Transcript Computer History - Blair

Computer
History
The Computer Years
What is a Computer?
• Before 1945, definition of a
computer was a human who
computes or calculates
• After 1945, the definition
was added to include an
automated electronic
machine for performing
calculations
Mark 1
• Mark 1 was the first largescale automatic digital
computer in the U.S.A. It
was devised by Howard
H. Aiken and was built at
IBM. Handled 23decimal-place numbers
(words) and could
perform all four arithmetic
operations requiring 3 to
5 seconds for a
multiplication. The Mark
1 made its first
calculation in 1943.
Mark I
•1st successful program-controlled
calculator
• was Electro-mechanical (a long ways
from what we now know as a computer)
• 50 feet long, weighed 5 tons and 500
miles of wire
• could multiply 10-digit numbers in 3
seconds
• Navy used until the end of World War II
Howard Aiken
• Harvard Professor
• in 1937, started building automatic
calculating machine
• completed the Mark I in 1944
• did not believe that the use of
computers would become widespread
• predicted in 1947, that only 6
computers would be needed to fulfill all
the United States’ computing needs
ENIAC
Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator
• 1st Electronic General-Purpose
Computer
• could be programmed to do different
functions
• funded by US Army
• completed December 1945
• built by John Mauchly & JP Eckert
Jr.
• 100 feet long, 10 feet high, 3 feet
deep
• weighed 30 tons
ENIAC
• used 18,000 vacuum tubes & 6000
switches
• operating instructions fed externally
(had to be re-wired)
• No memory, could not store
information
• only mechanical elements were
external, needed to be electrical to be
as fast as possible
• street lights dimmed in Philadelphia
when first turned on
• Patent on its design was rejected
ENIAC
• A Nuclear Physics problem
was the first to be solved
• took 2 hours to solve
• it would have taken 100
mathematicians using
mechanical calculators 1
year to solve working on the
problem 24/7
• 300 times faster than the
Mark I
Vacuum Tubes
• Vacuum tubes are sealed glass used in
electronic circuitry to control the electrons
sealed inside the tubes.
• They are used for: the amplification of weak
currents, rectification of an altering current to
direct current (AC to DC), generating of
oscillating radio-frequency power for radio,
radar, and more.
• Some of the earliest forms of a vacuum tube
were recorded in the late 17th century but it
wasn’t until 1850 when they created
sophisticated versions of vacuum tubes.
• Some of the first computers were made out
of vacuum tubes. (1946)
Vacuum Tubes
• 18,000 vacuum tubes
was used in the ENIAC
• Key component of the
First Generation
computers
• replaced switches in
the electro-mechanical
computer making
electronic and faster
John Mauchly
• in 1942, wrote a memo proposing
a general purpose electronic
computer
• contracted by the Army to build the
ENIAC
• he and JP Eckert started the 1st
Computer company
• he and Eckert would build
• ENIAC
• EDVAC
• BINAC
• UNIVAC
JP ECKERT JR.
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invented the first general-purpose
electronic computer, the ENIAC
Worked with John William
Mauchly
They together invented the
UNIVAC
born in 1919, in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
Moore Engineering School at the
University of Pennsylvania
JP Eckert Jr
• was at the Moore School of
Electrical Engineering when
Mauchly proposed the ENIAC
• he and Mauchly would start the
1st Computer company
• he and Mauchly would build
• ENIAC
• EDVAC
• BINAC
• UNIVAC
John von Neumann
• Lived from 1903-1957, and
was born in Hungary
• In between 1945 and 1955 he
developed the MANIAC,
(mathematical analyzer
numerical integrator and
computer), which at the time
was the fastest computer of its
time. Which just so happened
to run on lots of vacuum tubes.
John von Neumann
• proposed the internally programmed
computer in 1945
• computer would accept & store a set
of instructions
• programmed by a set of cards
containing instructions
• tested with sample data before using
actual data
• would be self-directing, NO human
intervention
• 2 computers would be the first to do this:
• EDVAC
• EDSAC
• beginning of the Computer Age
EDVAC
• 1950 in the United States
•vast improvement on the ENIAC
• Mauchly & Eckert started to
work on it, 2 years before ENIAC
was down
• it had Internal memory so it
could store its program
• von Neumann helped with
program but came in conflict with
Eckert
EDSAC
• Electronic Delay
Storage Automatic
Calculator.
• Performed its first
calculation in May
1949.
• Inspired by John Von
Neumann
• Made in England
Beginning of the “Computer Age”
EDSAC – 1949 (England)
EDVAC – 1950 (U.S.)
These 2 computers mark the beginning of “Computer Age” because
every computer since them has focused on”
• Speed
• Size
• Cost
More
Important
People
in the
History
of
Computers
Alan Turing
Alan
Turing’s importance to
computers is the inventing of
the Turing machine.
The
Turing machine is a
theatrical but simple device that
can be adapted to simulate the
logic of any computer. Also
particularly useful in explaining
the functions of the CPU.
1912-1954
By Chris Woof
Alan Turing
• British Code breaker
• thought computers should be
Logical thinkers not just calculating
machines
Konrad Zuse
• He was born in 1910 and
died in 1995.
