History of Computing

Question 1

From Abacus to Analytical engine(1)

Answer 1

1 - A computer is a device that stores and processes data by performing calculations
2 - Humans who did all the calculations were known as computers.
3 - Abacus is the first computer created in 500 BC to count large numbers.

Question 2

From Abacus to Analytical engine(2)

Answer 2

4 - First major breakthrough was in 17th century by Blaise Pascal, who create a calculator that uses gears and levers to calculate automatically.
5 - In the 18th century, Charles Babbage created an Analytical engine (a follow up to the differential engine) that used Joseph Jacquard’s punch cards to automatically perform a series of complex calculations .
6 - Ada Lovelace developed the algorithm for the engine to be used for more than a calculator.

Question 3

The Path to Modern Computers(1)

Answer 3

1 - There wasn’t any huge breakthroughs until ww2, where an English mathematician named Alan Turner created a top secret enigma machine which can decipher codes (Cryptography) at a speed that is far beyond human capabilities.
2 - Due to this, governments and companies saw the potential computations and put lots of research and money to develop computers, which led to :
- Punch cards evolving to magnetic tapes to store data.

Question 4

The Path to Modern Computers(2)

Answer 4

• Huge computers that covered an entire room (with bulky vacuum tube to carry data), to computers like Xerox Alto (that fit in a table and a graphical interface with used icons, mouse and a window), to Apple 1-3 (3rd one led to a new generation with personal computers), to IBM’s personal computer with an operating system called MS DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) or Microsoft Windows.
  - from compilers that can translate human language via programming language into machine code, to open source software like Linux (Unix originally).
  - First gaming arcades and commercial gaming system for personal use.
  - from PDA (personal digital assistant that included portable media players, email, internet and more, in all in one handheld device) to smartphones.