History of Computing Machines

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Questions and Answers

Which type of network is specifically designed for communication over a large geographical area?

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

Wide Area Network (WAN) (correct)

Personal Area Network (PAN)

Local Area Network (LAN)

Application software includes hardware components used in computers.

False

The largest of all networks is called the _____

Internet

What is the purpose of programming languages?

To write instructions that a computer can understand. Signup and view all the answers

Match the following application software types with their primary functions:

Spreadsheets = Data organization and calculations Word Processing = Document creation and editing Graphics Creation = Design and manipulate images Project Management Software = Planning and tracking projects Signup and view all the answers

Who is known as the 'Father of Computers'?

Charles Babbage Signup and view all the answers

What innovation did the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) introduce?

It was the first electronic digital computer. Signup and view all the answers

The ENIAC was the first mechanical computer.

False Signup and view all the answers

The _____ Machine was used to break German codes during World War II.

Enigma Signup and view all the answers

Match the inventors with their inventions:

Blaise Pascal = Pascaline Charles Babbage = Analytical Engine Herman Hollerith = Census Tabulating Machine Alan Turing = Turing Machine Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT one of Babbage's inventions?

Pascaline Signup and view all the answers

The Harvard Mark I was developed in 1944 by IBM.

True Signup and view all the answers

What does ENIAC stand for?

Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was the first home computer introduced in 1970?

H316 Kitchen Computer Signup and view all the answers

The C Language was introduced by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie.

False Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the Intel 4004 Microprocessor introduced in 1971?

It was the first microprocessor, containing 2,300 transistors and could perform 60,000 instructions per second. Signup and view all the answers

The __________ was the first supercomputer built by Cray Research.

Cray-1 Signup and view all the answers

Match the following microprocessors with their descriptions:

Intel 8086 = 16-bit chip Intel 4004 = First microprocessor Motorola 68000 = Used in early Macintosh computers Intel 8088 = 16-bit internal architecture with an 8-bit external bus Signup and view all the answers

Which programming language was famously used to write the UNIX Operating System?

C Language Signup and view all the answers

The first commercially available microcomputer was the Altair 880.

True Signup and view all the answers

Who founded Microsoft?

Bill Gates and Paul Allen Signup and view all the answers

The __________ introduced in 1983 was the first integrated spreadsheet program.

Lotus 1-2-3 Signup and view all the answers

What was the main purpose of the 8-inch two-sided floppy disk introduced by IBM in 1973?

Hold data for microcomputers Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Pre-Mechanical Computing

Abacus was invented around 1000 BCE.

Mechanical Computers

Napier's Bones and Logarithms were invented in 1617.
Oughtred's and Schickard's Slide Rule were invented in 1621 and 1623 respectively.
Blaise Pascal's Pascaline was invented in 1645.
Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz's Stepped Reckoner was invented in 1674.
Joseph-Marie Jacquard invented Punched-Card Controlled Looms in 1804.
Charles Babbage was considered the father of computers.
Charles Babbage invented Difference Engine.
Charles Babbage invented Analytical Engine.

Electro-Mechanical Computers

Herman Hollerith invented Census Tabulating Machine in 1884.
Harvard Mark I also known as IBM’s Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC) was invented in 1944.
The "First Computer Bug" refers to a moth found in Harvard Mark I in 1944.

Electronic Digital Computers

John Vincent Atanasoff invented the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) in 1939 making it the first electronic digital computer.
Bletchley Park’s Colossus was invented in 1943.
The ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was invented by John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946.

Computer Components

Computer Software is categorized into Application Software and Programming Language.
Application Software examples include Productivity Software, Graphics Creation and Manipulation, Animation and 3D Graphics, Video Editing, Internet Connectivity etc..
Programming Language is essential when writing software instructions for computers to understand.

Computer Networks

Network refers to computers and devices that communicate to share data, hardware, and software.
Local Area Network (LAN) refers to a limited geographical network area.
Wide Area Network (WAN) covers a large geographical area.
Internet is considered the largest network.
Intranets are LANs or WANs that use TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol).
All types of networks require networking hardware and software for communication.

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Description

Explore the evolution of computing machines from the pre-mechanical age to electronic digital computers. This quiz covers key inventions and innovators, including the abacus, Charles Babbage, and the Harvard Mark I. Test your knowledge on the milestones that paved the way for modern computing.