History Of Computers :: essays research papers

History of ComputersIntroductionThe electronic computer has now been used commercially for less than 25 years. It grew out of a search lasting centuries for a more accurate, faster way to perform calculations. Primitive and ancient man used his fingers, shells, beads, sticks, and other objects to keep track of numbers and sums. The development of paper and penning instrumentsmade it easier to record data, but gave little aid in manipulating it.Manual DevicesA computer is sometimes defined as a system that mechanizes the processing of information. sluice a manual device may fall under this definition if they are constructed in such a way that moving them by passel can produce the desired answer. ExampleAbacusThe abacus is the oldest-known automatonlike computing aid. Its origin is uncertain. Many countries claim to have invented it. It was used in China as proterozoic as the sixth century B.C. and in the mediterranean areain ancient Greek and Roman times. It is still used in man y parts of the world. The abacus consists of beads thread on rows of wires suspended within a rectangular frame. A common form has a piece of wood dividing the beads, with five beads on wizard side, and two on the other side of the wood on each wire. Calculating Machines and their InventorsThrough the centuries, several mathematical geniuses invented machinesto aid them in their calculations. The machines were never astray used and generally had no direct path to the later development of electronic computers. ExamplePascalBlaise Pascal (1623-1662) a French matematician, invented the first mechanical adding machine at age 19 in 1642. He became tired of adding long columns of figures while helping his father, who had been appointed administrator of Rouen by display panelenal Richelieu. His device had adolescent toothed wheels and many gears. Rotating wheels developed sums. A carry lever advanced the next wheel to the left one position when a sum exceeded 10. Punched Card Developme ntMany of us are surprised to learn that the punched card industry is almost 200 years old. Furthermore, the first use of punched cards wasn&8217t for data processing, but rather for process control. ExampleJacquardJoseph Marie Jacquard (1752-1834), a French Weaver, in 1804 developed the first completly automatic loom, controlled by punched cards. Fearing that the machine would produce unemployment, workers attacked and ruined his machine at Lyon. Aided by Napoleon, Jacquard rebuilt his machine, which os credited with promoting a thriving textile industry in France through the 1800s.