What is a Computer?

A computer is an electronic machine that collects information, stores it,

processes it according to user instructions, and then returns the result.

A computer is a programmable electronic device that performs arithmetic

and logical operations automatically using a set of instructions provided by
the user.

Early Computing Devices

People used sticks, stones, and bones as counting tools before computers
were invented. More computing devices were produced as technology
advanced and the human intellect improved over time. Let us look at a few
of the early-age computing devices used by mankind.

1. Abacus
Abacus was invented by the Chinese around 4000 years ago. It’s a wooden
rack with metal rods with beads attached to them. The abacus operator
moves the beads according to certain guidelines to complete arithmetic
computations.

2. Napier’s Bone
John Napier devised Napier’s Bones, a manually operated calculating
apparatus. For calculating, this instrument used 9 separate ivory strips
(bones) marked with numerals to multiply and divide. It was also the first
machine to calculate using the decimal point system.

3. Pascaline
Pascaline was invented in 1642 by Biaise Pascal, a French mathematician
and philosopher. It is thought to be the first mechanical and automated
calculator. It was a wooden box with gears and wheels inside.
4. Stepped Reckoner or Leibniz wheel
In 1673, a German mathematician-philosopher named Gottfried Wilhelm
Leibniz improved on Pascal’s invention to create this apparatus. It was a
digital mechanical calculator known as the stepped reckoner because it used
fluted drums instead of gears.

5. Difference Engine
In the early 1820s, Charles Babbage created the Difference Engine. It was a
mechanical computer that could do basic computations. It was a steam-
powered calculating machine used to solve numerical tables such as
logarithmic tables.

6. Analytical Engine 
Charles Babbage created another calculating machine, the Analytical
Engine, in 1830. It was a mechanical computer that took input from punch
cards. It was capable of solving any mathematical problem and storing data
in an indefinite memory.

7. Tabulating machine 
An American Statistician – Herman Hollerith invented this machine in the
year 1890. Tabulating Machine was a punch card-based mechanical
tabulator. It could compute statistics and record or sort data or information.
Hollerith began manufacturing these machines in his company, which
ultimately became International Business Machines (IBM) in 1924.

8. Differential Analyzer 
Vannevar Bush introduced the first electrical computer, the Differential
Analyzer, in 1930. This machine is made up of vacuum tubes that switch
electrical impulses in order to do calculations. It was capable of performing
25 calculations in a matter of minutes.

9. Mark I 
Howard Aiken planned to build a machine in 1937 that could conduct
massive calculations or calculations using enormous numbers. The Mark I
computer was constructed in 1944 as a collaboration between IBM and
Harvard.

History of Computers Generation

The word ‘computer’ has a very interesting origin. It was first used in the
16th century for a person who used to compute, i.e. do calculations. The
word was used in the same sense as a noun until the 20th century. Women
were hired as human computers to carry out all forms of calculations and
computations.

By the last part of the 19th century, the word was also used to describe
machines that did calculations. The modern-day use of the word is generally
to describe programmable digital devices that run on electricity.

Early History of Computer

Since the evolution of humans, devices have been used for calculations for
thousands of years. One of the earliest and most well-known devices was
an abacus. Then in 1822, the father of computers, Charles Babbage began
developing what would be the first mechanical computer. And then in 1833
he actually designed an Analytical Engine which was a general-purpose
computer. It contained an ALU, some basic flow chart principles and the
concept of integrated memory.
Then more than a century later in the history of computers, we got our first
electronic computer for general purpose. It was the ENIAC, which stands
for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer. The inventors of this
computer were John W. Mauchly and J.Presper Eckert.

And with times the technology developed and the computers got smaller
and the processing got faster. We got our first laptop in 1981 and it was
introduced by Adam Osborne and EPSON.

Browse more Topics under Basics Of Computers

 Number Systems
 Number System Conversions
 Generations of Computers
 Computer Organisation
 Computer Memory
 Computers Abbreviations
 Basic Computer Terminology
 Computer Languages
 Basic Internet Knowledge and Protocols
 Hardware and Software
 Keyboard Shortcuts
 I/O Devices
 Practice Problems On Basics Of Computers

Generations of Computers
In the history of computers, we often refer to the advancements of modern
computers as the generation of computers. We are currently on the fifth
generation of computers. So let us look at the important features of these
five generations of computers.

