History of Early Computing Devices
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Questions and Answers

Who invented the UNIVAC 1, the first commercial computer?

  • J.Presper Eckert and John Mauchly (correct)
  • Charles Babbage
  • Howard Aiken
  • Grace Murray Hopper

    • Which computer is considered the first programmable, electronic, general-purpose digital computer?

  • Harvard Mark I
  • EDVAC
  • ENIAC (correct)
  • UNIVAC 1

    • Which computer is described as the 'First Stored Program Computer'?

  • EDVAC (correct)
  • ENIAC
  • UNIVAC 1
  • Harvard Mark I

    • Who is credited with inventing the first general-purpose computer, the Harvard Mark I?

    <p>Howard Aiken</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which computer is considered the 'First Generation' of computers?

    <p>ENIAC</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who is credited with developing the first compiler and popularizing the term 'debugging'?

    <p>Grace Murray Hopper</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following devices was invented by Charles Babbage?

    <p>The Difference Engine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the purpose of the Harvard Mark 1 computer?

    <p>To solve advanced mathematical physics problems</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is true about Grace Murray Hopper?

    <p>She coined the terms 'bug' and 'de-bug' related to computer errors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the power source for the ENIAC?

    <p>The output of a small power station</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following devices was controlled by a 'chain of cards'?

    <p>The Jacquard Loom</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who invented the first compiler, a program that translates programming code to machine language?

    <p>Grace Murray Hopper</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following was the first general-purpose electronic computer?

    <p>ENIAC</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who is credited with developing the first compiler for a computer programming language?

    <p>Grace Murray Hopper</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following was the first commercially successful electronic computer?

    <p>UNIVAC 1</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who is considered the father of the computer?

    <p>Charles Babbage</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following was the first electromechanical computer?

    <p>Harvard Mark I</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the primary input/output device used in the first generation of computers?

    <p>Punched cards</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Computers and Their Inventions

    • The first programmable, electronic, general-purpose digital computer was invented by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly.
    • The UNIVAC 1, launched in 1951, was the first commercial computer, also invented by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly.
    • The EDVAC, launched in 1952, was the first stored program computer, capable of holding both a stored program and data, invented by Von Neumann.

    Classification of Generations of Computers

    • First Generation (1940s-1950s)
      • Main electronic component: Vacuum tube
      • Main memory: Magnetic drums and magnetic tapes
      • Programming language: Machine language
      • Power: Consumed a lot of electricity and generated a lot of heat
      • Speed and size: Very slow and very large in size (often taking up entire room)
      • Input/output devices: Punched cards and paper tape
      • Examples: ENIAC, UNIVAC 1, IBM 650, IBM 701
      • Quantity: Around 100 different vacuum tube computers produced between 1942 and 1963
    • Second Generation (1950s-1960s)
      • Main electronic component: Transistor
      • Memory: Magnetic core and magnetic tape/disk
      • Programming language: Assembly language
      • Power and size: Low power consumption, generated less heat, and smaller in size
      • Speed: Improved speed and reliability compared to the first generation
      • Input/output devices: Punched cards and magnetic tape
      • Examples: IBM 1401, IBM 7090 and 7094, UNIVAC 1107
    • Third Generation (1960s-1970s)
      • Main electronic component: Integrated circuits (ICs)
      • Memory: Large magnetic core, magnetic tape/disk
      • Programming language: High-level language (FORTRAN, BASIC, Pascal, COBOL, C, etc.)
      • Size: Smaller, cheaper, and more efficient than second generation computers (minicomputers)
      • Speed: Improved speed and reliability compared to the second generation
      • Input/output devices: Magnetic tape, keyboard, monitor, printer, etc.
      • Examples: IBM 360, IBM 370, PDP-11, UNIVAC 1108
    • Fourth Generation (1970s-present)
      • Main electronic component: Very large scale integration (VLSI) and Microprocessor
      • Memory: Semiconductor memory (RAM, ROM, etc.)
      • Programming language: High-level language (Python, C#, Java, JavaScript, Rust, Kotlin, etc.)
      • Size: Smaller, cheaper, and more efficient than third generation computers
      • Speed: Improved speed, accuracy, and reliability compared to the third generation

    Early Computing Devices

    • The Jacquard Loom (1802)
      • A device fitted to a power loom that simplifies the process of manufacturing textiles
      • Controlled by a “chain of cards”, a number of punch cards laced together into a continuous sequence
      • Invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard
    • The Difference Engine (1822)
      • A device that calculates numbers to 20th place and prints them at 4 digits per minute
      • Huge calculator, never finished
      • Invented by Charles Babbage
    • The Analytical Engine (1833)
      • Used to perform a variety of calculations by following a set of instructions or programs stored on punch cards
      • Powered by steam
      • Invented by Charles Babbage
    • The Harvard Mark 1 (1937)
      • Originally called the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator
      • Solves advanced mathematical physics problems
      • The computer had mechanical relays (switches) that flip-flopped back and forth to represent mathematical data
      • Invented by Howard Aiken
    • Grace Murray Hopper
      • One of the first computer programmers to work on the Harvard Mark I
      • Also a United States Navy rear admiral
      • Helped develop COBOL – one of the first high-level programming languages
      • Invented the first compiler, a program that translates programming code to machine language
      • Coined the terms “bug” and “de-bug” as related to computer errors

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    Description

    Explore the inventions of the Jacquard Loom, the Difference Engine, and the Analytical Engine which played significant roles in the history of computing. Learn about the functionalities and inventors of these early mechanical devices.

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