omputer History Computer History Computer History

Year/Enter Inventors/Inventions Description of Event

First freely programmable
1936 Konrad Zuse - Z1 Computer
computer.
Who was first in the
John Atanasoff & Clifford Berry
1942 computing biz is not always
ABC Computer
as easy as ABC.
Howard Aiken & Grace Hopper The Harvard Mark 1
1944
Harvard Mark I Computer computer.
John Presper Eckert & John W.
1946 Mauchly 20,000 vacuum tubes later...
ENIAC 1 Computer
Frederic Williams & Tom Kilburn
Baby and the Williams Tube
1948 Manchester Baby Computer &
turn on the memories.
The Williams Tube
No, a transistor is not a
John Bardeen, Walter Brattain &
computer, but this invention
1947/48 Wiliam Shockley
greatly affected the history of
The Transistor
computers.
John Presper Eckert & John W. First commercial computer &
1951 Mauchly able to pick presidential
UNIVAC Computer winners.
International Business Machines IBM enters into 'The History
1953
IBM 701 EDPM Computer of Computers'.
John Backus & IBM
The first successful high level
1954 FORTRAN Computer
programming language.
Programming Language
The first bank industry
Stanford Research Institute, Bank computer - also MICR
1955
of America, and General Electric (magnetic ink character
(In Use 1959)
ERMA and MICR recognition) for reading
checks.
Jack Kilby & Robert Noyce Otherwise known as 'The
1958
The Integrated Circuit Chip'
Steve Russell & MIT The first computer game
1962
Spacewar Computer Game invented.
Nicknamed the mouse
Douglas Engelbart
1964 because the tail came out the
Computer Mouse & Windows
end.
1969 ARPAnet The original Internet.
The world's first available
1970 Intel 1103 Computer Memory
dynamic RAM chip.
Faggin, Hoff & Mazor
1971 Intel 4004 Computer The first microprocessor.
Microprocessor
Alan Shugart &IBM Nicknamed the "Floppy" for
1971
The "Floppy" Disk its flexibility.
1973 Robert Metcalfe & Xerox Networking.
 The Ethernet Computer
Networking
Scelbi & Mark-8 Altair & IBM The first consumer
1974/75
5100 Computers computers.
Apple I, II & TRS-80 & More first consumer
1976/77
Commodore Pet Computers computers.
Any product that pays for
Dan Bricklin & Bob Frankston
1978 itself in two weeks is a
VisiCalc Spreadsheet Software
surefire winner.
Seymour Rubenstein & Rob
1979 Barnaby Word Processors.
WordStar Software
IBM From an "Acorn" grows a
1981
The IBM PC - Home Computer personal computer revolution
Microsoft From "Quick And Dirty"
1981 MS-DOS Computer Operating comes the operating system
System of the century.
The first home computer with
1983 Apple Lisa Computer a GUI, graphical user
interface.
The more affordable home
1984 Apple Macintosh Computer
computer with a GUI.
Microsoft begins the friendly
1985 Microsoft Windows
war with Apple.
SERIES TO BE CONTINUED

First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were
often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate and in addition to
using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions.

First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming language
understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time.
Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.

The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices. The
UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau
in 1951.

 
Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors
Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The
transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s.
The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller,
faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors.
Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage,
it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on
punched cards for input and printouts for output.

Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic, or

assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level
programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of
COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in
their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.

The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.

Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits

The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers.
Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which
drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.

Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through
keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to
run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory.
Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller
and cheaper than their predecessors.

Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated
circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room
could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the
components of the computer—from the central processing unit and memory to input/output
controls—on a single chip.

In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the
Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many
areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.

As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form
networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth generation computers
also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.
Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence
Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development,
though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today. The use
of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality.
Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face of
computers in years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that
respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.

DID YOU KNOW...

An integrated circuit (IC) is a small electronic device made out of a semiconductor material. The
first integrated circuit was developed in the 1950s by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments and
Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor.

Key Terms To Understanding The Five Generations of Computers

Early history
[edit] Early computation
Main articles: History of computing and Timeline of computing 2400 BC–1949

The earliest known tool for use in computation was the abacus, and it was thought to have been
invented in Babylon circa 2400 BCE. Its original style of usage was by lines drawn in sand with
pebbles. This was the first known computer and most advanced system of calculation known to
date - preceding Greek methods by 2,000 years. Abaci of a more modern design are still used as
calculation tools today.

