History of the computer is based on mainly
calculation devices. The history of modern computers is sub-divided into three historical phases.
Mechanical Calculating Devices
A mechanical calculating devices are that which need human resources to perform certain calculation. It relies on mechanical parts such as gears, screws, levers, and pulleys. These devices don't use electricity and operated manually are known as Mechanical Calculating Devices.
The table below described the development of Mechanical calculating devices in sequential order.
First Mechanical Counting Device.
Also used for Addition/Subtraction purposes.
It is a rectangular box, divided into two parts by mid bar, upper part is called heaven, consists of one bead, and the lower part is called earth, consists of four bead and each bead equals to value 1.
(Dear Students, don't be confused with this figure which is not given on textbook. There are different types of abacus available.)
Napier's Bone
Napier's bone is a multiplication tool invented in 1617 by mathematician John Napier of Scotland.
It mainly used for multiplication table.
The bones are a set of vertical rectangular rods, each one divided into 10 squares.
Slide Rule
Mechanical Analog Computing Device
Mainly used for Multiplication and Division.
Also used for scientific functions such as roots, logarithms, and trigonometry.
Pascaline
Pascaline also called first calculator.
Could perform Addition and Subtraction.
Could not use for Multiplication and Division.
The Pascaline was designed and built by the French mathematician- Blaise Pascal.
Each wheel is printed with the numbers from 0 to 9. When the first wheel made a completed turn from 0 to 9, it automatically caused the second wheel to advance to the next number and so on.
Stepped Reckoner
First Calculator could perform all four arithmetic operations and even could find square root.
Jacquard's Loom
Based on the binary operation.
Jacquard Loom is an attachment for powered fabric looms. It uses a chain of punch cards to instruct the loom on how to make intricate textiles.
Difference Engine
It is capable of computing several sets of numbers and making hard copies of the results.
Could evaluate algebraic expressions, mathematical and statistical tables.
Analytical Engine
First general-purpose mechanical computer.
Used binary number system for calculation.
The design featured "mill" an Arithmetic Logic Unit(ALU) and permitted basic programmatic flow control.
It was programmed using punch cards.
Lady Augusta ADA Lovelace
First computer Programmer.
Work with Charles Babbage.
Tabulating Machine
Based on the Punched card.
Hollerith's tabulating system included a punch for entering data about each person onto a blank card, a tabulator for reading the cards and summing up information, and a sorting box for sorting the cards for further analysis.
Electro-Mechanical Devices
Electromechanical devices are ones which have both electrical and mechanical processes.
In Electromechanical devices, the electric signal is used to create mechanical movement of the device, and this mechanical movement is used to create further electrical signals.
The key element in these calculators was the electromagnetic relay.
Mark I
Howard Aiken (1937 – 1944)
First electro-mechanical computer
3 calculation per second
Weight 5 tons, 51 feet long
Atanasoff Berry Computer (ABC)
John Vincent Atanasoff & Clifford E. Berry (1942)
Specific purpose Computer
Designed to solve Linear algebraic equations (y = 2x + 1)
Electronic Devices
A machine which uses electric current to perform calculation automatically.
When the scientist started to use vacuum tube in computing devices, then the era of the electronic device began.
These computers used vacuum tubes instead of electromagnetic relays.
ENIAC
John Willam Mauchly & J. Presper Eckert (1946)
First general-purpose fast electronic machine
It contains 18000 vacuum tubes, 70000 registers, 10000 capacitors, 6000 switches
Weight 30 tons
Consumed 150 KW of power.
Used by US ARMY till 1955.
EDSAC
Maurice Wilkes (1949)
First stored-program computer
It contains 3000 vacuum tubes.
Consumed 30 KW of power
Could add 2 numbers in 1500 microseconds
UNIVAC - I
John Willam Mauchly & J. Presper Eckert (1951)
First commercial computer
First general-purpose electronic digital computer.
It contains 5200 vacuum tubes, 18000 crystals diodes
EDVAC
John Willam Mauchly & J. Presper Eckert (1952)
Based on a binary number system & used magnetic tape for storing data and instructions.
It contains 6000 vacuum tubes, 12000 diodes
Consumed 56 KW of power.
History of Computer in Nepal
Generations of computer
The division of electronic computers according to the development time period, memory, processing speed, and technology etc. is called computer generation. There are five computer generations.
First Generation Computer:
Features:
They used vacuum tubes/valves as their main electronic components.
They used machine-level programming language.
They used the magnetic drum for primary memory.
Storage capacity was limited to 1 KB to 4 KB.
The processing speed was in a millisecond.
Disadvantages:
Difficult for logical programming.
Consume high electric power and generate a lot of heat.
Difficult in maintenance.
Second Generation Computer:
Features:
They used transistors in place of vacuum tubes.
They used Assembly level programming language.
They used the magnetic core as primary memory.
The processing speed was increased to the microsecond.
Third Generation Computer:
Features:
They used Integrated Circuit (IC).
They used Structured High-level programming language.
They used the semiconductor memory instead of magnetic core memory.
The processing speed was increased to the nanosecond.
Fourth Generation Computer:
Features:
They used Microprocessors.
They used Object-Oriented High-level programming language.
The processing speed was increased to the picosecond.
Fifth Generation Computer:
Features:
They used Biochip as technology.
They used Natural language.
These computers will use a parallel processor made from superconductors.
They will possess Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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