The story of computers

When was the first computer invented?

The first mechanical computer created by Charles Babbage doesn’t really resemble what most would consider a computer today. Therefore, this document has been created with a listing of each of the computer firsts starting with the Difference Engine and leading up to the types of computers we use today. Keep in mind that early inventions that helped lead up to the computer such as the abacus calculator and tablet machines are not accounted for in this document.

The word “computer” was first recorded as being used in 1613 and was originally used to describe a human who performed calculations or computations. The definition of a computer remained the same until the end of the 19th century when people began to realise machines never get tired and can perform calculations much faster and more accurately than any team of human computers ever could.

First mechanical computer or automatic computing engine concept

In 1822 Charles Babbage began developing the Difference Engine considered to be the first automatic computing engine that was capable of computing several sets of numbers and making hard copies of the results.

Later, Babbage proposed the first general mechanical computer- the Analytical Engine. Unfortunately, this computer was also never built while Charles Babbage’s was alive. In 1910 Henry Babbage, Charles Babbage’s youngest son completed a portion of this machine and was able to perform basic calculations.

First programmable computer was originally created

by Germany’s Konrad Zuse in his parents living room in 1936 to 1938 and is considered to be the first electro-mechanical binary programmable (modern) computer and really the first functional computer.

First concepts of what we consider a modern computer

The Turing machine was first proposed by the Alan Turing in 1936 and became the foundation for theories about computing and computers. The machine was a device that printed symbols on paper tape in a manner that emulated a person following a series of logical instructions. Without these fundamentals, we wouldn’t have the computers we use today.

The first electric programmable computer

The Colossus was the first electric programmable computer and was developed by Tommy Flowers and first demonstrated in December 1943 .

The Colossus was created to help the British code breakers read encrypted German messages.

The first digital computer

Short for Atanasoff-Berry Computer, the ABC started being developed by Professor John Vincent Atanasoff and graduate student Cliff Berry in 1937 and continued to be developed until 1942 at the Iowa State College (now Iowa State University).

The ABC was an electrical computer that used vacuum tubes for digital computation including binary math and Boolean; logic and had no CPU. On October 19, 1973 the US Federal Judge Earl R. Larson signed his decision that the ENIAC patent by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly was invalid and named Atanasoff the inventor of the electronic digital computer.

The ENIAC was invented by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly at the University of Pennsylvania and began construction in 1943 ; and was not completed until 1946 t. It occupied about 1,800 square feet and used about 18,000 vacuum tubes, weighing almost 50 tons. Although the Judge ruled that the ABC computer was the first digital computer, many still consider the ENIAC to be the first digital computer because it was fully functional.

The abacus

It is difficult to imagine counting without numbers, but there was a time when written numbers did not exist. The earliest counting device was the human hand and its fingers, the feet and toes. Then, as even larger quantities (larger than ten human-fingers and toes could represent) were counted, various natural items such as pebbles and twigs were used to help keep count.

Merchants who traded goods not only needed a way to count goods they bought and sold, but also to calculate the cost of those goods. Until numbers were invented, counting devices were used to make everyday calculations. The abacus is one of many counting devices invented to help count large numbers.

The abacus and the counting board are mechanical aids used for counting; they are not calculators in the sense we use the word today. The person operating the abacus performs calculations in their head and uses the abacus as a physical aid to keep track of the sums.

Konrad Zuse made world’s first program-controlled computer

1935-1938: Konrad Zuse builds Z1, world’s first program-controlled computer. Despite certain mechanical engineering problems it had all the basic ingredients of modern machines, using the binary system and today’s standard separation of storage and control. Zuse’s 1936 patent application (Z23139/GMD Nr. 005/021) also suggests a Von Neumann architecture (re-invented in 1945) with program and data modifiable in storage.

1941: Zuse completes Z3, world’s first fully functional programmable computer.

1945: Zuse describes Plankalkuel, world’s first higher-level programming language, containing many standard features of today’s programming languages.

FORTRAN came almost a decade later. Zuse also used Plankalkuel to design world’s first chess program.

1946: Zuse founds world’s first computer startup company: the Zuse-Ingenieurbüro Hopferau. Venture capital raised through ETH Zürich and an IBM option on Zuse’s patents.


 

Supercomputer and Mainframe

Supercomputer
Supercomputer is a broad term for one of the fastest computers currently available. Supercomputers are very expensive and are employed for specialised applications that require immense amounts of mathematical calculations (number crunching). For example, weather forecasting requires a supercomputer.

Mainframe computer
Mainframe was a term originally referring to the cabinet containing the central processor unit or “main frame” of a room-filling Stone Age batch machine. After the emergence of smaller “minicomputer” designs in the early 1970s, the traditional big iron machines were described as “mainframe computers” and eventually just as mainframes. Nowadays a Mainframe is a very large and expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds, or even thousands, of users simultaneously.

The chief difference between a supercomputer and a mainframe is that a supercomputer channels all its power into executing a few programs as fast as possible, whereas a mainframe uses its power to execute many programs concurrently.

Work station
It is a type of computer used for engineering applications (CAD/CAM), desktop publishing, software development, and other types of applications that require a moderate amount of computing power and relatively high quality graphics capabilities.

Personal computer

It can be defined as a small, relatively inexpensive computer designed for an individual user. All are based on the microprocessor technology that enables manufacturers to put an entire CPU on one chip. Personal computers first appeared in the late 1970s.

Today, the world of personal computers is basically divided between Apple Macintoshes and PCs.

The principal characteristics of personal computers are that they are single-user systems and are based on microprocessors.

Personal Computer Types

Actual personal computers can be generally classified by size and chassis /case. Then come the portable computers that are computers small enough to carry. Portable computers include notebook and subnotebook computers, hand-held computers, palmtops, and PDAs.

*?Tower model

The term refers to a computer in which the power supply, motherboard, and mass storage devices are stacked on top of each other in a cabinet. This is in contrast to desktop models, in which these components are housed in a more compact box.

*Desktop model

A computer designed to fit comfortably on top of a desk, typically with the monitor sitting on top of the computer. Desktop model computers are broad and low, whereas tower model computers are narrow and tall.

Because of their shape, desktop model computers are generally limited to three internal mass storage devices. Desktop models designed to be very small are sometimes referred to as slimline models.

*Notebook computer

An extremely lightweight personal computer. Notebook computers typically weigh less .

*Palmtop

A small computer that literally fits in your palm. Compared to full-size computers, palmtops are severely limited, but they are practical for certain functions such as phone books and calendars.

Palmtops that use a pen rather than a keyboard for input are often called hand-held computers or PDAs. Because of their small size, most palmtop computers do not include disk drives.

*PDA

Short for personal digital assistant, a hand-held device that combines computing, telephone/fax, and networking features. A typical PDA can function as a cellular phone, fax sender, and personal organiser. Unlike portable computers, most PDAs are pen-based, using a stylus rather than a keyboard for input.

This means that they also incorporate handwriting recognition features. To date,PDAs have had only modest success in the marketplace, due to their highprice tags and limited applications. However, many experts believe that PDAs will eventually become common gadgets.