History Flashcards
1
Q
First computing aid
A
ABACUS
2400 BC
Aid to simple arithmetic
2
Q
Antikythera mechanism
A
Ancient Greek technology(87BC)
Astronomical device
Could keep track of the movement of astrological bodies
First example of analog computer
3
Q
Jacquard Loom
A
Digital
- 1801
- created by Joseph Jacquard
- automated loom using punch cards to encode patterns
- considered as the first programmable device
4
Q
Charles Babbage
A
- Mathematician
- created the Difference Engine
- was never built in his time though
- evaluated polynomials
- could only evaluate one at a time
- also created Analytical Engine inspired by Jacquards punch cards (1837)
- more flexible, add/sub/mult/div, loops, conditionals, branches
- incorporated many ideas of mordern computers
- never fully built
5
Q
Ada Lovelace
A
- known to have written the first known computer program (for analytical engine)
- This is disputed because she translated a paper written by L.F.Menabrea she also expanded on it greatly
- also realized that computers could do so much more (art and musics)
6
Q
Herman Hollerith
A
- Developed machines to improve how the census was tabulated
- designed and built programmable machines that could automatically, read, tally, and sort data on punch cards
- first instance of data on punch cards
- 1890 Census completed
- started a company which eventually became IBM
7
Q
Zuse Z3
A
- designed by Konrad Zuse (1941)
- First working example of a programmable computer
- used binary numbers, switches, and Boolean logic
- data and code stored on punch film
- third model
8
Q
Atanasoff and Berry. ABC
A
- first computer to solve 29 equations simultaneously
- first automatic electronic digital computer(1942)
- not programmable
9
Q
Colossus
A
- until recently considered the first example of a constructed programmable digital computer
- for the British in WWII
- not built by Allan Turning but under the directions of Tommy Flowers
- was not used to break Enigma but rather Lorenz
- used vacuum tubes for digital logic
- binary numbers
- programmed using patch cables
10
Q
Alan Turing
A
Described a hypothetical computing device(Turing Machine)
- reads and writes to a tape
- proven to be able to compute any computable thing
- cracked enigma by hand
11
Q
ENIAC
A
- electronic numerical integrator and calculator
- US made electronic digital computer
- 1000x faster
- programmed with cables and switches
- calculate artillary tables and h-bomb
12
Q
1950
A
- vacuum to solid state transistor
- integrated circuit (chip)
- stored program computer
- first compilers
13
Q
1960s
A
- mainframe computers
- large expensive
- businesses and gov
14
Q
1970s
A
-Xerox Alto
Designed to support operating system based on GUI
-Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
Apple computers in homes
15
Q
1980
A
-IBM personal computers
-Commodore 64
-Apple releases Macintosh
GUI and mouse, Desktop and folder
