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A Brief History of Computers

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A Brief History of Computers AA BriefBrief HistoryHistory ofof ComputersComputers By Debdeep Mukhopadhyay Assistant Professor Dept of Computer Sc and Engg IIT Madras Pre-MechanicalPre-Mechanical Computing:Computing: MechanicalMechanical computerscomputers FromFrom TheThe AbacusAbacus c.c. 40004000 BCEBCE toto CharlesCharles BabbageBabbage andand hishis DifferenceDifference EngineEngine (1812)(1812) MechanicalMechanical computers:computers: TheThe AbacusAbacus (c.(c. 30003000 BC)BC) NapierNapierNapier’s’’ss BonesBones andand LogarithmsLogarithms (1617)(1617) Picture courtesy IBM OughtredOughtredOughtred’s’’ss (1621)(1621) andand SchickardSchickardSchickard‘s‘‘ss (1623](1623] slideslide rulerule BlaiseBlaise PascalPascalPascal’s’’ss PascalinePascaline (1645)(1645) GottfriedGottfried WilhelmWilhelm vonvon LeibnitzLeibnitzLeibnitz’s’’ss SteppedStepped ReckonerReckoner (1674)(1674) JosephJosephJoseph-Marie--MarieMarie JacquardJacquard andand hishis punchedpunched cardcard controlledcontrolled loomslooms (1804)(1804) PreparingPreparing thethe cardscards withwith thethe patternpattern forfor thethe clothcloth toto bebe wovenwoven CharlesCharles BabbageBabbage (1791(1791(1791-1871)--1871)1871) TheThe FatherFather ofof ComputersComputers CharlesCharles BabbageBabbageBabbage’s’’ss DifferenceDifference EngineEngine CharlesCharles BabbageBabbageBabbage’s’’ss AnalyticalAnalytical EngineEngine LadyLady AugustaAugusta AdaAda CountessCountess ofof LovelaceLovelace Electro-mechanicalElectro-mechanical computerscomputers FromFrom HermanHerman HollerithHollerith’’ss 18901890 CensusCensus CountingCounting MachineMachine toto HowardHoward AikenAiken andand thethe HarvardHarvard MarkMark II (1944)(1944) HermanHerman HollerithHollerith andand hishis CensusCensus TabulatingTabulating MachineMachine (1884)(1884) AA closercloser looklook atat thethe CensusCensus TabulatingTabulating MachineMachine TheThe HarvardHarvard MarkMark II (1944)(1944) akaaka IBMIBMIBM’s’’ss AutomaticAutomatic SequenceSequence ControlledControlled CalculatorCalculator (ASCC)(ASCC) Howard Aiken TheThe firstfirst computercomputer bugbug Rear Admiral Dr. Grace Murray Hopper ElectronicElectronic digitaldigital computerscomputers FromFrom JohnJohn VincentVincent AtanasoffAtanasoff’’ss 19391939 AtanasoffAtanasoff--BerryBerry ComputerComputer (ABC)(ABC) toto thethe presentpresent dayday AlanAlan TuringTuring 191219121912-1954--19541954 The Turing Machine Aka The Universal Machine 1936 JohnJohn VincentVincent AtanasoffAtanasoff (1903(1903(1903-1995)--1995)1995) Physics Prof At Iowa State University, Ames, IA CliffordClifford BerryBerry (1918(1918(1918-1963)--1963)1963) PhD student of Dr. Atanasoff’s 19391939 TheThe AtanasoffAtanasoffAtanasoff-Berry--BerryBerry ComputerComputer (ABC)(ABC) The ABC was the first electronic digital computer, invented by John Vincent Atanasoff 19431943 BletchleyBletchley ParkParkPark’s’’ss ColossusColossus The Enigma Machine 19461946 TheThe ENIACENIAC --Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer John Presper Eckert (1919-1995) and John Mauchly (1907-1980) of the University of Pennsylvania Moore School of Engineering TheThe ENIAC:ENIAC: ElectronicElectronic NumericalNumerical IntegratorIntegrator andand ComputerComputer 30 tons, 18,000 vacuum Tubes (little powerful than the modern Calculator) ENIACENIACENIAC’s’’ss Wiring!Wiring! ProgrammingProgramming thethe ENIACENIAC $40 millions for a calculator!!! 19511951 UnivacUnivac Typical 1968 prices—EX-cluding maintenance & support! FirstFirst Generation:Generation: VonnVonn Neuman Neuman MachineMachine 1948 and beyond… 1903-1957 "Baby""Baby" atat thethe MuseumMuseum ofof ScienceScience andand IndustryIndustry inin ManchesterManchester (MSIM),(MSIM), EnglandEngland VonnVonn Neuman Neuman Architecture Architecture  Stored Program Computer  Programmable  Instruction Set Architecture  Memory bandwidth UNIVAC-I:UNIVAC-I: FirstFirst MassMass ProducedProduced ComputerComputer :: GenerationGeneration 22  Universal Automatic Computer  Originally made by Remington Rand  Sold 46 machines at $1 million each  1900 operations per second in a smaller and more efficient package than ENIAC. TheThe IBMIBM MainMain FrameFrame computerscomputers  1952, IBM announced the 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine  First of its successful 700/7000 Mainframe computers  Fortran was developed during 1955 and 56  Microprogramming was invented during this time PunchedPunched CardsCards  A punch card or punched card is a piece of stiff paper that contains digital information represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions GenerationGeneration 3:3: Post-1960Post-1960  Jack St. Clair Kilby's and Robert Noyce's independent invention of the integrated circuit  Invention of the microprocessor, by Ted Hoff and Federico Faggin at Intel.  Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, is credited with developing the first mass-market home computers. Future???Future??? Nano-technology Quantum Computing… Your mind (if applied)….
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