FoCS Chapter 1 and 2 Flashcards
What was one of the earliest machines to perform arithmetic calculations?
The Chinese abacus.
When was the abacus invented?
About 5000 years ago.
Who made the first mechanical calculator? When was it made?
Wilhelm Schickard in 1623.
The Calculating Clock)
Who made the Punched Card? When was it made?
Joseph-Marie Jacquard in 1801.
What is The Punched Card?
A loom where punched cards controlled the pattern woven. It was a landmark point in programmability.
True or False?
The series of cards couldn’t be changed without changing the mechanical design of the loom in The Punched Card.
False.
What is the defining feature of a “universal computer”?
It’s programmability.
What was Charles Baggage’s invention idea in 1837?
Charles Babbage described his analytical engine. It was the plan of a general-purpose programmable computer, employing punched cards for input and a steam engine for power.
True or False? Charles Baggage never got to finish his invention.
True
When was the first electronic calculator invented?
1961
What is the date range of the First Generation Computers?
(1940-1956)
What is the Colossus?
A computer used to break german code. It was the world’s first electronic computer.
What is the date range of the Second Generation Computers?
(1956-1963)
What is a transistor?
A semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electronic signals and electrical power. It replaced bulky power hungry vacuum tubes and mechanical relays.
What was so significant about the PDP-1?
It was the first interactive computer.
What is the date range of the Third Generation Computers?
(1964-1971)
The microprocessor led to the development of what?
The microcomputer.
What is the date range of the Fourth Generation Computers?
(1971-present)
What is the date range of the Fifth Generation Computers?
(present and beyond)
Description of First Generation Computers
- Bulky vaccum tubes for circuitry
- Magnetic drums for memory
- Relied on machine language
Description of Second Generation Computers
- Transistors
- Punched cards for input
- Printouts for output
Description of Third Generation Computers
- Integrated circuits
- Semiconductors (small transistors on silicon chips)
- Keyboards and monitors
Description of Fourth Generation Computers
- Microprocessors
- CPU
- IBM, Macintosh
Description of Fifth Generation Computers
- Artificial intelligence
- Parallel processing and superconductors
- Quantum computation and nanotechnology