The Antikythera mechanism is believed to be the earliest known mechanical analog computer.[2]
It was designed to calculate astronomical positions. It was discovered in 1901 in the Antikythera
wreck off the Greek island of Antikythera, between Kythera and Crete, and has been dated to
circa 100 BC. Technological artifacts of similar complexity did not reappear until the 14th
century, when mechanical astronomical clocks appeared in Europe.[3]

In the 3rd century CE the South Pointing Chariot was invented in ancient China. It was the first
known geared mechanism to use a differential gear, which was later used in analog computers.
The Chinese also invented a more sophisticated abacus from around the 2nd century BCE,
known as the Chinese abacus.[citation needed]

Mechanical analog computing devices appeared again a thousand years later in the medieval
Islamic world. Examples of devices from this period include the equatorium by Arzachel,[4] the
mechanical geared astrolabe by Abū Rayhān al-Bīrūnī,[5] and the torquetum by Jabir ibn Aflah.[6]
Muslim engineers built a number of Automata, including some musical automata that could be
'programmed' to play different musical patterns. These devices were developed by the Banū
Mūsā brothers[7] and Al-Jazari[8] Muslim mathematicians also made important advances in
cryptography, such as the development of cryptanalysis and frequency analysis by Alkindus.[9]

When John Napier discovered logarithms for computational purposes in the early 17th century,
there followed a period of considerable progress by inventors and scientists in making
calculating tools. In 1623 Wilhelm Schickard designed a calculating machine, but abandoned the
project, when the prototype he had started building was destroyed by a fire in 1624. Around
1640, Blaise Pascal, a leading French mathematician, constructed the first mechanical adding
device[10] based on a design described by Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria.[11] Then in
1672 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz invented the Stepped Reckoner which he completed in 1694.[12]

None of the early computational devices were really computers in the modern sense, and it took
considerable advancement in mathematics and theory before the first modern computers could be
designed.

[edit] Algorithms

In the 7th century, Indian mathematician Brahmagupta gave the first explanation of the Hindu-
Arabic numeral system and the use of zero as both a placeholder and a decimal digit.

Approximately around the year 825, Persian mathematician Al-Khwarizmi wrote a book, On the
Calculation with Hindu Numerals, that was principally responsible for the diffusion of the Indian
system of numeration in the Middle East and then Europe. Around the 12th century, there was
translation of this book written into Latin: Algoritmi de numero Indorum. These books presented
newer concepts to perform a series of steps in order to accomplish a task such as the systematic
application of arithmetic to algebra. By derivation from his name, we have the term algorithm.

Question: The sampling rate, (how many samples per second are stored) for a CD is...?

1) 48.4 kHz
2) 22,050 Hz
3) 44.1 kHz
4) 48 kHz

Computers Quiz, Electronics Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Compact discs, (according to the original CD specifications) hold how many minutes
of music?

1) 74 mins
2) 56 mins
3) 60 mins
4) 90 mins
Computers Quiz, Electronics Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: The base 10 (or decimal - our normal way of counting) number 65535 is represented
in hexadecimal as...?

1) 0xFFFFF
2) 0xFFFF
3) 0xFFF
4) 0xFFFFFF

Computers Quiz

Question: Where is the headquarters of Microsoft located?

1) Santa Clara, California

2) Tucson, Arizona
3) Richmond, Virginia
4) Redmond, Washington

Geography Quiz, World Quiz, Computers Quiz

Question: In what year was the "@" chosen for its use in e-mail addresses?

1) 1976
2) 1972
3) 1980
4) 1984

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What was the first ARPANET message?

1) "lo"
2) "hello world"
3) "mary had a little lamb"
4) "cyberspace, the final frontier"

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Where is the headquarters of Intel located?

1) Redmond, Washington
2) Tucson, Arizona
3) Santa Clara, California
4) Richmond, Virginia

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: In which year was MIDI introduced?

1) 1987
2) 1983
3) 1973
4) 1977

Computers Quiz, Inventions Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: '.BAK' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) Backup file
2) Audio file
3) Animation/movie file
4) MS Encarta document

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: '.MPG' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) WordPerfect Document file

2) MS Office document
3) Animation/movie file
4) Image file

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: '.INI' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) Image file
2) System file
3) Hypertext related file
4) Image Color Matching Profile file

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: '.BAT' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) Compressed Archive file

2) System file
3) Audio file
4) Backup file

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: '.JPG' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) System file
2) Animation/movie file
3) MS Encarta document
4) Image file

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: '.MOV' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) Image file
2) Animation/movie file
3) Audio file
4) MS Office document

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: '.TXT' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) Text File
2) Image file
3) Audio file
4) Adobe Acrobat file

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: '.TMP' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) Compressed Archive file

2) Image file
3) Temporary file
4) Audio file

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Who created Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)?

1) Paul Zimmerman
2) Tim Berners-Lee
3) Marc Andreessen
4) Ken Thompson

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Question: Who co-founded Hotmail in 1996 and then sold the company to Microsoft?

