week_1_computer_history

LIVING IN THE I.T. ERA

WHAT IS A COMPUTER?

COMPUTER DEFINED

  • A computer is a device that accepts information and manipulates it for some result based on a program or sequence of instructions.

  • It is a programmable machine that performs computations and aids humans in various tasks.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A COMPUTER

  • Responds to specific instructions in a defined manner.

  • Executes pre-recorded instructions efficiently.

  • Capable of quickly storing and retrieving large amounts of data.

HISTORY OF COMPUTING

EARLY FORMS OF CALCULATING

TALLY STICKS

  • An ancient memory aid device to record numbers and quantities.

  • Initially made from animal bones with notches to represent numbers.

ABACUS

  • Considered the first computer, invented by the Chinese around 4,000 years ago.

  • A wooden rack featuring metal rods with moving beads for arithmetic calculations.

  • Still used today in some parts of the world.

NAPIER’S BONE

  • Invented by John Napier (1550-1617), a manually-operated device using 9 ivory strips marked with numbers for multiplication and division.

  • First machine to utilize the decimal point.

SLIDE RULE

  • Known as a slide ruler, invented by William Oughtred in 1622.

  • Functions as an analog computer for computing products, roots, logarithms, and trigonometric functions.

  • Dominantly used by scientists and mathematicians until pocket calculators became available in the 1960s.

PASCALINE

  • Also called the Arithmetic Machine, invented by Blaise Pascal between 1642 and 1644.

  • Recognized as the first mechanical and automatic calculator capable of addition and subtraction.

  • A complex wooden box with gears that displayed totals through a series of windows.

  • Considered expensive for widespread use.

BRIEF HISTORY OF MODERN COMPUTERS

CHARLES BABBAGE (1791-1871)

  • Known as the Father of Computing; a mathematician and inventor of the Difference Engine and Analytical Engine.

ADA LOVELACE (1815-1852)

  • Considered the first programmer of the Analytical Engine; noted for her contributions to early computing.

  • Referred to as "The Enchantress of Numbers."

GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS

  • 1st Generation (1940 to 1956): Featured vacuum tubes, large and generated significant heat; notable examples include UNIVAC and ENIAC.

  • 2nd Generation (1956 to 1963): Used transistors leading to smaller, faster, and more reliable computers.

  • 3rd Generation (1964 to 1971): Characterized by integrated circuits improving speed and efficiency; keyboard and monitor interfaces were introduced.

  • 4th Generation (1971 to Present): Birth of the microprocessor; developments in personal computers and the internet.

  • 5th Generation (Present and Beyond): Focus on artificial intelligence, including voice recognition and natural language processing.