 1st Generation: This was from the period of 1940 to 1955. This was
when machine language was developed for the use of computers. They
used vacuum tubes for the circuitry. For the purpose of memory, they
used magnetic drums. These machines were complicated, large, and
expensive. They were mostly reliant on batch operating systems and
punch cards. As output and input devices, magnetic tape and paper tape
were implemented. For example, ENIAC, UNIVAC-1, EDVAC, and so
on.
 2nd Generation: The years 1957-1963 were referred to as the “second
generation of computers” at the time. In second-generation computers,
COBOL and FORTRAN are employed as assembly languages and
programming languages. Here they advanced from vacuum tubes to
transistors. This made the computers smaller, faster and more energy-
efficient. And they advanced from binary to assembly languages. For
instance, IBM 1620, IBM 7094, CDC 1604, CDC 3600, and so forth.
 3rd Generation: The hallmark of this period (1964-1971) was the
development of the integrated circuit.  A single integrated circuit (IC) is
made up of many transistors, which increases the power of a computer
while simultaneously lowering its cost. These computers were quicker,
smaller, more reliable, and less expensive than their predecessors. High-
level programming languages such as FORTRON-II to IV, COBOL, and
PASCAL PL/1 were utilized. For example, the IBM-360 series, the
Honeywell-6000 series, and the IBM-370/168.
 4th Generation: The invention of the microprocessors brought along the
fourth generation of computers. The years 1971-1980 were dominated by
fourth generation computers. C, C++ and Java were the programming
languages utilized in this generation of computers. For instance, the
STAR 1000, PDP 11, CRAY-1, CRAY-X-MP, and Apple II. This was
when we started producing computers for home use.
 5th Generation: These computers have been utilized since 1980 and
continue to be used now. This is the present and the future of the
 computer world. The defining aspect of this generation is artificial
intelligence. The use of parallel processing and superconductors are
making this a reality and provide a lot of scope for the future. Fifth-
generation computers use ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration)
technology. These are the most recent and sophisticated computers. C, C+
+, Java,.Net, and more programming languages are used. For instance,
IBM, Pentium, Desktop, Laptop, Notebook, Ultrabook, and so on.

Brief History of Computers

The naive understanding of computation had to be overcome before the true
power of computing could be realized. The inventors who worked tirelessly
to bring the computer into the world had to realize that what they were
creating was more than just a number cruncher or a calculator. They had to
address all of the difficulties associated with inventing such a machine,
implementing the design, and actually building the thing. The history of the
computer is the history of these difficulties being solved.

19th Century

1801 – Joseph Marie Jacquard, a weaver and businessman from France,

devised a loom that employed punched wooden cards to automatically
weave cloth designs.

1822 – Charles Babbage, a mathematician, invented the steam-powered

calculating machine capable of calculating number tables. The “Difference
Engine” idea failed owing to a lack of technology at the time.

1848 – The world’s first computer program was written by Ada Lovelace,
an English mathematician. Lovelace also includes a step-by-step tutorial on
how to compute Bernoulli numbers using Babbage’s machine.

1890 – Herman Hollerith, an inventor, creates the punch card technique

used to calculate the 1880 U.S. census. He would go on to start the
corporation that would become IBM.
Early 20th Century

1930 – Differential Analyzer was the first large-scale automatic general-

purpose mechanical analogue computer invented and built by Vannevar
Bush.

1936 – Alan Turing had an idea for a universal machine, which he called the
Turing machine, that could compute anything that could be computed.

1939 – Hewlett-Packard was discovered in a garage in Palo Alto, California

by Bill Hewlett and David Packard.

1941 – Konrad Zuse, a German inventor and engineer, completed his Z3

machine, the world’s first digital computer. However, the machine was
destroyed during a World War II bombing strike on Berlin.

1941 – J.V. Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry devise a

computer capable of solving 29 equations at the same time. The first time a
computer can store data in its primary memory.

