History of Computers

        The history of computers starts about 5000 years ago, with the abacus. It is a wooden rack holding horizontal wires with beads strung on them. When these beads are moved around, according to programming rules memorized by the user, all regular arithmetic problems can be done.)

The computer was invented because "necessity is the mother of invention". Man always searching a faster calculator. The digital computer was invented, but it took a long time.

• John Napier's Bone
• Abacus
• Blaise Pascal
• Von Leibnitz
• Charles Babbage
• Herman Hollerith
• Atanasoff
• George Boole
• The Mark I Computer (1937-44)

John Napier's Bone

        John Napier was a Scottish mathematician. He created logarithm tables to facilitate calculations. John Napier's Create a device and name it Napier's Bones. The device used rods to perform arithmetic calculations. It was designed in the early 17th century. The device was widely used by accountants and bookkeepers.

The concept of logarithm was used to develop the slide rule. The modern slide rule could be used to perform arithmetic calculations. It was additionally used to compute squares, square roots, logs, sine, and cosine, and so on. The slide rule was used till the middle 70's.

Abacus

        Abacus was the first computing device. It was developed 5000 years ago. It performs simple addition and subtraction. Abacus was a wooden rack. It contained horizontal wires with beads strung on them. The beads could move easily. All simple arithmetic calculations were performed by moving these beads according to programming rules.

Blaise Pascal

        Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician. He invented a mechanical adding machine in 1642 known as Pascaline Calculator. The machine contained different metal wheels. Each wheel displayed the digit 0 to 9. It could only add and subtract numbers. Division and multiplication were performed by repeated addition and subtraction. It is not a success, but it is being strived for.

Von Leibnitz

        Von Leibniz was a German scientist He developed a calculating machine in 1694. It was the world's first calculator that could also multiply and divide. It was similar to Pascal's calculator but it was more reliable and accurate.

Charles Babbage

        While Thomas of Colmar was developing the calculator, a series of very interesting development in computers was started in Cambridge, England by Charles Babbage, a mathematics professor. He started building a machine and when it was completed he named it the Difference Engine. By 1822. he had a working model to demonstrate. It was intended to be steam-powered and fully automatic, including the printing of the results. Babbage continued to work on it for the next 10 years, but in 1833 he lost interest because he thought he had a better idea i.e. Babbage called this idea an Analytical Engine. The idea of this design showed a lot of foresight, although this couldn't be appreciated until a full century later. The machine was supposed to operate automatically, by steam power, and require only one person.

Herman Hollerith

        In 1889, Herman applied the possibility of punchboards in PCs. He utilized punch cards in PCs for information and result.

Atanasoff

        Atanasoff was a professor at Lowa University. He invented an electronic computer. He applied Boolean algebra to computer.

George Boole

        George Boole simplified binary system of algebra. His law states that a mathematical equation can only be true or false, nothing else.

The Mark I Computer (1937-44)

        It is also known as Automatic Sequence Controlled calculator. It was first fully automatic calculating machine. It was designed by Howard A. Aiken of Harvard University. It was very reliable but huge in size.