1) Shawn Fanning
2) Ada Byron Lovelace
3) Sabeer Bhatia
4) Ray Tomlinson

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Question: Who co-created the UNIX operating system in 1969 with Dennis Ritchie?

1) Bjarne Stroustrup
2) Steve Wozniak
3) Ken Thompson
4) Niklaus Wirth

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Question: Who is largely responsible for breaking the German Enigma codes, created a test that
provided a foundation for artificial intelligence?

1) Alan Turing
2) Jeff Bezos
3) George Boole
4) Charles Babbage

Question: Who built the world's first binary digit computer: Z1...?

1) Konrad Zuse
2) Ken Thompson
3) Alan Turing
4) George Boole

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Who developed Yahoo?

1) Dennis Ritchie & Ken Thompson

2) David Filo & Jerry Yang
3) Vint Cerf & Robert Kahn
4) Steve Case & Jeff Bezos

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: 'DB' computer abbreviation usually means ?

1) Database
2) Double Byte
3) Data Block
4) Driver Boot

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: 'OS' computer abbreviation usually means ?

1) Order of Significance
2) Open Software
3) Operating System
4) Optical Sensor

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Question: 'DTP' computer abbreviation usually means ?

1) Digital Transmission Protocol

2) DeskTop Publishing
3) Data Type Programming
4) Document Type Processing

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Question: 'CD' computer abbreviation usually means ?

1) Command Description
2) Change Data
3) Copy Density
4) Compact Disc

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Question: What is the term to ask the computer to put information in order numerically or
alphabetically?

1) Crop
2) Report
3) Record
4) Sort

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What do we call a network whose elements may be separated by some distance? It
usually involves two or more small networks and dedicated high-speed telephone lines.

1) URL (Universal Resource Locator)

2) LAN (Local Area Network)
3) WAN (Wide Area Network)
4) World Wide Web

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What do we call a collection of two or more computers that are located within a
limited distance of each other and that are connected to each other directly or indirectly?

1) Inernet
2) Interanet
3) Local Area Network
4) Wide Area Network

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What is part of a database that holds only one type of information?

1) Report
2) Field
3) Record
4) File

Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: The window which shows icons for things like the mouse, sound, and display is...?

1) My Computer
2) Explorer
3) Control Panel
4) Taskbar

Computers Quiz
Question: On the Task bar the time is shown in the...?

1) Start menu
2) Scrollbar
3) Desktop
4) Notification area or Tray

Computers Quiz

Question: Experts say the healthiest way to view a computer monitor is by...

1) Placing it 18 to 30 inches away from your eyes

2) Viewing from a darkened room
3) Adjusting the screen for maximum contrast
4) Using special glasses that filter out UV rays

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: A dual-layer DVD is valued because it:

1) Can hold more data

2) Contains a backup of the data stored
3) Uses a second layer to offer a speed increase
4) Creates alternative sound tracks

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: A JPG is...

1) A Jumper Programmed Graphic

2) A format for an image file
3) A type of hard disk
4) A unit of measure for memory

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Windows Vista, the eventual replacement for Windows XP, will demand more from a
computer. Which of the following statements is correct?
1) You'll need at least 512 megabytes of RAM
2) A separate graphics card, rather than onboard graphics, will be required
3) A DVD drive is needed
4) All the above

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Your computer has gradually slowed down. What's the most likely cause?

1) Overheating
2) Your processor chip is just getting old
3) Adware/spyware is infecting your PC
4) You dropped a sandwich in your computer

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: The letters, "DOS" stand for...

1) Data Out System

2) Disk Out System
3) Disk Operating System
4) Data Operating System

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Changing computer language of 1's and 0's to characters that a person can understand
is...

1) Highlight
2) Clip art
3) Decode
4) Execute

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Hardware devices that are not part of the main computer system and are often added
later to the system.
1) Peripheral
2) Clip art
3) Highlight
4) Execute

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Previous   You are on Page No: 2. Total 4   NextQuestion: The main computer that stores the
files that can be sent to computers that are networked together is...

1) Clip art
2) Mother board
3) Peripheral
4) File server

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Question: To select text by shading as you drag the mouse arrow over the text is known as...

1) Clip art
2) To highlight
3) To fetch
4) To decode

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Another word for the CPU is...

1) Execute
2) Microprocessor
3) Micro chip
4) Decode

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Which of these is not a computer?

1) Aptiva
2) Macintosh
3) Acorn
4) Paseo

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Which was an early mainframe computer?

1) ENIAC
2) UNIC
3) BRAINIA
4) FUNTRIA

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Which of the following is not a programming language?

1) Basic
2) Java
3) Turing
4) C#

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: RAM stands for...

1) Random Access Memory

2) Really Annoying Machine
3) Read A Manual
4) Real Absolute Memory

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: How many bits is a byte?

