| The volume and use of computers in the world | | | | by many inventors followed, so that by about |
| are so great, they have become difficult to | | | | 1890, the range of improvements included: |
| ignore anymore. Computers appear to us in so | | | | Accumulation of partial results, storage and |
| many ways that many times, we fail to see | | | | automatic reentry of past results (A memory |
| them as they actually are. People associated | | | | function), and printing of the results. Each |
| with a computer when they purchased their | | | | of these required manual installation. These |
| morning coffee at the vending machine. As | | | | improvements were mainly made for commercial |
| they drove themselves to work, the traffic | | | | users, and not for the needs of science.While |
| lights that so often hampered us are | | | | Thomas of Colmar was developing the desktop |
| controlled by computers in an attempt to | | | | calculator, a series of very interesting |
| speed the journey. Accept it or not, the | | | | developments in computers was started in |
| computer has invaded our life.The origins and | | | | Cambridge, England, by Charles Babbage (of |
| roots of computers started out as many other | | | | which the computer store "Babbages" is |
| inventions and technologies have in the past. | | | | named), a mathematics professor. In 1812, |
| They evolved from a relatively simple idea or | | | | Babbage realized that many long calculations, |
| plan designed to help perform functions | | | | especially those needed to make mathematical |
| easier and quicker. The first basic type of | | | | tables, were really a series of predictable |
| computers were designed to do just that; | | | | actions that were constantly repeated. From |
| compute!. They performed basic math functions | | | | this he suspected that it should be possible |
| such as multiplication and division and | | | | to do these automatically. He began to design |
| displayed the results in a variety of | | | | an automatic mechanical calculating machine, |
| methods. Some computers displayed results in | | | | which he called a difference engine. By 1822, |
| a binary representation of electronic lamps. | | | | he had a working model to demonstrate. |
| Binary denotes using only ones and zeros | | | | Financial help from the British Government |
| thus, lit lamps represented ones and unlit | | | | was attained and Babbage started fabrication |
| lamps represented zeros. The irony of this is | | | | of a difference engine in 1823. It was |
| that people needed to perform another | | | | intended to be steam powered and fully |
| mathematical function to translate binary to | | | | automatic, including the printing of the |
| decimal to make it readable to the user.One | | | | resulting tables, and commanded by a fixed |
| of the first computers was called ENIAC. It | | | | instruction program.The difference engine, |
| was a huge, monstrous size nearly that of a | | | | although having limited adaptability and |
| standard railroad car. It contained | | | | applicability, was really a great advance. |
| electronic tubes, heavy gauge wiring, | | | | Babbage continued to work on it for the next |
| angle-iron, and knife switches just to name a | | | | 10 years, but in 1833 he lost interest |
| few of the components. It has become | | | | because he thought he had a better idea; the |
| difficult to believe that computers have | | | | construction of what would now be called a |
| evolved into suitcase sized micro-computers | | | | general purpose, fully program-controlled, |
| of the 1990's.Computers eventually evolved | | | | automatic mechanical digital computer. |
| into less archaic looking devices near the | | | | Babbage called this idea an Analytical |
| end of the 1960's. Their size had been | | | | Engine. The ideas of this design showed a lot |
| reduced to that of a small automobile and | | | | of foresight, although this couldn't be |
| they were processing segments of information | | | | appreciated until a full century later.The |
| at faster rates than older models. Most | | | | plans for this engine required an identical |
| computers at this time were termed | | | | decimal computer operating on numbers of 50 |
| "mainframes" due to the fact that many | | | | decimal digits (or words) and having a |
| computers were linked together to perform a | | | | storage capacity (memory) of 1,000 such |
| given function. The primary user of these | | | | digits. The built-in operations were supposed |
| types of computers were military agencies and | | | | to include everything that a modern general - |
| large corporations such as Bell, AT&T, | | | | purpose computer would need, even the all |
| General Electric, and Boeing. Organizations | | | | important Conditional Control Transfer |
| such as these had the funds to afford such | | | | Capability that would allow commands to be |
| technologies. However, operation of these | | | | executed in any order, not just the order in |
| computers required extensive intelligence and | | | | which they were programmed.As people can see, |
| manpower resources. The average person could | | | | it took quite a large amount of intelligence |
| not have fathomed trying to operate and use | | | | and fortitude to come to the 1990's style and |
| these million dollar processors.The United | | | | use of computers. People have assumed that |
