History of computers

The first generation

(1946-1958) Vacuum Tubes used to store and process data

The second generation

(1959-1965) Transistors used to store and process data.

Third generation

(1965-1970) Integrated circuits used to store and process data

Fourth generation

(1971-present) Birth of the microprocessor, all the components of a computer on one chip.

Paul allen

Cofounder of Microsoft. Co-wrote the first version of BASIC for the PC's.

Alan Turing

Invented the Science of computing. Worked with British Intelligence during World War II, Turing was head of the team that cracked the German Enigma encryption machine. The Turing Bomb was the first machine produced b ased on Turing's ideas. Does not get title of first modern computer because parts were still mechanical. Started discussions on Artificial Intelligence.

Grace Hopper

Invented the compiler (program used to translate programming language into the machines language). Co-creator of the programming language COBOL. Coined the term "Computer Bug" (the first computer bug was a moth).

Blaise Pascal

Invented the first mechanical adding machine, the Pascalene.

Nicholas negroponte

Researcher whose work on the One Laptop Per Child program demonstrated a market for inexpensive computers. This discovery lead directly to the boom in mobile, wireless computing that is still building today.

Altair 8800

The first personal computer.

Killer app

A program so amazingly useful that all by itself, the program justifies the cost of the computer it will be run on. The killer app driving the computer industry today is the Web Browser.

Microprocessor chip

All of the computers logical functions are in one place, and works as a central processing unit (CPU). Components are smaller, quicker and closer together. The race for miniaturization begins.

Cp/m

An early operating system used by PC's

Bios

Basic Input Output System. Stored in ROM, BIOS tells the computer about its own hardware settings, allowing the computer to work the moment it is switched on. The development of BIOS lowered the bar enabling more developers to write for personal computers, and allows more people to make use of them.

BASIC

Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. Revolutionized the software industry. Key language of the PC that can be easily learned by beginners. BASIC is included with every PC from the Altair though Windows 95. Anyone with an interest could program a computer. Never before tested ideas find the light of day.

Steve Jobs

Cofounder of Apple computers

Steve Wozniak

Cofounder of Apple computers, developed the designs of the first apple computers.

Integrated Circuit

Components on an IC are painted onto the chip in a process called lithograph. Hand wiring is no longer necessary. Individual functionality of the computer are isolated on separate chips.

Gary kildall

Created CPM; Part of the story where Microsoft partners with IBM to build the PC.

Commodore pet and tsr 80

Early personal computers. Pet - an early all in one design including storage, keyboard and monitor. TRS80 - early color computer.

Z1

First computer to include memory functions - A mechanical calculating machine

Harvard Mark 1

First computer to use the common operations of add/sub/mul/div. Partly mechanical.

Hollerith Tabulating machine

First machine used as a modern computer is used. Used on Elis Island to track immigrants entering the country. Punch cards were employed to track census data.

Microsoft

Focused originally on writing the first programming languages for the first PC's

Bill gates

Founder of Microsoft. Co-wrote the first version of BASIC for the PC's.

IBM pc

Legitimizes the pc industry (no longer thought of as toys). Brings big business into the pc market. IBM PC's quickly dominate sales.

Xerox parc

Palo Alto Research Center. Invented the modern paperless office and pioneer ideas such as What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) interface, Graphical user interface (GUI), Windowing, using a mouse pointer, eithernet, and the laser printer. Developed the first computer with a GUI interface, the Star Office System.

Transistors

Replacement switch for the vacuum tube. Transistors are made of silicon. They are cheaper to make, use far less power, and function quicker. Transistors still needed to be hand wired together, limited the size and complexity of computers

Jacquard Loom

The birth of information processing. Punch cards were used to keep track of the pattern. This is t he first time someone quantified (described) the information.

Charles Babbage

The father of computing. Created the Difference and Analytical Engines.

VisiCalc and wordstar

The first Spreadsheet and Word processing programs available for PC's. They were the first killer apps for the personal computer.

Apple 1 and 11

The first all in one personal computers. Apple II first use Bios.

Analytical and difference machine

The first automatic calculators (typed in numbers at one end, received the answers on the other). Pioneered ideas that are common in computing today (the store = RAM or memory, the mill = ALU logic unit).

Lisa

The first commercially available computer with a GUI interface (sold before the Star System was available). The Lisa was a flop, very few were sold.

UNIVAC

The first commercially successful electronic digital computer. Pioneer the use of magnetic tape. With the use of magnetic tape, computers could store information for later use. A problem no longer had to restart from the beginning if the computer stopped.

Atanasoff- Berry computer

The first computer to use the binary numbering system. First electrically powered digital computer, it used vacuum tubes to store data. Partly mechanical.

vacuum tubes

The first electronic switch used in computers. To function they needed to glow red hot. They were expensive to build, used lots of power, and had a short life.

Pascalene

The first mechanical adding machine. Used a series of geared dials. When the first dial was moved all the way around once, it clicked over one (the carry operation in arithmetic) on the second wheel, and so on. The same technology as a cars odometer.

Osborne

The first portable computer.

Ada Lovelace

The first programmer. Transcribed the notes of Charles Babbage. First to see the potential of computers.

Macintosh

The first successful computer with a GUI interface.

Mosaic

The first web browser. Enabled multimedia (sound, pictures, movies) to be viewed on the internet. Ignited the explosive growth of the internet that is still proceeding today.

ENIAC

the first Modern Computer; Fully electronic, fully digital computer, making use of over 14,000 vacuum tubes.

Turning machine

the theoretical model that all modern computers are based on.