A History of Computing

An Adventure in Human Inventiveness

“Napier’s Bones” were moveable rods that allowed the operator to multiply, divide, and

calculate square and cube roots.

Self taught mathematician who developed Boolean algebra, the basis

of the digital computer circuit.

George Boole

1815 - 1864

The ENIAC used 18,000 vacuum

tubes and required a pair of these tubes

joined in a particular

manner to hold in memory a single bit of

data.

Generations of Computers

• Early 50s First Generation• Mid 1950s Second Generation• Early 1960s Third Generation• 1970- 1990s Fourth Generation• 1990s-present Fifth Generation

Early 50s First Generation

• Vacuum tubes

• Pioneering work on magnetic storage

• Data held on tapes and drums in serial manner

Mid 1950s Second Generation

• Transistors replaced vacuum tubes

• Conducted electricity more efficiently

• Consumed less energy• Needed less space• Generated less heat• Didn’t burn out

Invention of IBM 360 in 1964 began Third Generation

• Integrated circuits on a chip• Magnetic disks replaced magnetic

tape as storage device• Video display/keyboard replaced

punched card input• Large-scale integration (LSI) put

hundreds of thousands of transistors on a silicon chip

• LSI led to computers in cameras, TVs and cars

1442N1 Card reader/ punch S/360 CPU, model 30(?) 2260 Display terminal 1403N1 Impact printer 2305 Drum storage 2401 Tape storage 2803 Tape control unit 2321 Data cell storage LCS Large core storage device1443 Impact printer 2821 Control unit 2311 Disk storage 2841 DASD control unit 1052 Console typewriter

1072 Console station IBM SYSTEM/360

1970-1990s Fourth Generation

• 1970 – Intel 4004 Microprocessor used in calculators

• 1974 – Intel 8080 capable of running a CPU

• 1977 – Apple II and VisiCalc

• 1981 – IBM PC

1990s-2000s Fifth Generation

• Incredibly fast chips• Artificial Intelligence• Voice synthesizers• Wireless networks• Parallel processing• Flat panel displays• Touch screens &

handwriting recognition

History of Computers in Education

• Before the Microcomputer– Programmed Instruction– Teaching Machines– Computer Assisted Instruction

• The time of the Microcomputer– Computer Interest Groups (CIGs)– Conferences– Organizations/Magazines/Journals

B.F. Skinner developed a Teaching Machine to facilitate the use of

Programmed Instruction, the forerunner of computer

tutorials used today

Programming and Literacy

• 1980s movement to teach programming– BASIC– Logo and Constructivism– Seymour Papert: Mindstorms

• Computer Literacy– Ability to understand and use computers– Computer Literacy courses for future teachers

Networking and the Internet

• Connecting computers and peripherals to a communication system

• U.S. Dept of Defense created Internet

• MOSAIC navigator tool

• Graphical User Interfaces

• Distance Education

Handheld Computing Devices

• Palm Pilot and Blackberry

- store and retrieve information

- access files on a remote computer

- download data to upload later

- uses unique strokes / keyboard to input data

• Cell phone + digital camera + web browser

What Will They Think of Next?

• Introduce yourself to a partner

• Talk about the technology you use

• Dream up a cool new techno device