1945 – University of Pennsylvania academics John Mauchly and J. Presper

Eckert create an Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC). It
was Turing-complete and capable of solving “a vast class of numerical
problems” by reprogramming, earning it the title of “Grandfather of
computers.”

1946 – The UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer) was the first

general-purpose electronic digital computer designed in the United States
for corporate applications.

1949 – The Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC),

developed by a team at the University of Cambridge, is the “first practical
stored-program computer.”
1950 – The Standards Eastern Automatic Computer (SEAC) was built in
Washington, DC, and it was the first stored-program computer completed in
the United States.

Late 20th Century

1953 – Grace Hopper, a computer scientist, creates the first computer

language, which becomes known as COBOL, which stands
for COmmon, Business-Oriented Language. It allowed a computer user to
offer the computer instructions in English-like words rather than numbers.

1954 – John Backus and a team of IBM programmers created the

FORTRAN programming language, an acronym
for FORmula TRANslation. In addition, IBM developed the 650.

1958 – The integrated circuit, sometimes known as the computer chip, was
created by Jack Kirby and Robert Noyce.

1962 – Atlas, the computer, makes its appearance. It was the fastest
computer in the world at the time, and it pioneered the concept of “virtual
memory.”

1964 – Douglas Engelbart proposes a modern computer prototype that

combines a mouse and a graphical user interface (GUI).

1969 – Bell Labs developers, led by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie,
revealed UNIX, an operating system developed in the C programming
language that addressed program compatibility difficulties.

1970 – The Intel 1103, the first Dynamic Access Memory (DRAM) chip, is
unveiled by Intel.

1971 – The floppy disc was invented by Alan Shugart and a team of IBM
engineers. In the same year, Xerox developed the first laser printer, which
not only produced billions of dollars but also heralded the beginning of a
new age in computer printing.

1973 – Robert Metcalfe, a member of Xerox’s research department, created

Ethernet, which is used to connect many computers and other gear.

1974 – Personal computers were introduced into the market. The first were
the Altair Scelbi & Mark-8, IBM 5100, and Radio Shack’s TRS-80.

1975 – Popular Electronics magazine touted the Altair 8800 as the world’s
first minicomputer kit in January. Paul Allen and Bill Gates offer to build
software in the BASIC language for the Altair.

1976 – Apple Computers is founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who
expose the world to the Apple I, the first computer with a single-circuit
board.

1977 – At the first West Coast Computer Faire, Jobs and Wozniak announce
the Apple II. It has colour graphics and a cassette drive for storing music.

1978 – The first computerized spreadsheet program, VisiCalc, is introduced.

1979 – WordStar, a word processing tool from MicroPro International, is

released.

1981 – IBM unveils the Acorn, their first personal computer, which has an
Intel CPU, two floppy drives, and a colour display. The MS-DOS operating
system from Microsoft is used by Acorn.

1983 – The CD-ROM, which could carry 550 megabytes of pre-recorded

data, hit the market. This year also saw the release of the Gavilan SC, the
first portable computer with a flip-form design and the first to be offered as
a “laptop.”
1984 – Apple launched Macintosh during the Superbowl XVIII commercial.
It was priced at $2,500

1985 – Microsoft introduces Windows, which enables multitasking via a

graphical user interface. In addition, the programming language C++ has
been released.

1990 – Tim Berners-Lee, an English programmer and scientist, creates

HyperText Markup Language, widely known as HTML. He also coined the
term “WorldWideWeb.” It includes the first browser, a server, HTML, and
URLs.

1993 – The Pentium CPU improves the usage of graphics and music on
personal computers.

1995 – Microsoft’s Windows 95 operating system was released. A $300

million promotional campaign was launched to get the news out. Sun
Microsystems introduces Java 1.0, followed by Netscape Communications’
JavaScript.

1996 – At Stanford University, Sergey Brin and Larry Page created the
Google search engine.

1998 – Apple introduces the iMac, an all-in-one Macintosh desktop

computer. These PCs cost $1,300 and came with a 4GB hard drive, 32MB
RAM, a CD-ROM, and a 15-inch monitor.

