Computer History

Slide Rule

Ritty Cash Register

1879 - Mechanical cash registers used until 1970's. Looks like the face of a clock.

Napier's Bones

Thomas Arithmometer

Abacus

Curta calculator

1949 - Hand held mechanical calculator used until the 1970's. Looks like a small pepper grinder.

Ada Lovelace

Mathematician who is considered the first programmer. Wrote an algorithm for Babbage's Analytical Engine.

Herman Hollerith

Created the Tabulating Machine, which helped count the 1890 US census.

Alan Turing

Mathematician who defined the theoretical limits of computing using a theoretical (not real) machine. Helped crack Enigma encryption. Came up with the idea of artificial intelligence.

Grace Hopper

This member of the US Navy came up with the idea for a compiler, a program that translates human readable code into machine language.

What event caused computers to become more complex before the 1900s?

The 1890 U.S. census.

Punch Card

Piece of paper stock that can hold data in the form of small holes to be read by computers.

Compiler

A computer program that interprets words and commands in a particular computer language and produces machine code.

COBOL

Computer programming language created in 1959 used primarily for business and developed by Grace Hopper.

Transistor

Modern computer component for making logic gates.

Magnetic Tape

An older form of storing data by using magnetic charges on a medium that was wound between 2 reels.

Integrated Circuit

Modern computer component that contains many transistors.

What company came out with the first "standard" PC in the early 1980s?

IBM

Internet

A network that connects other networks.

TCP-IP

Set of protocols used for communication over a network, created in 1978 and still used today.

DNS (Domain Name System)

The Internet's equivalent of a phone book in which it maintains a directory of domain names and translates them to IP addresses.

Search Engine

A program that identifies items in a database that correspond to keywords specified by the user, primarily used to find particular sites on the internet.

E-commerce

Purchasing goods and services over the Internet.

How did "Silicon Valley" get its name?

Due to the number of silicon transistors manufactured there.

What was a major factor for computer development starting around the time of WWII?

Crypt-analysis (code breaking).

Whas was the name of the first fully electronic Turing complete computer that was developed by the US Army in 1945?

ENIAC

What was the first company to introduce the GUI and mouse?

Apple

What company is the first real software company?

Microsoft

Who invented the World Wide Web?

Tim Berners-Lee

Tyranny of Numbers

Computers reached a limit to the amount of transistors a computer could contain and wire together.

Moore's Law

The observation that computing power roughly doubles every two years.

What's the importance of data storage

To preserve information for later use.

What's the name for an online test to determine if the user is a computer or human?

CAPTCHA

Computer Network

A set of computers and other computing devices connected together through communication channels for the purpose of sharing resources.

Server

A computer that manages access to resources and services by passing messages to other computers.

IP/Addresses

Numbers that uniquely identify a computer on the network.

Wired Connection

Actual wires and cables connecting computers (cable, fiber optic, telephone).

Cable Modem

A peripheral device used to connect to the internet over coax cable TV lines used to provide fast data transfer.

Packets

Small pieces of information passed between computers.

Internet Service Provider

Companies that provide Internet service and connectivity. Ex: Comcast, Verizon

Network Router

A device that forwards data packets between computer networks.

Network Topology

The way in which computers and devices are arranged.

Nodes

Any computer or other electronic device-such as a printer, scanner, fax machine, PDA, etc.-that is connected to the network

Bandwidth

The amount of data that can be transferred over a set amount of time. Ex: 50Mbps/Sec

Mesh Topology

Each node is connected to every other node in the network.

Bus Topology

All nodes connected by a common link call a "bus line".

Star Topology

Nodes are connected to a central device such as a router, hub, or switch.

Ring Topology

Nodes are connected in a continuous loop.

Bluetooth

Used to transfer data over short distances, like in a personal area network (PAN)

Wifi

Uses electromagnetic waves to transmit data. Uses two radio bands 2.4Ghz (longer distance, slower transfer rates) and 5Ghz (shorter distance, faster transfer rates).

ZigBee

Used in Machine to Machine networks (M2M). Low power, low latency (fast), relatively log distance.

Fiber Optic

Uses light bursts to transfer data along glass tubes.

Lifi

Uses light to transfer data without wires.