history of computers

HISTORY OF COMPUTER

BY  PSALM XY

Although the computer is a 20th-century invention, its predecessors reach as far back as the 17th century. Computers have undergone four generations of development, with the first computers of the 1940s launching the first generation. Each generation of computer has become smaller, more versatile and more powerful. The most recent generation resulted in the rise of the personal computer, ushering in the information age.

Precursors

• Historians of science see the abacus, first invented in Babylon in the 300s B.C.E., as a predecessor of the computer. In the modern era, William Schick land designed a mechanical calculator in 1623, a design which Blaine Pascal improved two decades later. Charles Babbage in England came up with the concept of a steam-powered calculating machine (the analytical machine) in the mid-1800s, but he failed to convince the British government to finance the project.

The First Electronic Computer

• The British government built an electronic computing device during World War II (1939-1945 in England) to break the German's Enigma code. It was called Colossus, and the Americans followed the British with a computer a few years later, known as the Electronic Numerical Integrator Analyzor and Computer (ENIAC). The ENIAC is generally considered the first electronic computer because of the Colossus's limited computational ability. Scientists at the Ballistics Research Laboratory and the University of Pennsylvania designed and built the ENIAC on commission from the U.S. army to help formulate ballistics data for use in bombings and artillery.

Generations

• The ENIAC represents the first generation of computers. Vacuum tubes composed the circuitry of computers like ENIAC; input to the computers was in the form of a punch card or magnetic tape, and output was in the form of print-outs. The invention of the transistor, which was a much smaller form of circuitry that used less power, ushered in the second generation of computers during the 1950s. The second generation of computers used programming languages like FORTRAN and COBOL, although the operating system had not yet been developed.

Development of the Operating System

• In the mid-1960s, the integrated circuit replaced the transistor, which led, once again, to smaller and more powerful computers. During this third generation of computers, programmers developed more computer languages, like BASIC, C and Pascal. IBM OS/360 and UNIX debuted as the first operating systems. The development of the operating system, which standardized computer operations, led to the growth of commercial applications.

Information Age

• The microprocessor inaugurated the fourth generation of computers. The integrated circuit had miniaturized the circuitry of a computer, but the microprocessor was a small chip that contained all of the basic functions of a computers (processing, memory and input/output). Intel introduced the first microprocessor in 1980--the Intel 4004. The reduction of size made possible by the microprocessor permitted the building of smaller computers, leading directly to the personal computer that dominates today as well as the Information Age.

Differences Between Generations of Computers

Computers have gone through many stages in becoming what they are today. Generally, generations of computers are broken down by major changes in hardware. Every few years, technology advancements result in a new hardware development that is so profound that it shifts the whole computer industry. This usually ushers in a new generation between computers

Vacuum Tubes

• The first generation of home computing is identified by the use of vacuum tubes as the heart of the computer's power. These machines originated as early as 1946 and were nothing like the computers of today. Higher level systems might be as large as a house. So much heat was given off by the vacuum tubes in operation that sometimes large air conditioner units would have to run just to keep them cool.

The Transistor

• The transistor came along in the 1950s and revolutionized the computer industry. The main way it did this was by making computers much smaller than their vacuum tube counterparts. They were also faster and cheaper to produce. This generation of computers was a harbinger of the coming days of computers small and affordable enough to find their way into residences.

Integrated Circuits

• Integrated circuits were introduced in 1965. This once again changed the computer industry drastically, as this new technology allowed computers to become even smaller, faster, and more efficient. The size of the computers was the smallest yet, although still awkwardly large for homes. The idea behind the integrated circuit was directly responsible for the next generation of computers.

The Microprocessor

• The microprocessor was the discovery that started the current generation. Microprocessors allowed millions of transistors to be placed on one integrated circuit. This brought the size of computers down to what we know today. The microprocessors were faster than anything ever introduced, and they could be mass produced cheaply. This led to computers becoming staples in homes.

The Next Generation

• While the next generation of computers is yet to be determined, the industry, as of 2011, seems to be moving toward the further miniaturization of computers. Desktops and laptops alike are getting smaller and smaller. Also, solid state memory looks to be the replacement for the hard drive. Solid state makes data collection much faster because it no longer depends on a physical motor to spin a disc.

What Are 5th Generation Computers?

Since the inception of first-generation computers in the 1940s, technological advancements have been taking place, making it easier and quicker for users to carry out their tasks. Now computers are used not only for official and calculative jobs, but for enjoyment and entertainment purposes too. By keeping this in mind, advance research scientists are planning to create fifth-generation computers that will work under full artificial intelligence operations, requiring the lowest possible human intelligence, and all tasks will be performed by the computers automatically.

Parallel Processing

• In fifth-generation computers, the program instructions will be divided among multiple processors of the computers, so that each processor will have fewer tasks to perform, and thus, the program will run in less time. Although the parallel processing system has been applied to some fourth-generation computers, they cannot be called fifth-generation computers because they do not run full artificial intelligence operations.

Speech Recognition

• Speech recognition is one of the most i important features of fifth-generation computers. Although this technology has been used in some computers since the 1990s, it is limited in its applications and does not support the system completely. In addition to that, speech recognition is recognized as just an added feature, although manual input is the main method of operating the computers. Fifth-generation computers are yet to come with fully supported speech recognition features.

Pattern Recognition

• With an aim to minimize human effort and maximize computer application, pattern recognition systems will be an integral part of fifth-generation computers. This technology will help in tracking similar patterns in computing habits by using the information gathered to save you time and effort.

Understanding of Natural Human Language

• There is a multitude of computer programming languages, including A+, C++, BASIC, FoxPro, Java and Cobol, that are used for carrying out tasks on computers. However, none have the ability to understand the natural human language. Scientists aim at creating fifth-generation computers that will be able to understand languages used by humans, so that time and effort will be saved to a large extent.

Advancements in Semiconductor Technology

• Chips have been built that consist of millions of components, and semiconductor memory has become standardized on all computers manufactured now. But advancements a re yet to be made in this field, and then, speed of information traffic will be enhanced significantly.

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