• Made the worlds first
functional program.
• Invented Z1,Z2,Z3, and
Z4.Also invented the first
high-level programming
language “Plankalkül.”
Konrad Zuse
• German engineer
• came up with the idea of using
“Binary Digits” in computing
• built a electro-mechanical computer
(Z3) because he was “Lazy”
Grace Hopper
• Born in New York City
on December 9, 1906
• Hopper was a American
computer scientist.
• She developed the first
complier for a computer
programming language.
Grace Hopper
• one of the first programmers
• coined the word ‘Debug’
• helped develop the COBOL
programming language in
1955
• pushed programming
languages to use English and
be more people-friendly
• pushed for computers to be
accessible to everyone not
just the military
Thomas Watson Jr.
•
Thomas Watson Jr. was
chairman and chief
executive during IBM’s
most explosive period of
growth. He was President
of IBM from 1952—1971.
During his leadership IBM
became one of the largest
industrial corporations in
the world. By the time he
stepped down IBM had a
gross revenue of $8.3
billion.(January 14,1914-December 31, 1993)
Thomas Watson Jr.
• despite protest from his
father, pushed IBM into the
Computer Age in the 1950s
• during the 1960s & ’70s,
70% of the world’s
computers had an IBM logo
Doug Engelbart
• invented the Computer
mouse in 1967
• also promoted the use of
online conferencing and
collaboration
• also developed ‘hypertext’
Bill Gates
• founded Microsoft with Paul
Allen in 1975
• one of the best-known
entrepreneurs of the personal
computer revolution
• released the first version of
“Windows” in 1985
Steven Jobs
• Steven was also known as Steve
Jobs.
• He was born February 24, 1955.
• In the late 1970s Jobs, with Apple
co-founder Steve Wozinak,
created one of the first
commercially successful personal
computers.
• Jobs was among the first to see the
mouse- driven graphical user
interface.
continue of Steven Jobs
• Until recently, Bill Gates has been viewed as the
villain of the tech world, while his archrival, Steve
Jobs, enjoys an almost saintly reputation.
• After losing a power struggle with the board of
directors in 1985, Jobs resigned from Apple and
founded NeXT, a computer platform development
company specializing in the higher education and
business markets.
Steven Wozniak
Steven Wozniak was born in
San Jose California 1950
He made the first
apple computer in
1976
In 1980 he went
public with his
computer and became
a millionaire
Steven Jobs & Steven Wozniak
• friends in High School
• both very interested in electronics
& technology
• both dropped out of college
• joined the “Homebrew Computer
Club”
• started Apple in 1977 with
release of Apple II
• by 1982, Apple was worth $401
million (the Fastest Growing
Company ever)
Important Computers
BINAC
• 1949
• built by Mauchly & Eckert
• 1st computer to use
Magnetic tape instead of
punch cards
• built by the J. Lyons and Company
which was the leading Danish &
Pastry company in UK
LEO
• built in 1951
• became the leading Computer
company in UK
UNIVAC
• AKA THE Universal Automatic
Computer
• First US commercial computer
• Made by Dr. Presper Eckert and
Dr. John Mauchly, the pair that
invented the ENIAC computer
• The US Census Beuru needed a
computer to deal with the baby
boom population
• April 1946 they recived a
300,000 dollar grant for the
univac
UNIVAC INSTALLED
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UNIVAC was delivered to the
United States Census Bureau on
March 31, 1951, and was dedicated
on June 14 that year
The 5th computer of the series was
given to the US energy
Commission which was used to
predict the US Election
Had slow sales because it couldn’t
read punch cards
1951-1954 these 46 systems were
installed at 1.5 million dollars a
piece
UNIVAC I used 5,200 vacuum
tubes weighed 29,000 pounds
UNIVAC
• 1951
• built by Mauchly & Eckert
• First Commercial
Computer
• predicted the 1952 U.S.
Presidential Election,
Eisenhower to win in a
Landslide
IBM 650
IBM 650 was one of
IBM’s first computers and
the wolds first mass
produced
IBM 650
• 1954
• 1st truly Mass-Produced
computer
• inexpensive for the time
• widely accepted by the Business
world
• IBM had a Great Sales
Force
• still used the punch cards
• not nearly as good as a
computer as the UNIVAC
Altair
• The first MITS Altair
8800 was made on
January 1,1975.
• Altair was the first
machine to run
Microsoft software.
Altair
• 1974
• 1st commercially successful
micro (personal) computer
• came in a kit that you
assembled yourself for $400
• MITS, Inc hoped to sell 200 to
break-even, but in 3 months had
over 4000 orders
• no keyboard, printer or input
device
• little internal memory & no
external memory
• difficult to assemble & operate
Apple I
• built by Steven Wozniak in 1976
• used parts “borrowed” from
Hewitt-Packard where worked
• not taken very seriously
• Steven Jobs was very impressed
& wanted to market it
• Both men quit their jobs and sold
prized possessions (Volkswagon
van – Jobs, scientific calculator –
Woz) to finance their new company
and build…
Apple II
• 1977
• made personal
computers a household
term
• had a plastic case
• could do color graphics