HISTORY OF THE COMPUTER

Edward StormsSD1230

Intro to Application Design & DevelopmentUnit 1 Assignment 1

The Computer

The computer or the idea of what we call a computer has be devolving since the 1800’s

and is still evolving today.

1800’S 2000’S

Charles Babbage

“Father of the computer”

Came up with the Difference engine Later designed the Analytical Engine

His designs eventually led to more complex designs that helped with the modern

computer.

Herman Hollerith

Made the first tabulating machine . Used with the US Census and rail roads

Gave the ability to count and track data much faster using punch cards.

Colossus computer

World's first electronic digital computer that was at all programmable.

Developed for British code breakers during World War II to help in the cryptanalysis of the Lorenz cipher.

Designed by Tommy Flowers

ENIAC

First electronic general-purpose computer.

Designed to calculate artillery firing tables for the US Army.

Capable of being reprogrammed.

UNIVAC

First commercially available computer invented by John Presper Eckert and John

Mauchly

First used for the US Census.

Von Neumann

Designed architecture for an electronic digital computer.

More of the modern computer than previous “computers”.

IBM 701

Introduced in 1952 IBM’s first commercial scientific

computer Forced to develop due to fear of losing

customers because of the overwhelming amount of punch cards.

Sent IBM forward into more computer development.

Lead to the Defense Calculator

Transistor

Originally developed in 1947 by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley.

Much smaller than a vacuum tube and produced less heat also longer life.

Allowed computer to be made much smaller.

Transistors could be put on an integrated circuit with other parts to make a chip.

Microprocessor

Introduced by Intel. Multiple integrated circuits in one. Programmed like a computer.

Apple

Co-founded by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs.

Steve Wozniak invented both the Apple I and Apple II computers in the late 1970s.

These computers contributed significantly to the microcomputer revolution which lead to the computers that we know and love today.

Summary

No matter what you really do today you will most likely end up using a computer even if

you didn’t know it.

The journey has been many years and with Moore’s law there will be many new things

to come to the computers.