History of Computers

• A computer is an electronic machine that accepts data, processes it according to instructions, and provides results as new information.

Earliest Computer

• Originally, calculations were done by humans called "computers".
• Human computers typically calculated mathematical expressions.
• These calculations were specialized, expensive, and required years of math training.
• The first recorded use of "computer" was in 1613, referring to a person performing calculations, used in this sense until mid-20th century.

Tally Sticks

• A tally stick was an ancient memory aid for recording numbers, quantities, or messages.

Abacus

• An abacus is a mechanical device assisting with mathematical calculations.
• The abacus was invented in Babylonia in 2400 B.C.
• The form most are familiar with was first used in China around 500 B.C.
• It performed basic arithmetic operations.

Napier's Bones

• John Napier invented Napiers bones in 1614.
• The device allowed operators to multiply, divide, and calculate square/cube roots using specially constructed boards.

Slide Rule

• William Oughtred invented the slide rule in 1622.
• It was based on Napier's ideas about logarithms.
• It primarily performed multiplication, division, roots, logarithms, and trigonometry.
• It was not used for addition or subtraction.

Pascaline

• Blaise Pascal invented the Pascaline in 1642.
• It could only do addition and subtraction.
• The device was too expensive.

Stepped Reckoner

• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz invented the Stepped Reckoner in 1672.
• The machine could automatically add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

Jacquard Loom

• The Jacquard Loom is a mechanical loom invented by Joseph-Marie Jacquard in 1881.
• It is an automatic loom controlled by punched cards.

Arithmometer

• Thomas de Colmar invented the Arithmometer in 1820.
• It was the first reliable, useful, commercially successful calculating machine.
• It could perform the four basic math functions.
• It was the first mass-produced calculating machine.

Difference Engine and Analytical Engine

• The Difference Engine and Analytical Engine are automatic, mechanical calculators to tabulate polynomial functions.
• Charles Babbage invented them in 1822 and 1834, respectively.
• These are the first mechanical computers.

First Computer Programmer

• In 1840, Augusta Ada Byron suggested Babbage use the binary system.
• She developed programs for the Analytical Engine.

Scheutzian Calculation Engine

• Per Georg Scheutz invented the Scheutzian Calculation Engine in 1843.
• It was based on Charles Babbage's difference engine.
• It was the first printing calculator.

Tabulating Machine

• Herman Hollerith invented the Tabulating Machine in 1890.
• It assisted in summarizing information and accounting.

Harvard Mark 1

• The Harvard Mark 1 is also known as IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC).
• Howard H. Aiken invented it in 1943.
• It was the first electro-mechanical computer.

Z1

• The Z1 was the first programmable computer.
• Konrad Zuse created it in Germany from 1936 to 1938.
• Programming required punch tape inserted into a reader, with all output on punch tape.

Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC)

• The Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) was the first electronic digital computing device.
• Professor John Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry at Iowa State University invented it between 1939 and 1942.

ENIAC

• ENIAC stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer.
• It was the first electronic general purpose computer.
• It Was completed in 1946.
• John Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly developed it.

UNIVAC 1

• The UNIVAC I (UNIVersal Automatic Computer 1) was the first commercial computer.
• J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly designed the machine.

EDVAC

• EDVAC stands for Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer.
• It was the first stored program computer.
• Von Neumann designed it in 1952.
• The computer had memory to hold both stored programs and data.

Osborne 1

• The Osborne 1 was the first portable computer.
• Osborne Computer Corporation released it in 1981.

The First Computer Company

• The first computer company was the Electronic Controls Company.
• J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly founded it in 1949.

Computer Generations

• There are five generations of computer:
  • First Generation – 1946-1958
  • Second Generation – 1959-1964
  • Third Generation – 1965-1970
  • Fourth Generation – 1971-today
  • Fifth Generation – Today to future

The First Generation

• The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory.
• The computers were often enormous, taking up entire rooms.
• They were very expensive to operate, used a great deal of electricity, and generated a lot of heat, resulting in malfunctions.
• First generation computers relied on machine language, which is the lowest-level programming language understood by computers.
• They could only solve one problem at a time.
• Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.

The Second Generation

• Transistors replaced vacuum tubes, ushering in the second generation of computers.
• One transistor replaced the equivalent of 40 vacuum tubes.
• Computers became smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable.
• They still generated heat that could damage the computer.
• Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words.
• They still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.
• This generation stored instructions in memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.

The Third Generation

• The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of this generation.
• Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
• Computers became much smaller and cheaper than the second generation.
• They could carry out instructions in billionths of a second.
• Users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors.
• The devices were interfaced with an operating system, which allowed it to run different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory
• Computers became accessible to a mass audience due to their size and cost.

The Fourth Generation

• The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip.
• Small computers became more powerful and could be linked together to form networks, leading to the development of the Internet.
• Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.

The Fifth Generation

• Based on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• This generation is still in development.
• Parallel processing and superconductors help make artificial intelligence a reality.
• The goal is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.
• Current applications include voice recognition.