mac OS 9
- macOS X: UNIX-based architecture (2001)
- macOS Big Sur: Modern Features (2020)
Linux
- Created by Linus Torvalds (1991)
- Open source and community-driven
- Widely used in servers and supercomputers
- Popular distributions: Ubuntu, Red Hat, Debian
Apple I & II
- Apple I introduced in 1976, by Steve Wozniak
- Apple II released in 1977
- Featured colour graphics and basic programming language.
- Significant impact on the personal computer market.
IBM PC
- Released in 1981.
- Became the standard for business computing.
- Open architecture encouraged third-party development.
- Paved the way for widespread PC adoption.
The 1980s
- Rise of graphical user interfaces (GUI)
- Introduction of the Apple Macintosh (1984)
- Expansion of computer networking
- Development of desktop publishing
- ARM/Qualcomm
The 1990s
- Proliferation of the Internet
- Introduction of the World Wide Web (1991)
- Rise of laptops and portable computing
- Growth of multimedia applications.
The 2000s
- Mobile computing emergence
- Cloud computing industry growth
- Wireless technologies expansion
- Social media platform development
- Artificial Intelligence rise.
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Description
Explore the rich history of computers from the early abacus to modern personal computers. This quiz covers significant inventions and pioneers such as Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace, highlighting their contributions to computer science. Test your knowledge of key milestones and innovations in computer architecture.
