CII 2103 Introduction to Computer Architecture 1

Module 2 - Historical Development of Computers CII 2103

Before computers were developed people used sticks, stones, and bones as counting tools. As
technology advanced and the human mind improved with time more computing devices were
developed like Abacus, Napier’s Bones, etc. These devices were used as computers for performing
mathematical computations but not very complex ones.
Some of the popular computing devices are described below, starting from the oldest to the latest or
most advanced technology developed:
Abacus
Around 4000 years ago, the Chinese invented the Abacus, and it is believed to be the first computer.
The history of computers begins with the birth of the abacus.
Structure: Abacus is basically a wooden rack that has metal rods with beads mounted on them.
Working of abacus: In the abacus, the beads were moved by the abacus operator according to some
rules to perform arithmetic calculations. In some countries like China, Russia, and Japan, the abacus is
still used by their people.
Napier’s Bones
Napier’s Bones was a manually operated calculating device and as the name indicates, it was invented
by John Napier. In this device, he used 9 different ivory strips (bones) marked with numbers to
multiply and divide for calculation. It was also the first machine to use the decimal point system for
calculation.
Pascaline
It is also called an Arithmetic Machine or Adding Machine. A French mathematician-philosopher
Blaise Pascal invented this between 1642 and 1644. It was the first mechanical and automatic
calculator. It is invented by Pascal to help his father, a tax accountant in his work or calculation. It
could perform addition and subtraction in quick time. It was basically a wooden box with a series of
gears and wheels. It is worked by rotating wheel like when a wheel is rotated one revolution, it rotates
the neighbouring wheel and a series of windows is given on the top of the wheels to read the totals.
Stepped Reckoner or Leibniz wheel
A German mathematician-philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in 1673 developed this device by
improving Pascal’s invention to develop this machine. It was basically a digital mechanical calculator,
and it was called the stepped reckoner as it was made of fluted drums instead of gears (used in the
previous model of Pascaline).
Difference Engine
Charles Babbage who is also known as the “Father of Modern Computer” designed the Difference
Engine in the early 1820s. Difference Engine was a mechanical computer which is capable of
performing simple calculations. It works with help of steam as it was a steam-driven calculating
machine, and it was designed to solve tables of numbers like logarithm tables.
Analytical Engine
Again in 1830 Charles Babbage developed another calculating machine which was Analytical Engine.
Analytical Engine was a mechanical computer that used punch cards as input. It was capable of
performing or solving any mathematical problem and storing information as a permanent memory
(storage).
Tabulating Machine
Herman Hollerith, an American statistician invented this machine in the year 1890. Tabulating Machine
was a mechanical tabulator that was based on punch cards. It was capable of tabulating statistics and
record or sort data or information. This machine was used by U.S. Census in the year 1890. Hollerith’s
Tabulating Machine Company was started by Hollerith and this company later became International
Business Machine (IBM) in the year 1924.
Differential Analyzer
Differential Analyzer was the first electronic computer introduced in the year 1930 in the United States.
It was basically an analog device that was invented by Vannevar Bush. This machine consists of
vacuum tubes to switch electrical signals to perform calculations. It was capable of doing 25
calculations in a few minutes.
Mark I
In the year 1937, major changes began in the history of computers when Howard Aiken planned to
develop a machine that could perform large calculations or calculations involving large numbers. In the
year 1944, Mark I computer was built as a partnership between IBM and Harvard. It was also the first
programmable digital computer marking a new era in the computer world.

Generations of Computers
First Generation Computers
In the period of the year 1940-1956, it was referred to as the period of the first generation of computers.
These machines are slow, huge, and expensive. In this generation of computers, vacuum tubes were
used as the basic components of CPU and memory. Also, they were mainly dependent on the batch
operating systems and punch cards. Magnetic tape and paper tape were used as output and input
devices. For example ENIAC, UNIVAC-1, EDVAC, etc.
Second Generation Computers
In the period of the year, 1957-1963 was referred to as the period of the second generation of
computers. It was the time of the transistor computers. In the second generation of computers,
transistors (which were cheap in cost) are used. Transistors are also compact and consume less power.
Transistor computers are faster than first-generation computers. For primary memory, magnetic cores
were used, and for secondary memory magnetic disc and tapes for storage purposes. In second-
generation computers, COBOL and FORTRAN are used as Assembly language and programming
languages, and Batch processing and multiprogramming operating systems were used in these
computers.
For example IBM 1620, IBM 7094, CDC 1604, CDC 3600, etc.
Third Generation Computers
In the third generation of computers, integrated circuits (ICs) were used instead of transistors(in the
second generation). A single IC consists of many transistors which increased the power of a computer
and also reduced the cost. The third generation computers are more reliable, efficient, and smaller in
size. It used remote processing, time-sharing, and multiprogramming as operating systems.
FORTRON-II TO IV, COBOL, and PASCAL PL/1 were used which are high-level programming
languages.
For example IBM-360 series, Honeywell-6000 series, IBM-370/168, etc.
Fourth Generation Computers
The period of 1971-1980 was mainly the time of fourth generation computers. It used VLSI(Very Large
Scale Integrated) circuits. VLSI is a chip containing millions of transistors and other circuit elements
and because of these chips, the computers of this generation are more compact, powerful, fast, and
affordable(low in cost). Real-time, time-sharing and distributed operating system are used by these
computers. C and C++ are used as the programming languages in this generation of computers.
For example STAR 1000, PDP 11, CRAY-1, CRAY-X-MP, etc.
Fifth Generation Computers
From 1980 – to till date these computers are used. The ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) technology
is used in fifth-generation computers instead of the VLSI technology of fourth-generation computers.
Microprocessor chips with ten million electronic components are used in these computers. Parallel
processing hardware and AI (Artificial Intelligence) software are also used in fifth-generation
computers. The programming languages like C, C++, Java, .Net, etc. are used.
For example Desktop, Laptop, NoteBook, UltraBook, etc.