How Do Computers Work? Flashcards
What were some of the first computers created in the pre-industrial age?
Abacus in Mesopotamia in 2500 BCE.
Pre-computed tables by ‘computer’ humans.
Step reckoner by German polymath Gottfried Leibniz in 1694 that worked like an odometer and were able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide.
Who is considered the father of the computer?
Difference engine and analytics engine by Charles Babbage in 1820s. The analytics engine inspired the first generation of computer scientists.
Which computer invention laid the foundation for modern digital computers?
Hollerith’s tabulation machine to compute census results in 1890s. Hollerith eventually formed a company to develop electro-mechanical business machines. The company eventually merged with others and IBM was formed in 1924.
