History of the Computer - Computers and Technology

The volume and use of computers in the world arethat by about 1890, the range of improvements
so great, they have become difficult to ignoreincluded: Accumulation of partial results, storage and
anymore. Computers appear to us in so many waysautomatic reentry of past results (A memory
that many times, we fail to see them as theyfunction), and printing of the results. Each of these
actually are. People associated with a computer whenrequired manual installation. These improvements
they purchased their morning coffee at the vendingwere mainly made for commercial users, and not for
machine. As they drove themselves to work, thethe needs of science.While Thomas of Colmar was
traffic lights that so often hampered us are controlleddeveloping the desktop calculator, a series of very
by computers in an attempt to speed the journey.interesting developments in computers was started in
Accept it or not, the computer has invaded ourCambridge, England, by Charles Babbage (of which
life.The origins and roots of computers started out asthe computer store "Babbages" is named), a
many other inventions and technologies have in themathematics professor. In 1812, Babbage realized
past. They evolved from a relatively simple idea orthat many long calculations, especially those needed
plan designed to help perform functions easier andto make mathematical tables, were really a series of
quicker. The first basic type of computers werepredictable actions that were constantly repeated.
designed to do just that; compute!. They performedFrom this he suspected that it should be possible to
basic math functions such as multiplication and divisiondo these automatically. He began to design an
and displayed the results in a variety of methods.automatic mechanical calculating machine, which he
Some computers displayed results in a binarycalled a difference engine. By 1822, he had a working
representation of electronic lamps. Binary denotesmodel to demonstrate. Financial help from the British
using only ones and zeros thus, lit lamps representedGovernment was attained and Babbage started
ones and unlit lamps represented zeros. The irony offabrication of a difference engine in 1823. It was
this is that people needed to perform anotherintended to be steam powered and fully automatic,
mathematical function to translate binary to decimalincluding the printing of the resulting tables, and
to make it readable to the user.One of the firstcommanded by a fixed instruction program.The
computers was called ENIAC. It was a huge,difference engine, although having limited adaptability
monstrous size nearly that of a standard railroad car.and applicability, was really a great advance. Babbage
It contained electronic tubes, heavy gauge wiring,continued to work on it for the next 10 years, but in
angle-iron, and knife switches just to name a few of1833 he lost interest because he thought he had a
the components. It has become difficult to believebetter idea; the construction of what would now be
that computers have evolved into suitcase sizedcalled a general purpose, fully program-controlled,
micro-computers of the 1990's.Computers eventuallyautomatic mechanical digital computer. Babbage called
evolved into less archaic looking devices near the endthis idea an Analytical Engine. The ideas of this design
of the 1960's. Their size had been reduced to that ofshowed a lot of foresight, although this couldn't be
a small automobile and they were processingappreciated until a full century later.The plans for this
segments of information at faster rates than olderengine required an identical decimal computer
models. Most computers at this time were termedoperating on numbers of 50 decimal digits (or words)
"mainframes" due to the fact that many computersand having a storage capacity (memory) of 1,000
were linked together to perform a given function.such digits. The built-in operations were supposed to
The primary user of these types of computers wereinclude everything that a modern general - purpose
military agencies and large corporations such as Bell,computer would need, even the all important
AT&T, General Electric, and Boeing. OrganizationsConditional Control Transfer Capability that would
such as these had the funds to afford suchallow commands to be executed in any order, not
technologies. However, operation of these computersjust the order in which they were programmed.As
required extensive intelligence and manpowerpeople can see, it took quite a large amount of
resources. The average person could not haveintelligence and fortitude to come to the 1990's style
fathomed trying to operate and use these millionand use of computers. People have assumed that
dollar processors.The United States was attributedcomputers are a natural development in society and
the title of pioneering the computer. It was not untiltake them for granted. Just as people have learned
the early 1970's that nations such as Japan and theto drive an automobile, it also takes skill and learning
United Kingdom started utilizing technology of theirto utilize a computer.Computers in society have
own for the development of the computer. Thisbecome difficult to understand. Exactly what they
resulted in newer components and smaller sizedconsisted of and what actions they performed were
computers. The use and operation of computers hadhighly dependent upon the type of computer. To say
developed into a form that people of averagea person had a typical computer doesn't necessarily
intelligence could handle and manipulate without tonarrow down just what the capabilities of that
much ado. When the economies of other nationscomputer was. Computer styles and types covered
started to compete with the United States, theso many different functions and actions, that it was
computer industry expanded at a great rate. Pricesdifficult to name them all. The original computers of
dropped dramatically and computers became morethe 1940's were easy to define their purpose when
affordable to the average household.Like thethey were first invented. They primarily performed
invention of the wheel, the computer is here tomathematical functions many times faster than any
stay.The operation and use of computers in ourperson could have calculated. However, the evolution
present era of the 1990's has become so easy andof the computer had created many styles and types
simple that perhaps we may have taken too muchthat were greatly dependent on a well defined
for granted. Almost everything of use in societypurpose.The computers of the 1990's roughly fell into
requires some form of training or education. Manythree groups consisting of mainframes, networking
people say that the predecessor to the computerunits, and personal computers. Mainframe computers
was the typewriter. The typewriter definitelywere extremely large sized modules and had the
required training and experience in order to operate itcapabilities of processing and storing massive
at a usable and efficient level. Children are beingamounts of data in the form of numbers and words.
taught basic computer skills in the classroom in orderMainframes were the first types of computers
to prepare them for the future evolution of thedeveloped in the 1940's. Users of these types of
computer age.The history of computers started outcomputers ranged from banking firms, large
about 2000 years ago, at the birth of the abacus, acorporations and government agencies. They usually
wooden rack holding two horizontal wires with beadswere very expensive in cost but designed to last at
strung on them. When these beads are movedleast five to ten years. They also required well
around, according to programming rules memorizededucated and experienced manpower to be operated
by the user, all regular arithmetic problems can beand maintained. Larry Wulforst, in his book
done. Another important invention around the sameBreakthrough to the Computer Age, describes the
time was the Astrolabe, used for navigation.Blaiseold mainframes of the 1940's compared to those of
Pascal is usually credited for building the first digitalthe 1990's by speculating, "...the contrast to the
computer in 1642. It added numbers entered withsound of the sputtering motor powering the first
dials and was made to help his father, a tax collector.flights of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk and the
In 1671, Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz invented aroar of the mighty engines on a Cape Canaveral
computer that was built in 1694. It could add, and,launching pad". End of part one.Works CitedWulforst,
after changing some things around, multiply. LeibnitzHarry. Breakthrough to the Computer Age. New
invented a special stopped gear mechanism forYork: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1982.Palferman, Jon and
introducing the addend digits, and this is still beingDoron Swade. The Dream Machine. London: BBC
used.The prototypes made by Pascal and LeibnitzBooks, 1991.Campbell-Kelly, Martin and William Aspray.
were not used in many places, and considered weirdComputer, A History of the Information Machine.
until a little more than a century later, when ThomasNew York: BasicBooks, 1996.You may visit and for
of Colmar (A.K.A. Charles Xavier Thomas) createdinstant access to over 45,000 plus term papers and
the first successful mechanical calculator that couldessays. You may have all of these quality papers for
add, subtract, multiply, and divide. A lot of improvedonly $19.95.
desktop calculators by many inventors followed, so