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Decoding Computers from Mainframes to Microchips

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Decoding Computers from Mainframes to Microchips Decoding Computers From Mainframes to Microchips It’s hard to imagine a world without computers, but there was a time, not too long ago, when they were kept under lock and key. They were stored in specially outfitted rooms, operated by specially trained personnel, performing especially important functions away from the public eye. These first computers, called mainframes, were enormous. We can trace the beginnings of today’s computers to these old mainframes, much like the fossil hunters who seek clues about early life on earth. How did we get here? How did we go from room-filling mainframes to pocket-sized computers? VISIT OUR MUSEUM! Schedule a tour for your classroom today! Go to livingcomputers. org/ and click on visit to learn more. 2245 1st Ave S | Seattle, WA 206-342-2020 | livingcomputers.org Decoding Computers: From Mainframes to Microchips What is a Computer? Basic Parts of a Computer • Hardware: The stuff you can hold — the materials and components It’s simply a machine that stores and processes information, designed to complete tasks that were too dull or difficult for humans. With the right • Software: The stuff you can use once you boot up and log-on instruction, a computer can be made to do almost anything the user can • Applications: Programs you can download and upload, open and close — conceive, from ordering a pizza pie to calculating pi. everything from the word processor you use for English class to the social media you use to chat with friends and frenemies • Operating system: The go-between for hardware and applications that manages the resource constraints of the hardware and the demands of the app Hardware is like a skateboard. It’s the things you can buy, or build; the board, trucks, and wheels. The Evolution of Computing The software is what you learn: ollies, shove-its, and, who knows, maybe 720 gazelle flips. THE PUNCH CARD Swipe. Tap. Pinch. Click. We use computers very differently than our grandparents and great- APPLE I grandparents used them. We look at a screen and Introduced 1977 drag our mouse or finger to the link, dropdown The Apple I was designed by menu or application that we’re searching for. In the a member of the Homebrew “Jurassic” era of computing, however, there wasn’t a Computer Club. This club screen. Or a mouse. Users of mainframes would poke was organized by amateurs holes in foot-high stacks of paper punch cards, which and hobbyists, tinkerers and were recognized as instructions by computers. “thinkerers,” who shared a curiosity about how computers work. They were also “big CDC 6500 picture” thinkers. They reasoned computers were too expensive, Introduced 1967 and way too hard to use for the average Jane or Joe. The Apple I Control Data Corp. (CDC) made some of the tried to fix that. Not only was this the first product of one of the biggest computers in the world. The CDC 6500, most recognizable companies in the world, it also created a new pictured here, weighed in at a floor-busting category of computing: the microcomputer. 16,650 pounds! These powerful machines were supercomputers. At a price of $6 million, not just anyone could get their hands on a IBM PC supercomputer. And not just anyone was allowed to even get close to one. Introduced 1981 Top-secret stuff! The United States government used CDC’s supercomputers in By 1980, IBM was not their arms race for the most powerful weapons. only the largest computer company in the United Sponsored Newspapers In Education Content In Education Newspapers Sponsored XEROX ALTO States, it was one of Introduced 1973 the largest companies The Xerox Alto was an experiment in how in the world. While people might use a computer. Take a look at IBM represented the old order of mainframe computing, it the picture here. Doesn’t the Alto look like a was still capable of learning new tricks. The IBM PC was the modern computer? It has a mouse, a keyboard cheapest product in its history. It came bundled with both a and a monitor. And it has a GUI, or graphical user word processor and a spreadsheet application. These were the interface, which allowed users to directly interact original killer apps. Families and businesses could now do many with the monitor display. The Alto was not designed as a commercial product, but as a useful things on the computer, like budgeting their expenses. research vessel. Only about 2,000 were sold, mainly to universities and Xerox facilities, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017 | DECEMBER 3, 2017 SUNDAY, but history isn’t measured by sales figures. It’s measured by the quality of ideas. 