Podcast
Questions and Answers
Which of these computers was the first electronic digital computing device?
Which of these computers was the first electronic digital computing device?
The UNIVAC 1 was the first commercial computer.
The UNIVAC 1 was the first commercial computer.
True (A)
What was the name of the first portable computer?
What was the name of the first portable computer?
Osborne 1
The ______ was the first printing calculator.
The ______ was the first printing calculator.
Signup and view all the answers
Match the inventors to their respective inventions.
Match the inventors to their respective inventions.
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following was invented by Charles Babbage?
Which of the following was invented by Charles Babbage?
Signup and view all the answers
The ______ was an ancient memory aid device used to record and document numbers, quantities, or even messages.
The ______ was an ancient memory aid device used to record and document numbers, quantities, or even messages.
Signup and view all the answers
The first use of the word "computer" referred to a mechanical device.
The first use of the word "computer" referred to a mechanical device.
Signup and view all the answers
What was the primary limitation of the Pascaline?
What was the primary limitation of the Pascaline?
Signup and view all the answers
Match the inventor with their invention:
Match the inventor with their invention:
Signup and view all the answers
Who is considered to be the first computer programmer?
Who is considered to be the first computer programmer?
Signup and view all the answers
The Abacus was invented in China.
The Abacus was invented in China.
Signup and view all the answers
What was the primary use of the Slide Rule?
What was the primary use of the Slide Rule?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Early Computing Devices
- Early computers were humans whose job was calculation
- These calculations were specialized and expensive, requiring extensive mathematical training
- The word "computer" was first used in 1613 to describe a person who performed calculations
- This usage continued until the mid-20th century
Tally Sticks
- Tally sticks were ancient memory aids
- Used to record numbers, quantities, and even messages
- They were an early form of recording information
Abacus
- The abacus was a mechanical device for mathematical calculations
- Invented in Babylonia around 2400 BCE
- A more recent and common form emerged in China around 500 BCE
- Used for basic arithmetic operations
Napier's Bones
- Invented by John Napier in 1614
- Used for multiplication, division, and calculating square and cube roots
- Involved moving rods on specially constructed boards
Slide Rule
- Invented by William Oughtred in 1622
- Based on Napier's logarithm concepts
- Mainly used for multiplication, division, finding roots, and logarithms, trigonometry
- Not commonly used for addition or subtraction
Pascaline
- Invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642
- Limited to addition and subtraction
- Expensive
Stepped Reckoner
- Invented by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in 1672
- Could automatically perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
Jacquard Loom
- A mechanical loom invented by Joseph-Marie Jacquard in 1801
- Operated automatically with punched cards
Arithmometer
- Mechanical calculator invented by Thomas de Colmar in 1820
- First reliable, practical, and commercially successful calculating machine.
- Could perform basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division)
- Was the first mass-produced calculating machine
Difference Engine and Analytical Engine
- Automatic, mechanical calculators designed for tabulating polynomial functions
- Invented by Charles Babbage in 1822 and 1834
- Considered the first mechanical computer
First Computer Programmer
- Augusta Ada Byron suggested using the binary system for Babbage's Analytical Engine in 1840
- Wrote programs for the Analytical Engine
Scheutzian Calculation Engine
- Invented by Per Georg Scheutz in 1843
- Based on Charles Babbage's difference engine
- The first printing calculator
Tabulating Machine
- Invented by Herman Hollerith in 1890
- Designed to assist in summarizing information and accounting
Harvard Mark 1
- Also known as IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC)
- Invented by Howard H. Aiken in 1943
- First electromechanical computer
Z1
- First programmable computer
- Created by Konrad Zuse in Germany from 1936 to 1938
- Used punched tape for input and output
Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC)
- First electronic digital computer
- Invented by John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry at Iowa State University between 1939 and 1942
ENIAC
- Stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer
- First electronic general-purpose computer
- Completed in 1946
- Developed by John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly
UNIVAC 1
- UNIVersal Automatic Computer 1 (UNIVAC I)
- First commercial computer
- Designed by John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly
EDVAC
- Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer
- First stored-program computer
- Designed by John von Neumann in 1952
- Had a memory to store both programs and data
First Portable Computer
- Osborne 1 was the first portable computer
- Released in 1981 by the Osborne Computer Corporation
First Computer Company
- Electronic Controls Company was the first computer company
- Founded in 1949 by John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly
- Later renamed to EMCC (Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation)
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Related Documents
Description
Test your knowledge on the history of computers with this engaging quiz. Cover topics such as early computing devices, key inventors, and significant milestones in computer development. Perfect for history enthusiasts and computer science students alike!
