Historical background of computers, Basic Computer Science

Assignment Help:

Historical Background

The brief history of the growth of computers is given below:

  1. Abacus:  It was the first mechanical device developed approximately 3,000 years ago, it consists of beads that can slide on wires. Wires represent columns. Right most column is for units, the next is for tens and so on. Various numbers can be represented by pushing appropriate beads. This device could perform simple additions and subtractions.
  2. Pascal Calculating Machine:  In 1642, Pascal devised a calculating machine for calculations. This consisted of a series of wheels having digits of zero to nine around the circumference.
  3. Jacquard Card: This utilized the concept of cards with punched holes. This was used for weaving patterns into fabric using cards with punched holes to guide the warp threads on a loom. This was invented in 1801 by Joseph Marie Jacquard.
  4. Analytical Engine:  In 1833, Charles Babbage developed the concepts for an analytical engine which could perform arithmetic functions on data, reading in from punched cards.
  5. Punched Card: In 1890, Herman Hollerith successfully devised electrical tabulating equipment. A coding scheme which would be punched into cards to represent data was devised by him. Hollerith coding system is used widely even today in the punched card equipment.
  6. Mark-1: Mark-1 was the first general purpose computer developed by Prof. Howard Aiken. It consisted of telephone relays and rotating mechanical wheels. Sequence of instructions were given using a paper tape.
  7. ENIAC: In 1946, ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator) was developed. It was a large machine containing 18,000 vacuum tubes, weighed 30 tons, occupied 1,500 sq. ft. space and a small memory of 20 accumulators each capable of storing 10 digits. It did in 1 day what once took 300 days to perform.
  8. UNIVAC: The World’s first commercial data processing machine UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer) of 1951, made by Remington Rand Corporation was installed for and used by the US Bureau of Census. It was used 24 hours a day for 12 years, and also is well known for having predicted the victory of President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1952 elections of the US, thus exposing to the general public the uses and capabilities of electronic computer.

 

Over the last years, the computer technology has been significantly developing. There has been tremendous reduction in size while storage capacity, speed and reliability have been increasing. 


Related Discussions:- Historical background of computers

Explain different types of attacks, Question 1 Explain synchronous and asy...

Question 1 Explain synchronous and asynchronous Data Replication Question 2 Write a short note on Access Time, Latency, Transfer Time, and Streaming Tape Question 3

Unix, Shell Scriptiong

Shell Scriptiong

Digital video disks, Digital Video Disks: DVD stands for Digital Video...

Digital Video Disks: DVD stands for Digital Video Disks or Digital Versatile Disks. A DVD stores much more data than a CD-ROM. Its capacities are 4.7GB, 8.5GB, and 20GB etc. T

Cathode ray tube monitors, Cathode Ray Tube Monitors (CRT): Monitors d...

Cathode Ray Tube Monitors (CRT): Monitors display what is going on in your computer. They can run at various resolutions. It is the part of computer which looks like a TV set.

Operating system, Does Process Manager in Operating System know the depende...

Does Process Manager in Operating System know the dependency order that Process A depends on Process B?

Geometric mean - algorithm, The geometric mean is obtained by multiplying a...

The geometric mean is obtained by multiplying all the four numbers and taking the fourth root of the product. Let x 1 ,x 2 ,x 3  and x 4  be the given four numbers then geometric

Data base, advantages of file base system

advantages of file base system

What is Load and store the assembly programs?, It would not emerge practica...

It would not emerge practical to type an entire program each time it is required, and to avoid this it is possible to store a program on the disk, with the vast advantage that by b

What isit, what can you do and what and how who can becbgbfbvuidfgvbkjfdhvb...

what can you do and what and how who can becbgbfbvuidfgvbkjfdhvb98dshrnfjkbhqdbnfiubnfdjbhdfiubndfubhfdbhfdiubhdfuibhyfdubhdfbhfbhdf8u

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd