Omputer History

8/8/2019 Omputer History

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omputer

HistoryYear/Enter

Computer HistoryInventors/Inventions

Computer HistoryDescription of Event

1936 Konrad Zuse - Z1 ComputerFirst freely programmable

computer.

1942John Atanasoff & Clifford BerryABC Computer

Who was first in thecomputing bizis not alwaysas easy as ABC.

1944Howard Aiken & Grace HopperHarvard Mark I Computer

The Harvard Mark 1computer.

1946John Presper Eckert &John W.MauchlyENIAC 1 Computer

20,000 vacuum tubes later...

1948Frederic Williams &Tom KilburnManchester Baby Computer &

The Williams Tube

Baby and the Williams Tube

turn on the memories.

1947/48John Bardeen,Walter Brattain &Wiliam ShockleyThe Transistor

No, a transistor is not acomputer, but this inventiongreatly affected the historyof computers.

1951John Presper Eckert &John W.MauchlyUNIVAC Computer

First commercial computer &able to pick presidentialwinners.

1953International Business MachinesIBM 701 EDPM Computer

IBM enters into 'The Historyof Computers'.

1954John Backus &IBMFORTRAN ComputerProgramming Language

The first successful highlevel programminglanguage.

1955(In Use 1959)

Stanford Research Institute, Bankof America, and General ElectricERMA and MICR

The first bankindustrycomputer - also MICR(magnetic ink characterrecognition) for readingchecks.

1958Jack Kilby & Robert NoyceThe Integrated Circuit

Otherwise known as 'TheChip'

1962Steve Russell & MIT

Spacewar Computer Game

The first computer game

invented.

1964Douglas EngelbartComputer Mouse & Windows

Nicknamed the mousebecause the tail came outthe end.

1969 ARPAnet The original Internet.

1970 Intel 1103 Computer MemoryThe world's first availabledynamic RAM chip.


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1971Faggin,Hoff & MazorIntel 4004 ComputerMicroprocessor

The first microprocessor.

1971Alan Shugart &IBMThe "Floppy" Disk

Nicknamed the "Floppy" forits flexibility.

1973Robert Metcalfe & XeroxThe Ethernet ComputerNetworking

Networking.

1974/75Scelbi & Mark-8 Altair & IBM5100 Computers

The first consumercomputers.

1976/77Apple I, II & TRS-80 &Commodore Pet Computers

More first consumercomputers.

1978Dan Bricklin & Bob FrankstonVisiCalc Spreadsheet Software

Any product that pays foritselfin two weeks is asurefire winner.

1979Seymour Rubenstein & RobBarnabyWordStar Software

Word Processors.

1981IBMThe IBM PC - Home Computer

From an "Acorn" grows apersonal computerrevolution

1981MicrosoftMS-DOS Computer OperatingSystem

From "Quick And Dirty"comes the operating systemof the century.

1983 Apple Lisa ComputerThe first home computerwith a GUI, graphical user

interface.

1984 Apple Macintosh ComputerThe more affordable homecomputer with a GUI.

1985 Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft begins the friendlywar with Apple.

SERIES TO BE CONTINUED

First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums formemory, and wereoften enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate and in addition to

using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of


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malfunctions.

First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming languageunderstood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a

time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.

The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices. TheUNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census

Bureau in 1951.

Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The

transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s.The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller,faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors.

Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage,it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on

punched cards for input and printouts for output.

Second-generation computers moved from crypticbinary machine language to symbolic, orassembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level

programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions ofCOBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in

their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.

The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.

Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits

The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers.Transistors were miniaturized and placed on siliconchips, called semiconductors, which

drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.

Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers throughkeyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to

run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory.Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller

and cheaper than their predecessors.

Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors


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The microprocessorbrought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integratedcircuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room

could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all thecomponents of the computerfrom the central processing unit and memory to input/output

controlson a single chip.

In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced theMacintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many

areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.

As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to formnetworks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth generation computers

also saw the development ofGUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.

Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence

Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development,though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today. The useofparallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality.

Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face ofcomputers in years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices thatrespond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.

DID YOU KNOW...An integrated circuit (IC) is a small electronic device made out of a semiconductor material. Thefirst integrated circuit was developed in the 1950s by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments and

Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor.

Key Terms To Understanding The Five Generations of Computers

Early history

[edit] Early computation

Main articles: History of computing and Timeline of computing 2400 BC1949

The earliest known tool for use in computation was the abacus, and it was thought to have been

invented in Babylon circa 2400 BCE. Its original style of usage was by lines drawn in sand withpebbles. This was the first known computer and most advanced system of calculation known todate - preceding Greek methods by 2,000 years. Abaci of a more modern design are still used as

calculation tools today.

The Antikythera mechanism is believed to be the earliest known mechanical analog computer.[2]

It was designed to calculate astronomical positions. It was discovered in 1901 in the Antikythera

wreck off the Greekisland of Antikythera, between Kythera and Crete, and has been dated to


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circa 100 BC. Technological artifacts of similar complexity did not reappear until the 14thcentury, when mechanical astronomical clocks appeared in Europe.

[3]

In the 3rd century CE the South Pointing Chariot was invented in ancient China. It was the first

known geared mechanism to use a differential gear, which was later used in analog computers.

The Chinese also invented a more sophisticated abacus from around the 2nd century BCE,known as the Chinese abacus.[citation needed]

Mechanical analog computing devices appeared again a thousand years later in the medievalIslamic world. Examples of devices from this period include the equatorium by Arzachel,

[4]the

mechanical geared astrolabe by Ab Rayhn al-Brn,[5]

and the torquetum by Jabir ibn Aflah.[6]

Muslim engineers built a number ofAutomata, including some musical automata that could be

'programmed' to play different musical patterns. These devices were developed by the BanMs brothers

[7]and Al-Jazari

[8]Muslim mathematicians also made important advances in

cryptography, such as the development ofcryptanalysis and frequency analysis by Alkindus.[9]

When John Napierdiscovered logarithms for computational purposes in the early 17th century,there followed a period of considerable progress by inventors and scientists in makingcalculating tools. In 1623 Wilhelm Schickard designed a calculating machine, but abandoned the

project, when the prototype he had started building was destroyed by a fire in 1624. Around1640, Blaise Pascal, a leading French mathematician, constructed the first mechanical adding

device[10]

based on a design described by Greekmathematician Hero of Alexandria.[11]

Then in1672 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz invented the Stepped Reckonerwhich he completed in 1694.

[12]

None of the early computational devices were really computers in the modern sense, and it took

considerable advancement in mathematics and theory before the first modern computers could bedesigned.

[edit] Algorithms

In the 7th century, Indian mathematicianBrahmagupta gave the first explanation of the Hindu-

Arabic numeral system and the use ofzero as both aplaceholderand a decimal digit.

Approximately around the year825, Persian mathematician Al-Khwarizmi wrote a book, On theCalculation with Hindu Numerals, that was principally responsible for the diffusion of the Indiansystem of numeration in the Middle East and then Europe. Around the 12th century, there was

translation of this book written into Latin:Algoritmi de numero Indorum. These books presentednewer concepts to perform a series of steps in order to accomplish a task such as the systematic

application of arithmetic to algebra. By derivation from his name, we have the term algorithm.

Question: The sampling rate, (how many samples per second are stored) for a CD is...?

1) 48.4 kHz2) 22,050 Hz

3) 44.1 kHz4) 48 kHz


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Computers Quiz, Electronics Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: Compact discs, (according to the original CD specifications) hold how many minutes

of music?

1) 74 mins

2) 56 mins3) 60 mins4) 90 mins

Computers Quiz, Electronics Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: The base 10 (or decimal - our normal way of counting) number 65535 is representedin hexadecimal as...?

1) 0xFFFFF

2) 0xFFFF3) 0xFFF

4) 0xFFFFFF

Computers Quiz

Question: Where is the headquarters of Microsoft located?

1) Santa Clara, California

2) Tucson, Arizona3) Richmond, Virginia

4) Redmond, Washington

Geography Quiz, World Quiz, Computers Quiz

Question: In what year was the "@" chosen for its use in e-mail addresses?

1) 19762) 1972

3) 19804) 1984


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Computers Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: What was the first ARPANET message?

1) "lo"2) "hello world"

3) "mary had a little lamb"4) "cyberspace, the final frontier"


Question: Where is the headquarters of Intel located?

1) Redmond, Washington

2) Tucson, Arizona3) Santa Clara, California

4) Richmond, Virginia


Question: In which year was MIDI introduced?

1) 1987

2) 19833) 1973

4) 1977

Computers Quiz, Inventions Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: '.BAK' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) Backup file2) Audio file

3) Animation/movie file4) MS Encarta document



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Question: '.MPG' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) WordPerfect Document file2) MS Office document

3) Animation/movie file

4) Image file


Question: '.INI' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) Image file2) System file

3) Hypertext related file

4) Image Color Matching Profile file


Question: '.BAT' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) Compressed Archive file

2) System file3) Audio file

4) Backup file


Question: '.JPG' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) System file

2) Animation/movie file3) MS Encarta document

4) Image file


Question: '.MOV' extension refers usually to what kind of file?


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1) Image file2) Animation/movie file

3) Audio file4) MS Office document


Question: '.TXT' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) Text File2) Image file

3) Audio file4) Adobe Acrobat file


Question: '.TMP' extension refers usually to what kind of file?

1) Compressed Archive file2) Image file

3) Temporary file4) Audio file


Question: Who created Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)?

1) Paul Zimmerman

2) Tim Berners-Lee3) Marc Andreessen

4) Ken Thompson


Question: Who co-founded Hotmail in 1996 and then sold the company to Microsoft?

1) Shawn Fanning

2) Ada Byron Lovelace


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3) Sabeer Bhatia4) Ray Tomlinson


Question: Who co-created the UNIX operating system in 1969 with Dennis Ritchie?

1) Bjarne Stroustrup2) Steve Wozniak

3) Ken Thompson4) Niklaus Wirth


Question: Who is largely responsible for breaking the German Enigma codes, created a test thatprovided a foundation for artificial intelligence?

1) Alan Turing

2) Jeff Bezos3) George Boole

4) Charles Babbage

Question: Who built the world's first binary digit computer: Z1...?

1) Konrad Zuse

2) Ken Thompson3) Alan Turing

4) George Boole


Question: Who developed Yahoo?

1) Dennis Ritchie & Ken Thompson

2) David Filo & Jerry Yang3) Vint Cerf & Robert Kahn

4) Steve Case & Jeff Bezos



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Question: 'DB' computer abbreviation usually means ?

1) Database2) Double Byte

3) Data Block

4) Driver Boot


Question: 'OS' computer abbreviation usually means ?

1) Order of Significance2) Open Software

3) Operating System

4) Optical Sensor


Question: 'DTP' computer abbreviation usually means ?

1) Digital Transmission Protocol

2) DeskTop Publishing3) Data Type Programming

4) Document Type Processing


Question: 'CD' computer abbreviation usually means ?

1) Command Description

2) Change Data3) Copy Density

4) Compact Disc


Question: What is the term to ask the computer to put information in order numerically oralphabetically?


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1) Crop2) Report

3) Record4) Sort


Question: What do we call a network whose elements may be separated by some distance? Itusually involves two or more small networks and dedicated high-speed telephone lines.

1) URL (Universal Resource Locator)

2) LAN (Local Area Network)3) WAN (Wide Area Network)

4) World Wide Web


Question: What do we call a collection of two or more computers that are located within alimited distance of each other and that are connected to each other directly or indirectly?

1) Inernet2) Interanet

3) Local Area Network4) Wide Area Network


Question: What is part of a database that holds only one type of information?

1) Report

2) Field3) Record

4) File


Question: The window which shows icons for things like the mouse, sound, and display is...?


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1) My Computer2) Explorer

3) Control Panel4) Taskbar

Computers Quiz

Question: On the Task bar the time is shown in the...?

1) Start menu2) Scrollbar

3) Desktop4) Notification area or Tray

Computers Quiz

Question: Experts say the healthiest way to view a computer monitor is by...

1) Placing it 18 to 30 inches away from your eyes2) Viewing from a darkened room

3) Adjusting the screen for maximum contrast4) Using special glasses that filter out UV rays

Computer Quiz, Technology Quiz

Question: A dual-layer DVD is valued because it:

1) Can hold more data

2) Contains a backup of the data stored3) Uses a second layer to offer a speed increase

4) Creates alternative sound tracks


Question: A JPG is...

1) A Jumper Programmed Graphic

2) A format for an image file


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3) A type of hard disk4) A unit of measure for memory


Question: Windows Vista, the eventual replacement for Windows XP, will demand more from a

computer. Which of the following statements is correct?

1) You'll need at least 512 megabytes of RAM

2) A separate graphics card, rather than onboard graphics, will be required3) A DVD drive is needed

4) All the above


Question: Your computer has gradually slowed down. What's the most likely cause?

1) Overheating

2) Your processor chip is just getting old3) Adware/spyware is infecting your PC

4) You dropped a sandwich in your computer


Question: The letters, "DOS" stand for...

1) Data Out System2) Disk Out System

3) Disk Operating System4) Data Operating System


Question: Changing computer language of 1's and 0's to characters that a person can understandis...

1) Highlight

2) Clip art


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3) Decode4) Execute


Question: Hardware devices that are not part of the main computer system and are often added

later to the system.

1) Peripheral

2) Clip art3) Highlight

4) Execute


Previous You are on Page No: 2. Total 4 NextQuestion: The main computer that stores thefiles that can be sent to computers that are networked together is...

1) Clip art2) Mother board

3) Peripheral4) File server


Question: To select text by shading as you drag the mouse arrow over the text is known as...

1) Clip art

2) To highlight3) To fetch

4) To decode


Question: Another word for the CPU is...

1) Execute

2) Microprocessor


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3) Micro chip4) Decode


Question: Which of these is not a computer?

1) Aptiva2) Macintosh

3) Acorn4) Paseo


Question: Which was an early mainframe computer?

1) ENIAC2) UNIC

3) BRAINIA4) FUNTRIA


Question: Which of the following is not a programming language?

1) Basic

2) Java3) Turing

4) C#


Question: RAM stands for...

1) Random Access Memory

2) Really Annoying Machine3) Read A Manual

4) Real Absolute Memory


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Question: How many bits is a byte?

1) 42) 8

3) 164) 32


Question: Which of the following is NOT a type of expansion slot or bus design used in

Advanced-Technology class systems?

1) PCMCIA2) ISA

3) PROM4) EISA


Question: Which company created the most used networking software in the 1980's

1) Microsoft2) Sun

3) IBM4) Novell


Question: Which Intel chip was the first to support a 32-bit bus architecture?

1) 486SI

2) Pentium3) 286

4) 386DX



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Question: Which of the following operating systems is produced by IBM?

1) OS-2

2) Windows3) DOS

4) UNIX


Question: What was the clock speed of the original IBM PC?

1) Less than 5 MHz

2) 10 MHz3) 8 MHz

4) Just over 16 MHz


Question: The IBM PC-XT was the first to include a hard drive. What was the capacity of thisdisk?

