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| A Brief History of Computers |
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A Brief History of Computers
The word 'computer' originally implied a person, who, under
instructions from a mathematician, performed mechanical
calculations. Mechanical calculating devices such as the abacus
were often put to use to aid this process.
At the end of the Middle Ages, mathematics and engineering in
Europe received a considerable boost, thus leading to the
invention of numerous mechanical calculating devices. The
technology for clockwork was developed by the early 17th
century. The period between the early 19th century and early
20th century saw the development of a number of technologies
which would be vital for the development of the digital computer
later on. Some examples are the punched card and the valve.
Charles Babbage was the first person to design a fully programmable
computer as early as 1837. However, he was unable to
actually construct his computer due to a variety of reasons.
Analog computers were increasingly used in the first half of the
20th century for a number of scientific computing needs.
However, they became obsolete after the development of the
digital computer.
The first digital computer was the Atanasoff Berry Computer . It
used a binary system of arithmetic, parallel processing, a
separation of memory and computing functions and regenerative
memory. Binary math and electronic circuits - both of which are
used in today's computers - were first used in the Atanasoff
Berry Computer.
In the 1930's and 1940's, newer and more efficient computers
were continuously developed. Gradually, they came to possess the
key features which are present in modern day computers - digital
electronics and flexibility of programming.
Among the more important machines to be developed during this
time, the American ENIAC was prominent. It was a general purpose
machine, but had an inflexible architecture. Later a far
superior technique known as the stored program architecture was
developed. It is the foundation from which all modern
computers are derived.
Throughout the 1950's, computer design was primarily valve
driven. This was later replaced by transistor-driven design in
the 1960's. Transistor-based computers were smaller, faster and
cheaper, and hence commercially viable. Integrated circuit
technology, adopted in the 1970's enabled computer production
costs to hit a new low, so that even individuals could afford
them. That was the birth of the personal computer, as it is
known today.
About the author:
Logan writes about various topics. This article is free to
re-print as long as all hyper links remain intacked and the
rel="nofollow" tag isnt added to any links. Thank-You
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| Category
computer software and internet |
Author
David Gabbitas |
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