| States was attributed the title of pioneering | | | | computers are a natural development in |
| the computer. It was not until the early | | | | society and take them for granted. Just as |
| 1970's that nations such as Japan and the | | | | people have learned to drive an automobile, |
| United Kingdom started utilizing technology | | | | it also takes skill and learning to utilize a |
| of their own for the development of the | | | | computer.Computers in society have become |
| computer. This resulted in newer components | | | | difficult to understand. Exactly what they |
| and smaller sized computers. The use and | | | | consisted of and what actions they performed |
| operation of computers had developed into a | | | | were highly dependent upon the type of |
| form that people of average intelligence | | | | computer. To say a person had a typical |
| could handle and manipulate without to much | | | | computer doesn't necessarily narrow down just |
| ado. When the economies of other nations | | | | what the capabilities of that computer was. |
| started to compete with the United States, | | | | Computer styles and types covered so many |
| the computer industry expanded at a great | | | | different functions and actions, that it was |
| rate. Prices dropped dramatically and | | | | difficult to name them all. The original |
| computers became more affordable to the | | | | computers of the 1940's were easy to define |
| average household.Like the invention of the | | | | their purpose when they were first invented. |
| wheel, the computer is here to stay.The | | | | They primarily performed mathematical |
| operation and use of computers in our present | | | | functions many times faster than any person |
| era of the 1990's has become so easy and | | | | could have calculated. However, the evolution |
| simple that perhaps we may have taken too | | | | of the computer had created many styles and |
| much for granted. Almost everything of use in | | | | types that were greatly dependent on a well |
| society requires some form of training or | | | | defined purpose.The computers of the 1990's |
| education. Many people say that the | | | | roughly fell into three groups consisting of |
| predecessor to the computer was the | | | | mainframes, networking units, and personal |
| typewriter. The typewriter definitely | | | | computers. Mainframe computers were extremely |
| required training and experience in order to | | | | large sized modules and had the capabilities |
| operate it at a usable and efficient level. | | | | of processing and storing massive amounts of |
| Children are being taught basic computer | | | | data in the form of numbers and words. |
| skills in the classroom in order to prepare | | | | Mainframes were the first types of computers |
| them for the future evolution of the computer | | | | developed in the 1940's. Users of these types |
| age.The history of computers started out | | | | of computers ranged from banking firms, large |
| about 2000 years ago, at the birth of the | | | | corporations and government agencies. They |
| abacus, a wooden rack holding two horizontal | | | | usually were very expensive in cost but |
| wires with beads strung on them. When these | | | | designed to last at least five to ten years. |
| beads are moved around, according to | | | | They also required well educated and |
| programming rules memorized by the user, all | | | | experienced manpower to be operated and |
| regular arithmetic problems can be done. | | | | maintained. Larry Wulforst, in his book |
| Another important invention around the same | | | | Breakthrough to the Computer Age, describes |
| time was the Astrolabe, used for | | | | the old mainframes of the 1940's compared to |
| navigation.Blaise Pascal is usually credited | | | | those of the 1990's by speculating, "...the |
| for building the first digital computer in | | | | contrast to the sound of the sputtering motor |
| 1642. It added numbers entered with dials and | | | | powering the first flights of the Wright |
| was made to help his father, a tax collector. | | | | Brothers at Kitty Hawk and the roar of the |
| In 1671, Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz | | | | mighty engines on a Cape Canaveral launching |
| invented a computer that was built in 1694. | | | | pad". End of part one.Works CitedWulforst, |
| It could add, and, after changing some things | | | | Harry. Breakthrough to the Computer Age. New |
| around, multiply. Leibnitz invented a | | | | York: Charles Scribner's Sons, |
| special stopped gear mechanism for | | | | 1982.Palferman, Jon and Doron Swade. The |
| introducing the addend digits, and this is | | | | Dream Machine. London: BBC Books, |
| still being used.The prototypes made by | | | | 1991.Campbell-Kelly, Martin and William |
| Pascal and Leibnitz were not used in many | | | | Aspray. Computer, A History of |
| places, and considered weird until a little | | | | the Information Machine. New York: |
| more than a century later, when Thomas of | | | | BasicBooks, 1996.You may visit and for |
| Colmar (A.K.A. Charles Xavier Thomas) created | | | | instant access to over 45,000 plus term |
| the first successful mechanical calculator | | | | papers and essays. You may have all of these |
| that could add, subtract, multiply, and | | | | quality papers for only $19.95. |
| divide. A lot of improved desktop calculators | | | | |