History of Computers, Lesson 2 Computer Applications, Lesson 1 Computer Applications

John Napier

He developed "Napier's Rods." It was a calculator made from rods. It allowed people to multiply numbers faster.

audio input

inputting sound into a computer

control unit

part of the CPU that controls the flow of information through the processor

Tommy Flowers

Another member of the Bletchley Park World War II team. He was instrumental in building the world's first electronic computer: Colossus. The principle purpose of the machine was to break the Lorenz Cipher, used by high-level Germans, including Adolf Hitler.

Gordan Moore

As the founder of Intel, He has helped shape the modern world and create the base technology platform that the majority of the world uses, whether its Linux, Windows or Mac OS X.

The Ladies of ENIAC

Comprised of Kay McNulty, Marlyn Wescoff, Fran Bilas, Ruth Lichterman, Adele Goldstine (and Betty Snyder), these ladies were the first "computors" working on ENIAC at the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Engineering.

Bill Gates

He created the computer language known as "Windows." He also made the Personal Computer (PC) popular by bringing it over from Japan.

Tim Berners-Lee

He designed and built the first web browser, created the first web server and, in short, changed the entire world as we know it. We're now so reliant on the internet that it's impossible to imagine life without the world wide web.

Joseph Jacquard

He developed a weaving machine that was controlled by punch cards. This invention led to the method of storing information by using punch cards.

Herman Hollerith

He invented the "Tabulating Machine." The Tabulating Machine used punch cards to store information. It was later used to tabulate the U.S. Census.

Charles Babbage

He is known as the "Father of Computers." He developed the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine. These two machines were powered by steam to move the punch cards and operate the gears. His ideas were later used to design calculators and computers.

Blaise Pascal

He was a mathematician who developed the "Pascaline." This was the first mechanical adding machine. The Pascaline was a wooden box that could add and subtract by using a series of gears and wheels.

2nd Generation of Computers (Transistors)

IBM - NCR - RCA - UNIVAC

Electronic Discrete Variable Computer (EDVAC)

John Von Neumann developed the EDVAC. It was one of the first computers to use memory to store programs and data.

3rd Generation of Computers (Integrated Circuits)

Mainframe and Minicomputer

1st Generation of Computers (Vacuum Tubes)

Mark I - ENIAC - EDVAC

4th Generation of Computers (Microprocessor (CPU)

Microcomputers

5th Generation of Computers (Microprocessor and AI)

Microcomputers and beyond

Ada Lovelace

She is considered to be the first computer programmer. She wrote a computer language for the Analytical Engine.

Jean E. Sammet

She was responsible for developing the first computer language while working at IBM. Her program, FORMAC, was the first widely used computer language for the symbolic manipulation of mathematical formulas.

Vacuum Tubes (1940's)

They were electronic devices that controlled the flow of electricity in and out of a computer. They looked like long light bulbs.

Abacus

This is considered to be the first calculating device. The Chinese developed it in the year 2600 B.C.

Electronical Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC)

This was the first all-electric computer. John Eckert and John Mauchly developed it in 1946. It was very large and consumed a large amount of electricity. It was not used after 1955.

Mark I (1944)

This was the very first electronic computer. It was designed by Howard Aiken and Grace Hopper. It could automatically solve differential equations and prepare mathematical tables.

Transistors (1950's)

Transistors replaced the use of vacuum tubes. They controlled the flow of electricity in and out of the computer. They were much more reliable than the vacuum tubes.

motherboard

a circuit board that contains all of the computer system's main components

printer

a device that produces a paper or hard copy

trackball

a pointing device that works like a mouse turned upside down; the ball is on top of the device

universal serial bus (USB)

a port that can connect up to 127 different peripherals with a single connector

circuit board

a thin plate inside the computer that contains electronic components

Steve Jobs

along with Stephen Wozniak and Ronald founded Apple. Although the company had early success with the Apple and in particular, the Apple II, it was the original Macintosh (1984) that changed things: it was the first computer to have a graphical user interface and mouse rather than a command line interface. He developed the very first Apple in his garage.

computer

an electronic device that receives, processes, and stores data and produces results

scanner

an input device that can change images into codes for input to the computer

port

an interface to which a peripheral device attaches to or communicates with the computer

keyboard

common input device for entering numeric and alphabetic data into the computer

modem

communications hardware device that facilitates the transmission of data

random access memory (RAM)

computer location where instructions and data are stored on a temporary basis. Memory is volatile.

server

computer that handles requests for data, email, file transfers, and other network services from other computers

input

data entered into the computer and then stored temporarily or permanently

hard disks

data storage unit inside a computer that can store a large quantity of data but cannot be easily removed from the computer

output

data that has been processed into a useful format

pointing device

device such as a mouse or trackball that allows the user to select objects on the screen

digital camera

device that takes and stores photographs (pictures) as digital files

mobile devices

devices that fit into the palm of your hand; cell phone, Ipod, tablets

monitor

display device on a computer that includes a screen

Douglas Engelbart

he created the mouse (then a wooden shell with two metal wheels in it), still the de facto way that we interact with computers today. He and his team also created bit-mapped screens, hypertext and some precursors to the graphical user interface (GUI).

data

information entered into the computer that consists of text, numbers, and images

Integrated Circuits (1960's)

is a tiny chip that contains thousands of tiny circuits. They are about the size of a fingernail and are made from silicone (hard plastic). They allow electricity to flow throughout the computer.

supercomputer

largest and fastest computers, capable of storing and processing tremendous volumes of data

Philip Don Estridge

led the development of the IBM Personal Computer (PC), arguably the most important computer in the history of computers. It's the creation of this computer that's led to the types of computer that we have today.

central processing unit (CPU)

microprocessor; the brains of the computer

expansion slot

opening on the motherboard where an expansion board can be inserted

information

output produced by a computer after it processes data

arithmetic/logic unit (ALU)

part of the central processing unit that performs arithmetic computations and logical operations

read-only memory (ROM)

permanent storage; instructions are burned on chips by the manufacturer

tablet PC

personal computer similar to a notebook; can have a touch screen or stylus

hardware

physical computer equipment that can be touched like mouse, keyboard, monitor

mouse

pointing device that communicates instructions to the computer

laser printer

printer that produces images using the same technology as copier machines

inkjet printer

printer that uses a nonimpact process where ink is squirted from nozzles as it passes over the print head

software

set of instructions that tells the computer what to do

notebook computers

small and portable computer

USB flash drive

small removable data storage device

biometrics

technique or device that examines a fingerprint, voice pattern, or the iris or retina of the eye

plug-and-play

technology that allows a peripheral device to be attached to a computer so it automatically works

Grace Hopper

was credited with popularizing the term "bug" and "debugging" - reportedly when she had to remove a moth from the inside of a computer, was instrumental in the creation of FLOW-MATIC language for the UNIVAC I and UNIVAC II computers and was quoted as saying "It is easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission."

Alan Turing

was principally a mathematician, most famous for helping break the German's Enigma code during World War II at Bletchley Park. He turned to computers to help break codes faster, saving millions of lives in the process and shortening the length of the war.

Microprocessors (1970's)

were developed by M.E. Hoff. It allowed scientists to put more complex circuits and large memory storage on a very small computer chip.

memory

where data is stored on the computer's motherboard