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