ICT A/L :- History Of ICT

History Of The Computer

 

1. Pre Mechanical era (before 1450)
2. Mechanical era (1450-1840)
3. Electromechanical era (1840-1940)
4. Electronic era (1940-present)

* The Abacus, first mathematical device used in China around in 3000 BC.

* Pascaline is the first mechanical calculator which was invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642. It could preform only addition and subtraction.

* German scientist Gottfried Wilhelm Von Liebnitz improved the pascaline, so it can be used to multiply and divide also. The concept of the punch card had been used for this.

* In 1880 Charlse Babbage (father of the computer) invented the Analytical Engine which could preform mathematical operations and also store data.Charlse presented the concept of Input, Process and Output that used in modern computers. Lady Ada Augesta Lovelace was his first programmer.

* Discovery of the "Electronic Valve" by Forrest in 1906 which laid the foundation to the modern computer technology.

* Mark 1 (automatic sequence calculator) was the first automatic computer which was invented by Howard Aiken (a professor of Harvard University) in 1939.

* ENIAC (Electronic Numeric Integrator And Calculator) invented in 1946 is considered the first electronic digital computer.

* EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) invented in 1948, is considered the digital computer that could store programs.

* The 1^st generation computers (1940-1956) ended with the invention of the transistor in 1947.

* Computers built using transistors are considered as 2^nd generation computers (1956-1964).

* After the invention of Integrated Circuits which were made out of a collection pf transistors, computer became small in size, low in price and also it had a high speed. The computers that were made out of ICs called 3^rd generation computers (1964-1971).

* In course of time, with the advancement of technology Silicon Chips were made. As a result LSI (Large Scale Integrations) & VLSI (Very Large Scale Integrations) chips were found.

* With the development of the technology where thousands of ICs were detached to form a single silicon chip and the Microprocessor was born. Using them increased the speed and efficiency and drop in cost and size. Computers made out of Microprocessor called 4^th generation computers (1971-Present).

* MIT built a microcomputer called ALTAIR 8800 in 1975. In 1981 1st personal computer IBM-PC was build by IBM. Following this Apple Computer Company built the Mackintosh computer in 1984.

* The processor provider of the IBM company was the Intel Company.

* Other organizations that produce processors are Intel, AMD, Cyrix, Motorola & IDT.