Podcast
Questions and Answers
Which statement best describes the role of Ada Lovelace in computing history?
Which statement best describes the role of Ada Lovelace in computing history?
What technological advancement characterized the transition from the First Generation to the Second Generation of computers?
What technological advancement characterized the transition from the First Generation to the Second Generation of computers?
Which computer was the first to be commercially available and is known for predicting the outcome of the 1952 presidential election?
Which computer was the first to be commercially available and is known for predicting the outcome of the 1952 presidential election?
What is primarily described by Gordon Moore's prediction about transistors on computer chips?
What is primarily described by Gordon Moore's prediction about transistors on computer chips?
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What key feature distinguished the Third Generation of computers from earlier generations?
What key feature distinguished the Third Generation of computers from earlier generations?
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What is the primary purpose of converting all data into bits in a computer?
What is the primary purpose of converting all data into bits in a computer?
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How many unique values can be represented with 4 bits?
How many unique values can be represented with 4 bits?
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What is the main difference between ASCII and Unicode?
What is the main difference between ASCII and Unicode?
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What would likely happen if two computers use different binary codes to communicate without translation?
What would likely happen if two computers use different binary codes to communicate without translation?
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Which unit is defined as equivalent to 1,000 bytes?
Which unit is defined as equivalent to 1,000 bytes?
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Study Notes
Computers
- A programmable machine that converts raw data into useful information
- Most computers are general-purpose machines
- Input: raw data is entered
- Processing: raw data is manipulated to create useful information
- Storage: information is stored for later retrieval
- Output: information is returned to the user
History of Computers
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Joseph Marie Jacquard
- Invented the Jacquard Loom
- Used punched cards for instructions
- One of the first programmable machines
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Charles Babbage
- Designed the Analytical Engine, a mechanical computer
- Had all the basic components of modern computers
- Programmable (punched cards)
- Never completed due to limited technology
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Ada Lovelace
- Created programs (on punched cards for the Analytical Engine)
- Considered the first programmer
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Alan Turing
- Father of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Created the Turing Test
- Helped break Nazi communication codes during WWII
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Grace Hopper
- Accidentally coined the term "computer bug"
- Created the first compilers
Generations of Computers
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First Generation (1940s)
- Used vacuum tubes for storage and processing
- Massive in size, unreliable, and slow
- Programming done by manipulating switches (took days)
- ENIAC: first working fully digital, general-purpose electronic computer
- UNIVAC: first commercially available computer
-
Second Generation (1950s)
- Used transistors for data processing
- Faster, smaller, more reliable, and cheaper than first-generation computers
-
Third Generation (1960s)
- Used integrated circuits (computer chips) which contain large numbers of transistors
- Faster, smaller, more reliable, and cheaper than second-generation computers
-
Fourth Generation (1970s)
- Extension of the third generation
- Microprocessor: a complex integrated circuit containing processing circuitry
- Central Processing Unit (CPU): the main microprocessor in a computer
- Development of personal computers
Moore's Law
- Made in 1965 by Gordon Moore (co-founded Intel)
- The number of transistors on a computer chip would double every 2 years for at least a decade
- The actual pace was closer to every 18 months
- Held true for approximately 50 years (until 2016)
- More transistors on a chip make it faster and more powerful
Binary System
- Humans use the base 10 (decimal) number system with 10 digits
- Computers use the binary system with 2 possible values (0 and 1)
- A transistor can either hold electricity (1) or not (0)
- All data entered into a computer must be converted into bits
Bits and Bytes
-
Bit (binary digit): the smallest unit of digital/binary data
- Represents a single transistor
- Can only have 2 values (1 or 0)
- Strings of bits are used to represent more values:
- 2 bits → 4 possible values
- 3 bits → 8 possible values
- 4 bits → 16 possible values
- 8 bits → 256 possible values
- Byte: unit of measurement equal to 8 bits
Character Encoding
- To represent characters in binary, each symbol is assigned a unique sequence of bits
-
ASCII/Extended ASCII:
- Developed for English, later expanded for similar languages
- Uses 8 bits (1 byte) per character
- Cannot be used to represent characters from other languages
-
Unicode:
- Developed in the early 1990s to handle other languages
- Uses 16 bits (2 bytes) per character
- Backwards compatible with ASCII
- Represents characters from almost all languages
- Universally adopted
Storage Capacities
- 8 bits = 1 byte
- 1 Kilobyte (K) = 1,000 bytes
- 1 Megabyte (M) = 1,000,000 bytes
- etc...
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Description
Explore the key figures and innovations in the history of computers. Discover how early machines laid the groundwork for modern computing through concepts like programmability and data processing. This quiz covers pivotal inventions and their contributions to technology.
