Why build a computer? u Computers were developed to mechanize mathematical computations. u Two...
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Transcript of Why build a computer? u Computers were developed to mechanize mathematical computations. u Two...
Why build a computer?
Computers were developed to mechanize mathematical computations.
Two definitions: A computer is “a programmable electronic device that
can store, retrieve, and process data.” - Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2000
A computer is “one who computes; a reckoner; a calculator.” - Webster’s Dictionary, 1828
Computer History
Mechanical devices (past - 1890)
Electro-mechanical devices (1890 - 1942)
“Modern” Computers:1st Generation - Vacuum tubes (1942 - 1959)
2nd Generation - Transistors (1959 - 1965)
3rd Generation - Integrated Circuit (1965 - 1971)
4th Generation - Microprocessor (1971 -)
1642 Base-10 adding machine Carried one digit to the next Never really used
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)“Pascaline”
1694 Base-10 multiplication machine Worked by repeated addition
Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716)“Leibniz calculator”
1801 Weaved patterns
described by holes in punched cards
1st programmable device
Joseph-Marie Jacquard (1752-1834) “Jacquard’s loom”
1822 Calculated squares and
cubes using the method of differences
Base-10 Never completed
Charles Babbage (1793-1871)“Difference Engine”
Charles Babbage (cont.) “Analytical Engine”
1833 Primary innovation:
The difference engine was single-purpose
The analytical engine was general-purpose
Anticipated modern computers by: Separating processing from
storage Using punched cards for
input Was never built
A supporter and mentor of Babbage Translated material on the analytical engine Suggested that punched cards could “instruct” the
engine to perform and repeat operations The Ada programming language is named for her
Ada Augusta (1816-1852) “the first programmer”
Mechanized the 1890 US census
Worked by electronically counting one card per person
Formed a company that eventually became IBM
Herman Hollerith (1860-1929)“tabulating machine”
1942 The first electronic
computer Snubbed by IBM Never patented
John Atanasoff (1903-1995)“Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC)”
Other Early Computers
Colossus (1943 - Bletchley Park)
Used by the British to break German codes in WWII
ENIAC (1946 - U Pennsylvania)
Used by the US Army to compute artillery firing tables
Mark I (1944 - Harvard and IBM)Funded by the US Navy to compute navigation tables
Stored-Program Computers
ENIAC (1946 – U Pennsylvania) 18,000 vacuum tubes, hard-wired for task Used to compute artillery firing tables
von Neumann’s draft report (1945) “von Neumann” architecture
EDSAC (1949 - U Cambridge) The first large-scale stored-program machine Did not have to be rewired for a new task
John von Neumann
UNIVAC
An updated version of the ENIAC. Sold to the US census bureau and
delivered in 1951 Successfully predicted the outcome of
1952 presidential election based on early returns
IBM
UNIVAC’s success scared Thomas Watson, Jr.
IBM 700 series “Big Blue” held 75% of the
market by 1957 and dominated the industry for the next 25 years
PDP-8
Using transistors made computers smaller, faster, and more reliable
Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) built the PDP series starting in 1960
The PDP-8, 1963, was the definitive mini-computer
IBM 360
Using integrated circuits made computers even smaller, and capable of being mass produced.
The IBM-360 series, starting in 1964, was the definitive IC computer.
The Personal Computer
Altair (1975) The Altair 8800 was the first affordable
personal computer 256 bytes of memory
Apple II (1977) IBM PC (1981) Apple Macintosh (1984) The PC Today (20__)