Why is this course important? correct answers Computers are ubiquitous, useful & found
everywhere. We are unaware of its full potential
Earliest computing device? correct answers Abacus ("a finger powered calculator")
Algorithm correct answers A finite set of unambiguous instructions to solve a problem
Early example of algorithm correct answers 300 BC - Euclidean algorithm (for finding the
greatest common divisor)
60-120 AD - sieve of Eratosthenes (for finding prime numbers)
Early calculating machine types correct answers Manual or mechanic
Jacquard Loom (1801) correct answers Used punchcards to define complex patterns
George Boole (1815-1864) correct answers Created Boolean algebra and Boolean logic
Boolean algebra correct answers Dealing with representatives of numbers, not the actual number
itself
Claude Shannon (1916-2001) correct answers Father of modern info age, he applied boolean
logic
Claude Shannon published? correct answers Theory of communication for establishing principles
of encoding
Storage exists because of who? correct answers Claude Shannon
John Von Neumann Architecture correct answers Stored program, binary internal coding ( 1 &
0's), CPU-Memory-I/O organization
Alan Turing (1912-1954) correct answers The Turing Machine + Turing Test
ENIAC stands for? correct answers Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer
What is ENIAC? correct answers ENIAC was the first electronic general-purpose computer
What controlled the flow of electric signals? correct answers Vacuum tubes in the ENIAC
Vacuum tubes - cons correct answers Large, slow, repetitive and generate heat
Mainframe correct answers Large and very expensive computer
, Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992) correct answers Created the 1st compiler, b/c she was tired of
writing machine code by hand
Compiler process correct answers High level language -> compressor -> low level language
High level language correct answers Programming language that looks more like english
Low level language correct answers 1's and 0's
The transistor correct answers Replaced vacuum tube, fast, small, durable, cheap (made things
non-manual)
Transistor invented correct answers 20th century
Integrated Circuit (IC) correct answers Microchip that allows many transistors onto small
surfaces and lowers cost
1st device with transistor correct answers Hearing aid (1953) : Zenith Royal-T "tubeless" hearing
aid
IBM System 360 (1964) correct answers International Business Machine (a family of computers
compatible w architecture (von neumann)
IBM System established the _____________ for _________________ correct answers standard,
mainframe
Margaret Hamilton (1936-present) correct answers In NASA, she led the team which coded
programming for the guidance computer. She is a pioneer in software engineering
Gordan Bell (DEC) correct answers Developed 1st "mini" computer. Competition for IBM &
UNIVAC who only created mainframes
DEC correct answers Digital Equipment Corporation
DEC PDP-8 correct answers $20,000 vs a $1M for a mainframe (1960s)
Specialized computers correct answers Devices that are not typical computers : weather
forecasting & code breaking
1st commercially available microprocessor (programmable calculator) correct answers Intel 4004
microprocessors
Desktop and Portable Computers (1975+) correct answers Had : microprocessor, all-in-one
design
Altair 8800 (1975) correct answers First personal computer