Early Computing
Antikyhera Mechanism
Created between 205 - 100 BCE First known analog computer
Charles Babbage (1791 - 1871)
Designed first programmable computer
Thomas Goldsmith and Estle Mann
Develop Casthode-Ray Tube Amusement Device Fire missiles at airplanes Prominent members of SMPTE
Bletchley Park and Colossus
Dorothy Du Boisson and Elsie Booker operate code-breaking Colossus Mk. 2 @ Bletchley Park, England 1944
Alan Turing ( 1912 - 1954)
English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, and computer scientist Developed the concepts of algorithm and computation. Considered father of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Created first Human vs. AI Chess match Arrested in 1952 for homosexuality Ate apple laced w/ cyanide and died
ARC (1947-1953)
First computer w/ Assembly Language Assembly written notably by Kathleen Booth
ENIAC (1946 - 1955)
First programmable Computer Programmers Betty Jean Jennings and Fran Bilas Six original programmers were women
Ralph Baer (1922 - 2014)
Fled Germany for US in 1938 Served in WWII in Military Intelligence Came up with idea of using principles of signal testing to create a game Joined Sanders Associates in 1956 Began developing game system there Brown Box was title Licensed to Magnavox in 1971, released in 1972 Saved Sanders from bankruptcy
Spacewar! Extra
Game distributed to all DEC PDP series computers DEC setup engineers used the game as diagnostic Inspired more game developers
William Higinbotham (1910 - 1994)
Head of electronics group at Los Alamos during WWII Worked at Brookhaven National Laborattory Created Tennis for Two 1958
Tech Model Railroad Club
MIT 1948 - Present Originally developed to automate processes Basically a DYI society and a wellspring of hackers MIT had received PDP 1 from DEC TMRC formed a committee to figure it out
First Computer Game
Nim Nimrod @ 1951 Festival of Britain Simple Strategy game similar to Mancala Impacted mathematicians Hugely popular @ Festival
Grace Hopper
Part of team for UNIVAC First programmers of Harvard Mark I Invented first compiler Popularized term debugging Developed COBOL language Retired as a Rear Admiral
Magnavox Odyssey
Released in 1972 Cost $100, expensive for time Poorly marketed, did not need Magnavox TV to use it Mix of Analog and Digital, battery powered Lack of audio, removable circuit cards
Early Commercial Computers
Remington Rand 409 Massive IBM Machine
Beyond the US and UK
Russia - MESM Israel - WEIZAC
Steve "Slug" Russel (1937 - present)
Studied at Dartmouth, then MIT Developed initial version of Spacewar! Game used realistic physics and a real star field
Lady Ada Byron Lovelace (1815 - 1852)
Translated Italian articles to English Wrote the first 'computer program' Credited as being the first computer programmer\ Has a lasting influence on many women in modern times