2 Basic Parts of a Computer Microchips • Hardware: The stuff you can hold — the materials and components Growing Smaller • Software: The stuff you can use once you boot up and log-on • Applications: Programs you can download and upload, open and close — Moore’s Law tells us that computer everything from the word processor you use for English class to the social chips (think the brains of a computer) media you use to chat with friends and frenemies will get smaller, cheaper, and better • Operating system: The go-between for hardware and applications that very fast. Stupefyingly fast. By manages the resource constraints of the hardware and the demands of the app cramming more and more transistors Hardware is like a skateboard. It’s the things you can buy, or build; the board, trucks, and wheels. (think connectors in the brain) onto The software is what you learn: ollies, shove-its, and, who knows, maybe 720 gazelle flips. a single chip, computing power has doubled in capacity every two years for the past 50 years. APPLE I WINDOWS 95 Introduced 1977 Introduced 1995 Gordon Moore first made the The Apple I was designed by The success of observation that made him famous a member of the Homebrew microcomputers like in 1965. At the time, he was working Computer Club. This club the IBM PC proved that at Fairchild Semiconductor. Based in was organized by amateurs hardware and equipment California’s South Bay, Fairchild was and hobbyists, tinkerers and weren’t enough to sell one of the first companies to pioneer “thinkerers,” who shared products. Computers a radical new design to replace unreliable vacuum tube technology a curiosity about how computers work. They were also “big needed to have something you could do with them; they Content In Education Newspapers Sponsored picture” thinkers. They reasoned computers were too expensive, needed to have software. Enter Microsoft. Maybe you’ve with a chip made from the semi- and way too hard to use for the average Jane or Joe. The Apple I heard of them? This company specialized in writing software, conductive element, silicon (though we tried to fix that. Not only was this the first product of one of the including an operating system for the IBM PC, which manages know it better as sand). Rather than most recognizable companies in the world, it also created a new the resources of hardware with the demands of applications. using lightbulb filaments that burnt category of computing: the microcomputer. Windows 95 was the product that made Microsoft one of the out quickly, Fairchild Semiconductor largest companies in the world. It became the operating system used single-piece silicon chips to more of the majority of computers, like this Dell Dimension XPS. reliably — and efficiently! — process, IBM PC store and move data. The South Bay, Introduced 1981 or Silicon Valley, owes its name to THE SMARTPHONE By 1980, IBM was not engineers like Gordon Moore. He later Today you cannot escape computers. They only the largest computer went on to co-found Intel, one of the are everywhere: In our classrooms, our company in the United largest manufacturers of computer | workspaces, and, more often than not, in our States, it was one of chips in the world. DECEMBER 3, 2017 SUNDAY, purses and pockets. The average smartphone the largest companies of middling intelligence is far more powerful in the world. While For decades, Moore’s Law predicted than the fastest supercomputers of the 1960s IBM represented the old order of mainframe computing, it the future of the computing industry. and ’70s. It can do so much more, and has was still capable of learning new tricks. The IBM PC was the Now, analysts are predicting the end changed how we work, play, socialize, study, cheapest product in its history. It came bundled with both a of Moore’s Law. Most agree that date; in a word, it has changed how we live. word processor and a spreadsheet application. These were the Moore’s Law will join vacuum tubes original killer apps. Families and businesses could now do many in the digital dustbin of computing useful things on the computer, like budgeting their expenses. history by 2025. 3 Decoding Computers: From Mainframes to Microchips Computer Science in All Fields Computers and programming evolved faster than anyone could have imagined, and these tools are used every day in a variety of fields and across many diverse applications. Computing technology was born out of great scientific and academic study, so it’s not surprising that these groups still utilize computers to push their research further. Many STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers involve programming computers to gather data, create 3D models, crunch large equations, or create the latest holiday tech gadget. But did you know computer science can be found in fields like design, fashion, gaming, animation, and more? It’s true. Coding has become the foundation for many people to create what they need from scratch – from light-up wearables for the runway to bringing your favorite characters to life on screen, computer science is there.
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