INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING
History of Computer (Outline)
Almost every other year there is news about the new advancement in computer
technology, whether it might be a new type of gadget, new phone feature, or an update
on product interface. Slowly, modern computers look very far from what they were when
they were first released, decades ago.
I. Early computers in 1800s
- Computers started in 1801 with Joseph Marie Jacquard built a loom that
automates the design of woven fabrics with the use of wooden punch cards—
which are similarly used in the production of early computers.
- Then, Charles Babbage, with the help of English government funds, was able
to create a calculating machine that uses steam to work.
- Later in 1890, seemed like Herman Hollerith—who will later establish IBM—
merged these two concepts together, inventing a punch card system that will
calculate the 1880 U.S. census. Although it took him three years to produce
such, the product was able to save the government $5 million.
II. Computers in 1900s
- Then year 1936, Alan Turing created the Turing machine that was able to
compute anything, which idea became the concept of the modern computer.
- A year later, Iowa State University professor, J.V. Atanasoff attempted to build
a computer without cams, belts, gears, or shafts.
- Two years after, Bill Hewlett and David Packard produced their first project
HP 200A Audio Oscillator that would gain attention to engineers.
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- Then the year 1941, Atanasoff with graduate student Clifford Berry, built a
computer that was able to solve 29 equations simultaneously—the first ever
computer that was able to store its own memory.
- Later in 1943, professors from the University of Pennsylvania, John Mauchly
and J. Presper Eckert, cultivated what will become the grandfather of digital
computers, Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC).
- This year also came the Relay Interpolator—later known as Bell Labs Model
II—from George Stibitz which aims large guns to their targets.
- 1944 became the birth year of Harvard Mark 1, a relay-based calculator of a
size of a room, created by Harvard professor Howard Aiken.
- Then transistors came in the year 1947 by Walter Brattain, William Shockley,
and John Bradeen of Bell Laboratories, which created a path to make electric
switch through solid.
- A year later, Small-Scale Experimental Machine by Frederick Williams,
Geoff Toothill, and Tom Kilburn from the University of Manchester became
the first program to run on a digital, electronic, and stored-program computer.
- In 1950, Standard Eastern Automatic Computer (SEAC), produced in
Washinton DC, was named as the first stored program computer completed in
the U.S.
- Three years later, COBOL was established by Grace Hopper which is the first
computer language.
- Then, same year, IBM 701 EDOM was established by Thomas Johnson Watson
Jr.
- On 1954, the FORTRAN programming language was created by John Backus
with other IBM programmers.
- The computer chip was later developed in 1958 by Jack Kirby and Robert
Noyce.
History of Computer (Outline)
Almost every other year there is news about the new advancement in computer
technology, whether it might be a new type of gadget, new phone feature, or an update
on product interface. Slowly, modern computers look very far from what they were when
they were first released, decades ago.
I. Early computers in 1800s
- Computers started in 1801 with Joseph Marie Jacquard built a loom that
automates the design of woven fabrics with the use of wooden punch cards—
which are similarly used in the production of early computers.
- Then, Charles Babbage, with the help of English government funds, was able
to create a calculating machine that uses steam to work.
- Later in 1890, seemed like Herman Hollerith—who will later establish IBM—
merged these two concepts together, inventing a punch card system that will
calculate the 1880 U.S. census. Although it took him three years to produce
such, the product was able to save the government $5 million.
II. Computers in 1900s
- Then year 1936, Alan Turing created the Turing machine that was able to
compute anything, which idea became the concept of the modern computer.
- A year later, Iowa State University professor, J.V. Atanasoff attempted to build
a computer without cams, belts, gears, or shafts.
- Two years after, Bill Hewlett and David Packard produced their first project
HP 200A Audio Oscillator that would gain attention to engineers.
, Page 2
- Then the year 1941, Atanasoff with graduate student Clifford Berry, built a
computer that was able to solve 29 equations simultaneously—the first ever
computer that was able to store its own memory.
- Later in 1943, professors from the University of Pennsylvania, John Mauchly
and J. Presper Eckert, cultivated what will become the grandfather of digital
computers, Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC).
- This year also came the Relay Interpolator—later known as Bell Labs Model
II—from George Stibitz which aims large guns to their targets.
- 1944 became the birth year of Harvard Mark 1, a relay-based calculator of a
size of a room, created by Harvard professor Howard Aiken.
- Then transistors came in the year 1947 by Walter Brattain, William Shockley,
and John Bradeen of Bell Laboratories, which created a path to make electric
switch through solid.
- A year later, Small-Scale Experimental Machine by Frederick Williams,
Geoff Toothill, and Tom Kilburn from the University of Manchester became
the first program to run on a digital, electronic, and stored-program computer.
- In 1950, Standard Eastern Automatic Computer (SEAC), produced in
Washinton DC, was named as the first stored program computer completed in
the U.S.
- Three years later, COBOL was established by Grace Hopper which is the first
computer language.
- Then, same year, IBM 701 EDOM was established by Thomas Johnson Watson
Jr.
- On 1954, the FORTRAN programming language was created by John Backus
with other IBM programmers.
- The computer chip was later developed in 1958 by Jack Kirby and Robert
Noyce.
