Unit 4: Evolution of a Computer

Question 1

Evolution of a Computer

Answer 1

I. Pre-Computer Era (Pre-20th Century)

II. Mechanical Computers (19th Century)

III. Early Electronic Computers (20th Century)

IV. The Birth of Modern Computing (1950s-1960s)

V. The Rise of Microcomputers (1970s-1980s)

VI. The Internet Era (1990s)

VII. Advancements in the 21st Century

Question 2

devices under Pre-Computer Era (Pre-20th Century)

Answer 2

Abacus
Pascaline

Question 3

• One of the earliest known calculating devices has roots dating back to around 2400 BCE in ancient Mesopotamia and China
• It allowed users to perform basic
  arithmetic operations through the manipulation of beads on rods.

Answer 3

abacus

Question 4

• Invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642, the Pascaline was an early mechanical calculator capable of performing addition and subtraction.
• It featured gears and wheels to
  handle numerical computations.

Answer 4

pascaline

Question 5

devices under Mechanical Computers (19th Century)

Answer 5

analytical engine
jacquard loom

Question 6

• Designed by ________ in the 1830s, this was a conceptual mechanical computer that laid the groundwork for modern computing.
• It featured basic arithmetic operations, loops, and conditional branching.

Answer 6

Analytical engine

Charles Babbage

Question 7

• In the early 1800s, __________ developed a loom that used punched cards to control the weaving patterns, effectively introducing the concept of programming through punched cards.

Answer 7

Jacquard loom

Joseph-Marie Jacquard

Question 8

devices under Early Electronic Computers (20th Century)

Answer 8

colossus
ENIAC
UNIVAC I

Question 9

• During World War II, British engineer _________ developed ________, the world’s first programmable electronic digital computer. It was used to break encrypted German codes and played a crucial role in the Allied victory.

Answer 9

colossus

Tommy Flowers

Question 10

• Completed in 1945, the ___________ was the first general-purpose electronic computer.
• It was massive and used vacuum tubes for computation.

Answer 10

Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC)

Question 11

• Developed by _______ and _________ in 1951, this was the first
  commercially available computer, widely used for scientific and business applications.

Answer 11

UNIVAC I

J. Presper Eckert
John Mauchly

Question 12

devices under The Birth of Modern Computing (1950s-1960s)

Answer 12

transistors
IBM 360
ARPANET

Question 13

• In 1947, the invention of ________ by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley at Bell Labs revolutionized computing.
• it replaced bulky vacuum tubes, making computers smaller, faster, and more reliable.

Answer 13

transistors

Question 14

• Introduced in 1964, this series was a family of mainframe computers that offered compatibility across models, setting a new standard for computer architecture

Answer 14

IBM 360

Question 15

• In the late 1960s, the U.S. Department of Defense’s ____________, the precursor to the modern internet, which allowed
  computers to communicate with each other for the first time.

Answer 15

Advanced Research Projects
Agency (ARPA) created ARPANET

Question 16

devices under The Rise of Microcomputers (1970s-1980s)

Answer 16

altair 8800
apple II
IBM PC

Question 17

In 1975, this became one of the first commercially successful microcomputers, inspiring hobbyists and entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Paul Allen to develop software for it.

Answer 17

altair 8800

Question 18

Introduced in 1977, this was one of the first mass-produced, user-friendly personal computers, making a significant impact on the home computing market.

Answer 18

apple II

Question 19

Launched in 1981, this became the industry standard, accelerating the adoption of personal computers in businesses and homes.

Answer 19

IBM PC

Question 20

devices under The Internet Era (1990s)

Answer 20

world wide web
dot-com bubble

Question 21

In 1989, _________ invented this, making the internet accessible to non-technical users and transforming the way we access and share information.

Answer 21

world-wide web

Tim Berners-Lee

Question 22

The late 1990s saw a surge of internet-based companies, leading to the ________, with examples like Pets.com and Webvan, which eventually burst in the early 2000s.

Answer 22

dot-com bubble

Question 23

devices under Advancements in the 21st Century

Answer 23

smartphones and tablets
cloud computing
artificial intelligence and machine learning
quantum computing

Question 24

The introduction of the iPhone in 2007 revolutionized mobile
computing, leading to a proliferation of smartphones and tablets that have become
integral to modern life.

Answer 24

smartphones and tablets

Question 25

such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, provide scalable and on-demand computing resources over the internet, enabling businesses and individuals to access data and applications from anywhere.

Answer 25

cloud computing

Question 26

have led to breakthroughs in natural language processing, image recognition, autonomous vehicles, and more.

Answer 26

artificial intelligence and machine learning

Question 27

exemplified by companies like IBM and Google, leverage the principles of quantum mechanics to perform complex calculations exponentially faster than traditional computers.

Answer 27

quantum computing