Lecture 2

IT 110: Lecture 2Computers : A History

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.“ - Popular Mechanics, 1949

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of DEC

Computers: Rapidly changing history

Always a Need for Computers

Abacus

People have wanted to create machines to help them sort data

In Ancient Times, one device used was the Abacus – used for counting

Adoption of the Arabic numeral system around the world

Al-Jazari

The Castle Clock

The "castle clock", an astronomical clock invented by Al-Jazari in 1206, is thought to be the earliest programmable analog computer. It displayed the zodiac, the solar and lunar orbits, a crescent moon-shaped pointer traveling across a gateway causing automatic doors to open every hour, and five robotic musicians who play music when struck by levers operated by a camshaft attached to a water wheel. The length of day and night could be re-programmed every day in order to account for the changing lengths of day and night throughout the year.

Since the Middle Ages, a series of inventions came out in Europe in which people created mechanisms that performed computer functions

In 1642 Blaise Pascal invented the mechanical calculator

In 1801 a punch card system was created to operate a loom to automatically make detailed patterns in clothing

Creating Mechanical Computers

In 1880 the US government did a census, and it took 9 years to finish adding up all the numbers

Herman Hollerith built a counting machine, which was used in the 1888 census

With his machine it took 6 weeks to the calculations

Hollerith and his friends decided to create a company to sell his machines: International Business Machines (IBM)

Example of the Changes it Could Do

Vacuum Tubes

Vacuum Tube from the 1960s

Thomas Edison credited with inventing the Vacuum Tube in the 19th century

By the 20th century was being used in all kinds of electronic equipment like radios, televisions and the earliest computers

Around 1940, large computers were being built, such as ENAIC and the Mark I

they could only solve one problem at a time Input was based on punched cards and

paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts

Were so big because they need thousands of vacuum tubes

Needed a lot of electricity and generated lots of heat, making them prone to breaking down

Giant Computers

Two important inventions in the 1950s Integrated circuits (aka microchips) Transistors They made computers much smaller and

more efficient Since then, scientists are continually able to

make these components smaller and more powerful

Allowed for the use of monitors and keyboards, and able to run more than one task at a time

New Inventions

Computers and the Public

Spacewar, invented in 1962

Video games show what the capabilities of computers are to the general public

Personal computers – people can buy their own computers

Microsoft

Staff photo from 1978

Started in 1975, Microsoft started creating software to run computers – Operating Systems, like DOS and Windows

Also created programs like Microsoft Word

$$$

Apple Inc established on April 1, 1976

by Steve Jobs to sell the Apple I personal computer kit

In 1984, launched its Macintosh personal computer

Company has had ups and downs in the 80s and 90s

In 2007, shifted emphasis to mobile electronic devices