1999 – Wi-Fi, an abbreviation for “wireless fidelity,” is created, originally

covering a range of up to 300 feet.

21st Century
2000 – The USB flash drive is first introduced in 2000. They were speedier
and had more storage space than other storage media options when used for
data storage.

2001 – Apple releases Mac OS X, later renamed OS X and eventually

simply macOS, as the successor to its conventional Mac Operating System.

2003 – Customers could purchase AMD’s Athlon 64, the first 64-bit CPU
for consumer computers.

2004 – Facebook began as a social networking website.

2005 – Google acquires Android, a mobile phone OS based on Linux.

2006 – Apple’s MacBook Pro was available. The Pro was the company’s
first dual-core, Intel-based mobile computer.

Amazon Web Services, including Amazon Elastic Cloud 2 (EC2) and

Amazon Simple Storage Service, were also launched (S3)

2007 – The first iPhone was produced by Apple, bringing many computer
operations into the palm of our hands. Amazon also released the Kindle, one
of the first electronic reading systems, in 2007.

2009 – Microsoft released Windows 7.

2011 – Google introduces the Chromebook, which runs Google Chrome

OS.

2014 – The University of Michigan Micro Mote (M3), the world’s smallest
computer, was constructed.

2015 – Apple introduces the Apple Watch. Windows 10 was also released
by Microsoft.
2016 – The world’s first reprogrammable quantum computer is built.

Types of Computers
1. Analog Computers – Analog computers are built with various
components such as gears and levers, with no electrical components. One
advantage of analogue computation is that designing and building an
analogue computer to tackle a specific problem can be quite
straightforward.
2. Digital Computers – Information in digital computers is represented in
discrete form, typically as sequences of 0s and 1s (binary digits, or bits).
A digital computer is a system or gadget that can process any type of
information in a matter of seconds. Digital computers are categorized into
many different types. They are as follows:
a. Mainframe computers – It is a computer that is generally utilized by
large enterprises for mission-critical activities such as massive data
processing. Mainframe computers were distinguished by massive
storage capacities, quick components, and powerful computational
capabilities. Because they were complicated systems, they were
managed by a team of systems programmers who had sole access to
the computer. These machines are now referred to as servers rather
than mainframes.
b. Supercomputers – The most powerful computers to date are
commonly referred to as supercomputers. Supercomputers are
enormous systems that are purpose-built to solve complicated
scientific and industrial problems. Quantum mechanics, weather
forecasting, oil and gas exploration, molecular modelling, physical
simulations, aerodynamics, nuclear fusion research, and
cryptoanalysis are all done on supercomputers.
c. Minicomputers – A minicomputer is a type of computer that has
many of the same features and capabilities as a larger computer but is
smaller in size. Minicomputers, which were relatively small and
affordable, were often employed in a single department of an
organization and were often dedicated to a specific task or shared by a
small group.
 d. Microcomputers – A microcomputer is a small computer that is
based on a microprocessor integrated circuit, often known as a chip. A
microcomputer is a system that incorporates at a minimum a
microprocessor, program memory, data memory, and input-output
system (I/O). A microcomputer is now commonly referred to as a
personal computer (PC).
e. Embedded processors – These are miniature computers that control
electrical and mechanical processes with basic microprocessors.
Embedded processors are often simple in design, have limited
processing capability and I/O capabilities, and need little power.
Ordinary microprocessors and microcontrollers are the two primary
types of embedded processors. Embedded processors are employed in
systems that do not require the computing capability of traditional
devices such as desktop computers, laptop computers, or workstations.

FAQs on History of Computers

Q: The principle of modern computers was proposed by ____

A. Steve Jobs
B. Adam Osborne
C. Alan Turing
D. Charles Babbage
Ans: The correct answer is C.

Q: Who introduced the first computer from home use in 1981?

A. IBM
B. Apple
C. Microsoft
D. Sun Technology
Ans: Answer is A. IBM made the first home-use personal computer.

Q: Third generation computers used which programming language?

A. Java
B. Machine language
C. FORTRAN
D. C and C++
Ans: The correct option is C.