History of Computers Brian Callen

Computers

Early Computers Hewlett – Packard was founded in In 1940, the Complex Number Calculator (CNC) was invented, which provided the first example of remote access computing. In 1941, the first Bombe computer was built. Many Bombes were built and greatly improved the intelligence and processing powers of the Allies. In 1944, the first Colossus computer was built to break the complex ciphers used by the Nazis. In 1946, ENIAC was completed, which was 1,000 times faster than other computers of the time. Completed in 1948, IBM´s Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator created the moon position tables used in the 1969 Apollo 11 mission.

Early Computers (continued) In 1951, the UNIVAC I was the first commercial computer to get public attention. IBM shipped its first computer, the 701, in In 1956, MIT built the first general-purpose, programmable computer built with transistors. In 1960, DEC’s PDP-1 was the first computer with a display screen, no need for air conditioning, and only one operator. In 1964, IBM released the first set of compatible computers that could work together. The first commercially successful minicomputer was made by IBM in 1965.

More Advanced Computers In 1968, the Apollo Guidance Computer was first used in the Apollo 7 mission. In 1974, the Alto was the first computer with a built-in mouse. In 1976, Steve Wozinak and Steve Jobs built the Apple-1 computed and founded Apple Computer, Inc. In 1979, Atari released two computers with game capabilities The Macintosh was released in It was the first successful computer with a mouse and graphic user interface.

Storage

Early Storage Methods In 1952, magnetic tape was invented and allowed for inexpensive mass storage. In 1956, IBM made the first magnetic disk storage device. IBM’s storage disk device was released in 1961, and its capacity was 28 million characters. In 1962, virtual memory was invented at the University of Manchester on an Atlas computer. Virtual memory allowed a computer to switch between multiple programs.

Newer Storage Methods IBM’s 8-inch floppy diskette was released in It quickly was accepted as a widespread storage medium. The 5 ¼” flexible disk was released in 1978 by many manufacturers. The first hard disk was made in 1980 by Seagate Technology. Hard disks were an essential part of the computer revolution. Sony introduced the 3 ½” floppy disk in 1981, and Hewlett – Packard adopted it for general use in 1982.

Important People

Grace Hopper She identified the first computer “bug” on September 9, She found an actual bug, a moth, stuck in the relays of the Harvard Mark II. However, the term came to represent a glitch or flaw in a program. She was a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy and had successful careers in business and computers. She helped build the Harvard Mark I and II computers. She made the first compiler, A-0, and her work on programming languages led to the language COBOL.

Alan Turning He posed important questions on judging human intelligence and programming. His seminal paper, called “On Computable Numbers,” was published in He worked on the design of several computers during his career. He was a mathematical genius, and his skills were extremely helpful to code-breaking efforts during World War II. His use of logic in code-breaking was significant in his creation of the concept of a “universal machine.” He died at age 42.

Robots and Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence During World War II, Norbert Wiener worked on anti-aircraft systems that could interpret radar images to anticipate the paths of enemy aircraft. In 1948, Wiener published “Cybernetics,” which was an important influence on later artificial intelligence. In 1965, a team at Stanford created DENDRAL, which used “if-then” rules to identify the molecular structure of organic materials. Texas Instruments introduced “Speak and Spell” in 1978, the first machine to duplicate human speech. The Musical Instrument Digital Interface was introduced in 1983, which tells a synthesizer information about musical notes.

Robotics In 1959, MIT demonstrated the first computer- assisted manufacturing. UNIMATE, the first industrial robot, began work in The Stanford Arm, made in 1969, was the first successful electric-powered, computer-controlled robotic arm. Shakey, developed by SRI International, was the first robot guided by artificial intelligence. After 12 years of development, the Stanford Cart was completed in 1979, which crossed a chair-filled room without human intervention.