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2 History of Computer

1. Ancient calculating devices like the abacus were some of the earliest forms of computers, able to perform basic math functions through movable beads but slower than modern computers. 2. Invented in 1617, Napier's Bones used logarithm values carved on ivory sticks as an alternative to printed logarithm tables. 3. The slide rule, developed in 1632, allowed engineers to perform calculations and was used for space programs through the 1960s. 4. Blaise Pascal invented the mechanical Pascaline calculator in 1642, which could perform addition using gears, though it was expensive and inaccurate.

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57 views19 pages

2 History of Computer

1. Ancient calculating devices like the abacus were some of the earliest forms of computers, able to perform basic math functions through movable beads but slower than modern computers. 2. Invented in 1617, Napier's Bones used logarithm values carved on ivory sticks as an alternative to printed logarithm tables. 3. The slide rule, developed in 1632, allowed engineers to perform calculations and was used for space programs through the 1960s. 4. Blaise Pascal invented the mechanical Pascaline calculator in 1642, which could perform addition using gears, though it was expensive and inaccurate.

Uploaded by

Pab Dizon
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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HIST O R Y O F

CO M PU T E R
A typical computer operation back when
computers were people
ABACUS
Abacus is an ancient instrument used in
performing arithmetic calculations. It can do add,
subtract, multiply and divide. It consists of tablet
or frame bearing parallel wires or grooves in
which the counters or beads are moved. For a
skilled user of abacus he could perform addition
and subtraction in the same speed with the person
using an electronic computer. However,
multiplication and division are much slower.

It is not in China that abacus was really invented .


The oldest surviving abacus was used 300 B.C by
the Babylonians. Until now, China, Japan and Korea
are still using the abacus.
A modern abacus. Abacus is just a representation of the human fingers: the
5 lower rings in each rod represent the 5 fingers and the upper rings
represent the 2 hands.
NAPIER’S BONES
Invented by a Scottish named John Napier . He first invented the logarithms in 1617 and
he got the idea from printed tables. From the printed tables he made an alternative
wherein logarithms values are carved on ivory sticks .
SLIDE RULE
A slide rule can do very difficult calculations engineers and architects were using it
before in calculations. Three men developed the slide rule and they were Edmund
Gunter, William Oughtred, and Robert Bissaker. It was in 1632 when slide rule was first
built in England. It was used in the 1960s by engineers of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo
programs which landed men on moon.
PASCALINE
At the age of 19, Blaise Pascal invented the Pascaline
in 1642 for his father who is a tax collector. He had
built 50 of this gear-driven one-function calculator,
which only performs addition. But he wasn’t able to
sell the device because of its high cost and
inaccuracy.

Pascaline uses complicated arrangement of


numbered wheels connected by gears. Pascal
continually develop his machine until it can already
perform subtraction and addition up to nine digits
long.
This is the pascalline
opened up with gears
and cylinders which
rotated to show the
numerical result
STEPPED RECKONER
Gottfried Wilhelm Von Leibniz is a German
mathematician who discovered the fundamental
principles in infinitesimal calculus.

In 1672, Leibniz invented a calculating machine


which he called the stepped reckoner. He called it a
stepped reckoner for instead of using gears like
Pascal it has fluted drums with ten flutes arranged
around their circumference in a stair-step fashion. It
is capable of adding, subtracting, multiplying,
dividing , and extracting roots. The device uses the
decimal number system.
DIFFERENCE ENGINE
Charles Babbage designed this steam driven
calculating machine about the size of the room.
The machine intended to solve tables of numbers,
such as logarithm tables which was use in
navigations. The difference engine should be
capable or calculating 20-decimal capacity of
solving mathematical problems.

The machine was greatly funded by the British


government to be used by the Navy. Unfortunately,
even though a lot of money was put into the
completion of the machine it was never been
finished.
ANALYTICAL ENGINE
Again, Charles Babbage conceived a new machine, called the analytical engine.
He got the mechanism of Jacquard’s loom. The punched card technology was used
in this machine and Babbage improved it. The analytical engine is programmable,
it is as large as a house with 6 steam engines. It is capable of performing
mathematical calculations, storing information by using punched cards as a
permanent memory. This machine also uses conditional statement to perform
calculations.

Babbage befriended Ada Byron for the fashioning programs of the Analytical
engine. However when Ada had already made plans and notes for the machine,
Babbage refused to publish his ideas. The British government refused to fund
Babbage’s machine and remain unbuilt. It was only in 1833 that the machine was
constructed but then only a part of it was finished.

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