Evolution of computer

Evolution or History of computer

The electronic computers which we use these days were not developed in one or two days. The computers evolved as a result of human’s search for fast and accurate calculating devices. The development of computer is only possible because of thousands of year’s research.

Mechanical computers:

A mechanical computer is assembled from various mechanical components such as levers and gears rather than electronic components. The most common examples of the mechanical computer are adding machines and mechanical counters that use the turning of gears to raise output displays. More complex examples can carry out multiplication and division, and even differential analysis.

1. Abacus: Abacus is believed to be the earliest calculation machine. About 5000 years ago, quite unknowingly the computer was founded by developing abacus. It is a manual device. Abacus was developed in Tigris-Euphrates Valley in 3500 BC. It is still used in far east countries today. The abacus is also known as counting frame. It is a calculating tool used primarily for performing arithmetic practices. This machine used bead and wires to count. Abacus consists of a rectangular wooden frame with vertical rods which carry round beads. Counting is done by shifting the beads from one side to another. It only could perform addition and subtraction.
2. Napier’s bone: In 1614, John Napier gave the idea of logarithm which was helpful in simplifying the multiplication of large numbers. Napier also devised a set of rods for use in calculations involving multiplications, these rods had 4 faces and numbers were engraved in those rods. Altogether there were 11 rods. These rods were carved from bones and called Napier’s bones. Napier’s bones were used for multiplication and division.
3. Slide rule: The idea of logarithm was used to invent the computing machines called the slide rule. The slide rule was discovered by William Oughtred in 1620 AD. It is an analog device. It was used by engineers for multiplication and division. Slide rules are rectangular in shape whose size is about the size of a ruler.
4. Stepped Reckoner: A German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Von Leibniz invented a calculating machine called Stepped Reckoner or Leibniz calculating Machine. It was just a codification of Pascal machine. The stepped Reckoner can perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It was the first device which could multiply and also find a square root. Leibniz was the first to support the use of the binary number system which is the backbone of the operation of modern computers.
5. Jacquard’s loom: A Frenchman named Joseph Marie Jacquard used punched card for automatically controlling the design of woven fabric. This was the first machine to use punched cards. Actually punched card were used to control weaving looms to facilitate the production of the woven cloth with a complex pattern. Jacquard’s loom’s technology was a real advantage to mill owners but put many loom operators out of work. With the use of punched card, the era of storing and retrieving information started.
6. Calculating machines and Pascal’s calculator: The first mechanical calculating machine was invented by a French mathematician named Blaise in 1642. This machine was used for addition and substation. The machine consisted of gears, wheels, and dials. This machine was very popular in its time. The main features of Pascal machine are it was capable of performing automatic carry transfer multiplication and division.

Electromechanical era

During the electromechanical era, electricity was used in the computational field combined with mechanical technology.

1. Mark – I: Mark-I is the first electromechanical computer. Electromechanical means the combination of electrical and mechanical technology. It was the first machine in the world which could perform according to the pre-programmed instruction without manual interference. Output was given by punched card as well as an electric typewriter. It was slow which required 3 to 5 seconds for multiplication. But it was fully automatic. It could complete long computations without human intervention.
2. Atanasoft Berry Computer (ABC): ABC was developed by John Vincent Atanasoft and Clifford Berry in 1937 AD. It was the first electronic special purpose computer. This computer was the first one to use capacitors as their storage technology. It was basically designed for solving the systems of linear algebraic equations. ABC computer used 18,000 vacuum tubes.

Electronic computer Era

During the electronic era, electronic circuit elements replaced the mechanical devices and calculations were purely digital.

1. ENIAC (Electronic Numerical and Integrated Calculator): In 1946, ENIAC was developed by John William Mauchly and Jeorge (J) Persper Eckert at the University of Pennsylvania in the USA. It used the decimal system. It was developed for military purposes. It used 18000 vacuum tubes, 70,000 resistors, 10000 condensers and 6000 switches. It is 300 times faster than any other devices invented till or at that time. It can perform addition in 200 microseconds and multiplication in 2000 microseconds between two numbers.
2. EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Computer): It was developed by Professor Murice Wilkes in 1949. The main feature of EDSAC was it was the first computer to implement stored program concept. In EDSAC, additional operations can be performed in 1500 microseconds and multiplication operation in 4000 microseconds.
3. EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer): In 1952, John Mauchly and JP Eckert invented EDVAC. EDVAC was considered to be a multipurpose computer. It used 4000 Vacuum Tubes and 10000 crystal diodes. The EDVAC used the stored program concept in its design.
4. ENIAC- Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator: In 1947 john Mauchly and Eckart completed the first large-scale Electronic Digital Computer, ENIAC. In this computer, each time a program was changed, the wiring had to be completely rearranged. It weighed 30 tons, contained 18,000 vacuum tubes and occupied a space of 30-50 feet.
5. UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer): It was the first commercially produced general purpose electronic computer. It also had stored program concept. UNIVAC was the first digital computer that was not of a kind. It can read 7200 decimal digits per second.

Reference

Ghishing, Er.Ashim. Computer Science. Kathmandu, Nepal: Benchmark , 2008.