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Questions and Answers
Who invented the first mechanical computer?
Which device was the first to use punched cards for control?
In what year did Konrad Zuse create the Z1, the first programmable computer?
What was the purpose of the Tabulating Machine invented by Herman Hollerith in 1890?
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Which individual suggested using the binary system for the Analytical Engine?
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When was the first electronic computer for business installed?
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Which computer system had a memory to hold both a stored program as well as data?
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Who developed the first mass-produced, commercially-available computer with a Graphical User Interface?
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During which generation of computers were general-purpose computers using transistors developed?
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Which programming language was developed during the time period of 1958-1962?
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Study Notes
Early Computers
- Z1, developed by Konrad Zuse from 1936 to 1937, was the first programmable computer, using punch tape for input and output.
- COLOSSUS, developed by Alan Turing in 1943, was the first electronic computer, but it was a fixed-program computer and not programmable.
- ENIAC, developed by John Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly in 1946, was the first electronic general-purpose computer.
- UNIVAC 1, designed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, was the first commercial computer.
Stored Program Computers
- EDVAC, designed by Von Neumann in 1952, was the first stored program computer, with a memory to hold both programs and data.
- IBM 650, introduced in 1954, was the first electronic computer for business.
Programming Languages
- From 1958 to 1962, several programming languages were developed, including FORTRAN, COBOL, LISP, ALGOL, and BASIC.
Personal Computers
- Apple I and Apple II, designed and built by Steve Wozniak in 1976-1977, made home computing practicable.
- MS-DOS Computer, introduced by IBM in 1981, was the first portable computer.
- Macintosh 128, introduced in 1984, was the first mass-produced computer with a Graphical User Interface.
Generations of Computers
- First Generation (1946-1959): Vacuum tube-based, used for memory and circuitry.
- Second Generation (1959-1965): Transistor-based, faster, smaller, and more reliable.
- Third Generation (1965-1971): Integrated Circuit-based, with multiple transistors and circuitry.
- Fourth Generation (1971-1980): Microprocessor-based, with VLSI circuits.
History of Computers
- Abacus, used in Babylonia in 500 B.C., was a mechanical device for performing mathematical calculations.
- Pascaline, developed by Blaise Pascal in 1642, was a mechanical calculator for addition and subtraction.
- Stepped Reckoner, developed by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in 1672, was a mechanical calculator for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
- Jacquard Loom, invented by Joseph-Marie Jacquard in 1801, was a mechanical loom controlled by punched cards.
- Difference Engine, designed by Charles Babbage in 1822 and 1834, was the first mechanical computer.
- Analytical Engine, developed by Charles Babbage in 1840, used the binary system and was programmable.
- Scheutzing Calculation Engine, developed by Per Georg Scheutz in 1843, was based on Charles Babbage's difference engine.
- Tabulating Machine, developed by Herman Hollerith in 1890, was used for summarizing information and accounting.
- Harvard Mark 1, developed by Howard H. Aiken in 1943, was the first electro-mechanical computer.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the evolution of computers! Learn about early mechanical devices like the Abacus and Pascaline, as well as significant inventions such as the Stepped Reckoner by Leibniz. Explore the timeline of computer history and understand how technology has progressed over the years.