1) 20 MB2) 1.44 MB

3) 10 MB4) 750 KB


Question: Which of the following word processors came first?

1) WordPerfect2) Lotus Notes3) MS Word

4) WordStar



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Question: On what date was the debut of the first IBM Personal Computer?

1) August 12, 19812) January 21 1979

3) August 21, 1980

4) January 12, 1982


Question: The Central Processing Unit is an embeded chip that acts as the 'brains' of a computer.What Intel chip was used in the Altair (the first real personal computer)?

1) 6502

2) 8080

3) 64004) 8286


Question: The invention of the transistor, or semiconductor, was one of the most important

developments leading to the personal computer revolution. What company invented the transistorin 1947?

1) International Business Machines2) MITS

3) Xerox4) Bell Laboratories


Question: This virus activated every Friday the 13th, affects both .EXE and .COM files anddeletes any programs run on that day. What is the name of that virus?

1) Chernobyl

2) Jerusalem3) Melissa

4) I Love You



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Question: In what year did the Symantec Corporation first release Norton Antivirus?

1) 19902) 1995

3) 1988

4) 1997

Question: A computer virus that actively attacks an anti-virus program or programs in an effort

to prevent detection is...

1) Worm

2) Retrovirus3) Trojan

4) Ghost virus


Question: A program that neither replicates or copies itself, but does damage or compromisesthe security of the computer. Which 'Computer Virus' it is?

1) Joke Program2) Worm

3) Trojan4) Hoax


Question: Which of these is a documented hoax virus?

1) McDonalds screensaver2) Alien.worm

3) Merry Xmas4) Adolph


Question: In 1983, which person was the first to offer a definition of the term 'computer virus'?

1) McAfee

2) Smith


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3) Cohen4) Norton


Question: What is RISC?

1) Remodeled Interface System Computer2) Remote Intranet Secured Connection

3) Runtime Instruction Set Compiler4) Reduced Instruction Set Computer


Question: What is a GPU?

1) Grouped Processing Unit2) Graphics Processing Unit

3) Graphical Performance Utility4) Graphical Portable Unit


Question: What does ECP stand for?

1) Extended Capabilities Port

2) Extra Compatible Part3) Extended Connection Port

4) External Cordless Peripheral


Question: What is TTL?

1) Technical Talk Language

2) Transparent Transfer Layer3) Time To Live

4) True Technology Lives


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Question: What is FMD?

1) FastEthernet Measuring Device2) Flashing Media Diode

3) Fluorescent Multi-Layer Disc4) Flash Media Driver


Question: What does DOCSIS stand for?

1) Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification

2) Data Over Cable Security Internet Std3) Data Over Cable Secure International Stds

4) Data Over Cable Service Internet Standard


Question: What is VCM?

1) Virtual Connection Manager

2) Virtual Channel Memory3) Voice Controlled Modem

4) Voice Communications Module


Question: What is NAT?

1) Network Address Translation2) Network Administration Tool

3) Novell Address Transfer4) Newly Added Technology



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Question: What is a NIC?

1) Netware Intranet Controller2) No Internet Connection

3) Network Interface Card

4) Network Interference Control


Question: What is a MAC?

1) A Computer made by Apple2) Memory Address Corruption

3) Mediocre Apple Computer

4) Media Access Control


Question: What does PPTP stand for?

1) Point to Point Transmission Protocol

2) Point to Point Transfer Protocol3) Point to Point Tunneling Protocol

4) Point to Point Traffic Protocol


Question: What is LCP?

1) Local Connection Protocol

2) Lost Connection Problem3) Link Control Protocol

4) Laggy Connection Problem


Question: What does SSL stand for?


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1) Secure Socket Layer2) System Socket Layer

3) Superuser System Login4) Secure System Login


Question: What does ICMP stand for?

1) Internet Connection Modem Protocol2) Intranet Control Message Program

3) Internal Conflict Management Program4) Internet Control Message Protocol

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Omputer History