COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
Lesson 1
THE EVOLUTION OF COMPUTER
A computer originally meant a person capable of performing basic numerical calculation
with the help of the mechanical computing device. Now, computer is a machine or
device that performs processes, calculations and operations based on instructions
provided by a software or hardware program. It is designed to execute applications and
provides a variety of solutions by combining integrated hardware and software
components.
1930 is the year of evolution of computer started.
In 1964, history of computers dated back to the invention of a mechanical adding
machine.
An abacus is a manual aid to calculating that consists of beads or disks that can be
moved up and down on a series of sticks or strings within a usually wooden frame.
The abacus itself doesn't calculate; it's simply a device for helping a human being to
calculate by remembering what has been counted. It was invented by John Napier and
slide rule by William Oughtred.
Wooden Abacus
Abacist is the term called for the user of an abacus who slides the beads of the abacus
by hand.
In First Generation Computer in this generation was expensive and bulky. It used
machine language for computing and could solve problem at a time. Computer during
this phase could not support multitasking task.
First Generation Computer
It was 1937 that John V. Atanasoff devised the first digital electronic computer.
It was November 1939 when Atanasoff and Berry came up with ABC prototype.
In 1941 Z3 was Konrad Zuse’z notable achievement in the evolution of computer.
The Z3 was a German electromechanical computer designed by Konrad Zuse. It was the
world's first working programmable, fully automatic digital computer. The Z3 was built
with 2,600 relays, implementing a 22-bit word length that operated at a clock frequency
of about 4–5 Hz. Program code was stored on punched film.
In 1946, The United States Army’s Ballistic Research Laboratory came up with the
Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC)
ENIAC
ENIAC was turning – complete, digital computer, capable of being reprogrammed to
solve full range of computing problems.
During Second Generation transistor made computers smaller and cheaper. They made
computers energy efficient.
Stanford Research Institute brought ERMA, Electronic Recording Mahine Accounting
project, which dealt with the automation of the process of bookkeeping in banking.
ERMA, was a pioneering computer development project run at SRI under contract to
Bank of America in order to automate banking and bookkeeping.
In 1959, the General Electric Corporation delivered ERMA computing system of the Bank
of America in California.
During Third Generation semi-conductors increased it speed and efficiency of the
computer.
In 1968, DEC launced the first mini computer called the PDP-8.
In 1969, the development of Arpanet began with financial backing of the department of
defense.
In 1971 Intel Produced large scale integration circuits.
1972, Intel introduced the 8080 microprocessor
Microprocessor incorporates most or all of the functions of a central processing unit
(CPU) on a single Integrated Circuit(IC)
Intel 8080 was the second 8-bit microprocessor designed and manufactured by Intel and
was released in April 1974. It is an extended and enhanced variant of the earlier 8008
design, although without binary compatibility.
Computer system under fifth generation is based on principles of Artificial Intelligence
and Natural Language recognition.
SOURCE:
Computer Fundamental by Mary A. Soriano
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