HISTORY OF

COMPUTERS
What is a computer?
A computer is an electronic machine
that accepts information (Data), processes
it according to specific instructions, and
provides the results as new information.
 History of Computer

Earliest Computer
Originally calculations were computed by humans, whose job
title was computers.
These human computers were typically engaged in the
calculation of a mathematical expression.
The calculations of this period were specialized and
expensive, requiring years of training in mathematics.
 History of Computer

Earliest Computer

The first use of the word "computer" was recorded in

1613, referring to a person who carried out
calculations, or computations, and the word
continued to be used in that sense until the middle
of the 20th century.
 History of Computer

Tally Sticks

A tally stick was an ancient memory aid device to

record and document numbers, quantities, or
even messages.
 History of Computer
Abacus
An abacus is a mechanical device used to aid an individual in performing mathematical
calculations.
The abacus was invented in Babylonia in 2400 B.C.
The abacus in the form we are most familiar with was first used in China in around 500 B.C.
It used to perform basic arithmetic operations.

Modern Abacus
Earlier Abacus
 History of Computer

Napier’s Bones
Invented by John Napier in 1614.
Allowed the operator to multiply, divide and calculate
square and cube roots by moving the rods around
and placing them in specially constructed boards.

John Napier

Napier’s Bone
 History of Computer
Slide Rule
Invented by William Oughtred in 1622.
Based on Napier's idea about logarithms.
Used primarily for:
– multiplication
– division
– roots William Oughtred
– logarithm
– Trigonometry
Not normally used for addition or subtraction.

Slide Rule
 History of Computer

Pascaline
Invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642.
It was its limitation to addition and subtraction.
It is too expensive.

Blaise Pascal

Pascaline
 History of Computer

Stepped Reckoner
Invented by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in 1672.
The machine that can add, subtract, multiply and
divide automatically.

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

Stepped Reckoner
 History of Computer

Jacquard Loom
The Jacquard Loom is a mechanical loom, invented by Joseph-Marie
Jacquard in 1881.
It’s an automatic loom controlled by punched cards.

Joseph-Marie Jacquard
Jacquard Loom and Punched Cards
 History of Computer

Arithmometer
A mechanical calculator invented by Thomas
de Colmar in 1820.
The first reliable, useful and commercially
successful calculating machine.
The machine could perform the four basic
mathematic functions. Thomas de Colmar
The first mass-produced calculating
machine.

Arithmometer
 History of Computer

Difference Engine and Analytical Engine

It’s an automatic, mechanical calculator designed to tabulate polynomial
functions.
Invented by Charles Babbage (Father of Computer) in 1822 and 1834.
It is the first mechanical computer.

Charles Babbage Difference Engine Analytical Engine

 History of Computer

First Computer Programmer

In 1840, Augusta Ada Byron suggests to Babbage
that he use the binary system.
She writes programs for the Analytical Engine.

Augusta Ada Byron

 History of Computer

Scheutzian Calculation Engine

Invented by Per Georg Scheutz in 1843.

Based on Charles Babbage's difference engine.
The first printing calculator.

Scheutzian Calculation Engine

Per Georg Scheutz
 History of Computer

Tabulating Machine

Invented by Herman Hollerith in 1890.

To assist in summarizing information and
accounting.

Herman Hollerith

Tabulating Machine
 History of Computer

Harvard Mark 1

Also known as IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled

Calculator (ASCC).
Invented by Howard H. Aiken in 1943.
The first electro-mechanical computer.

Harvard Mark 1 Howard H. Aiken

 History of Computer

Z1
The first programmable computer.
Created by Konrad Zuse in Germany from 1936 to 1938.
To program the Z1 required that the user insert punch tape into a punch tape
reader and all output was also generated through punch tape.

Konrad Zuse Z1
 History of Computer

Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC)

It was the first electronic digital computing device.
Invented by Professor John Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry at
Iowa State University between 1939 and 1942.

Professor John Atanasoff Atanasoff-Berry Computer

 History of Computer
ENIAC
ENIAC stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer.
It was the first electronic general purpose computer.
Completed in 1946.
Developed by John Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly.

John W. Mauchly and

John Presper Eckert ENIAC
 History of Computer

UNIVAC 1

The UNIVAC I (UNIVersal Automatic Computer 1) was the first commercial

computer.
Designed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly.

UNIVAC 1
 History of Computer

EDVAC
EDVAC stands for Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer.
The First Stored Program Computer
Designed by Von Neumann in 1952.
It has a memory to hold both a stored program as well as data.

EDVAC
 History of Computer

Osborne 1

The first portable computer.

Released in 1981 by the Osborne Computer Corporation.

Osborne 1
 History of Computer
The First Computer Company

The first computer company was the Electronic Controls

Company, founded in 1949 by J. Presper Eckert
and John Mauchly.
 History of Computer

Computer Generations
There are five generations of computer:
• First Generation (1946 – 1958);
• Second generation (1959 – 1964);
• Third generation (1965 – 1970);
• Fourth generation (1971 – today);
• Fifth generation (Today to future);
 History of Computer
The First Generation
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.

Vacuum Tubes
 History of Computer
The First Generation
• 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.

Vacuum Tubes
 History of Computer

The Second Generation

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and
ushered in the second generation of
computers.
One transistor replaced the equivalent
of 40 vacuum tubes.
Allowing computers to become smaller,
faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient
and more reliable. Transistor
 History of Computer

The Second Generation

Still generated a great deal of heat that can damage the computer.
Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine
language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed
programmers to specify instructions in words.

Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input

and printouts for output.
These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in
their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core
technology. Transistor
 History of Computer
The Third Generation
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.
Much smaller and cheaper compare to the
second generation computers.
Integrated Circuit
 History of Computer

The Third Generation

• It could carry out instructions in billionths of a second.
• 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.
Integrated Circuit
 History of Computer

The Fourth Generation

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of
computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were
built onto a single silicon chip.
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 Microprocessor
devices.
 History of Computer

The Fifth Generation

Based on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Still in development.
The use of parallel processing and superconductors is
helping to make artificial intelligence a reality.
The goal is to develop devices that respond to natural
language input and are capable of learning and self-
organization.
There are some applications, such as voice recognition,
that are being used today.