1) 4
2) 8
3) 16
4) 32

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Which of the following is NOT a type of expansion slot or bus design used in
Advanced-Technology class systems?

1) PCMCIA
2) ISA
3) PROM
4) EISA

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Which company created the most used networking software in the 1980's

1) Microsoft
2) Sun
3) IBM
4) Novell

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Which Intel chip was the first to support a 32-bit bus architecture?

1) 486SI
2) Pentium
3) 286
4) 386DX

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Question: Which of the following operating systems is produced by IBM?

1) OS-2
2) Windows
3) DOS
4) UNIX

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What was the clock speed of the original IBM PC?

1) Less than 5 MHz

2) 10 MHz
3) 8 MHz
4) Just over 16 MHz

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: The IBM PC-XT was the first to include a hard drive. What was the capacity of this
disk?

1) 20 MB
2) 1.44 MB
3) 10 MB
4) 750 KB

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Which of the following word processors came first?

1) WordPerfect
2) Lotus Notes
3) MS Word
4) WordStar

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: On what date was the debut of the first IBM Personal Computer?

1) August 12, 1981

2) January 21 1979
3) August 21, 1980
4) January 12, 1982

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: The Central Processing Unit is an embeded chip that acts as the 'brains' of a computer.
What Intel chip was used in the Altair (the first real personal computer)?

1) 6502
2) 8080
3) 6400
4) 8286

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: The invention of the transistor, or semiconductor, was one of the most important
developments leading to the personal computer revolution. What company invented the transistor
in 1947?

1) International Business Machines

2) MITS
3) Xerox
4) Bell Laboratories

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: This virus activated every Friday the 13th, affects both .EXE and .COM files and
deletes any programs run on that day. What is the name of that virus?

1) Chernobyl
2) Jerusalem
3) Melissa
4) I Love You

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: In what year did the Symantec Corporation first release Norton Antivirus?
1) 1990
2) 1995
3) 1988
4) 1997

Question: A computer virus that actively attacks an anti-virus program or programs in an effort
to prevent detection is...

1) Worm
2) Retrovirus
3) Trojan
4) Ghost virus

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: A program that neither replicates or copies itself, but does damage or compromises
the security of the computer. Which 'Computer Virus' it is?

1) Joke Program
2) Worm
3) Trojan
4) Hoax

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Which of these is a documented hoax virus?

1) McDonalds screensaver
2) Alien.worm
3) Merry Xmas
4) Adolph

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: In 1983, which person was the first to offer a definition of the term 'computer virus'?

1) McAfee
2) Smith
3) Cohen
4) Norton
Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What is RISC?

1) Remodeled Interface System Computer

2) Remote Intranet Secured Connection
3) Runtime Instruction Set Compiler
4) Reduced Instruction Set Computer

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What is a GPU?

1) Grouped Processing Unit

2) Graphics Processing Unit
3) Graphical Performance Utility
4) Graphical Portable Unit

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What does ECP stand for?

1) Extended Capabilities Port

2) Extra Compatible Part
3) Extended Connection Port
4) External Cordless Peripheral

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What is TTL?

1) Technical Talk Language

2) Transparent Transfer Layer
3) Time To Live
4) True Technology Lives

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What is FMD?

1) FastEthernet Measuring Device

2) Flashing Media Diode
3) Fluorescent Multi-Layer Disc
4) Flash Media Driver

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What does DOCSIS stand for?

1) Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification

2) Data Over Cable Security Internet Std
3) Data Over Cable Secure International Stds
4) Data Over Cable Service Internet Standard

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What is VCM?

1) Virtual Connection Manager

2) Virtual Channel Memory
3) Voice Controlled Modem
4) Voice Communications Module

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What is NAT?

1) Network Address Translation

2) Network Administration Tool
3) Novell Address Transfer
4) Newly Added Technology

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What is a NIC?

1) Netware Intranet Controller
2) No Internet Connection
3) Network Interface Card
4) Network Interference Control

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What is a MAC?

1) A Computer made by Apple

2) Memory Address Corruption
3) Mediocre Apple Computer
4) Media Access Control

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What does PPTP stand for?

1) Point to Point Transmission Protocol

2) Point to Point Transfer Protocol
3) Point to Point Tunneling Protocol
4) Point to Point Traffic Protocol

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What is LCP?

1) Local Connection Protocol

2) Lost Connection Problem
3) Link Control Protocol
4) Laggy Connection Problem

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What does SSL stand for?

1) Secure Socket Layer

2) System Socket Layer
3) Superuser System Login
4) Secure System Login

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What does ICMP stand for?

1) Internet Connection Modem Protocol

2) Intranet Control Message Program
3) Internal Conflict Management Program
4) Internet Control Message Protocol