1. The Continuing Story of the Computer Age: Past, Present, and Future
Appendix

2. Objectives
Describe the generations of computer design leading up to the present
Describe the story of personal computer development
Explain the underlying concepts and terms of artificial intelligence
Explain the fundamentals of expert systems, robotics, and virtual reality
Give examples of the impact these fields have on business and everyday life

3. Contents The Computer Age The First Generation The Second Generation
The Third Generation
The Fourth Generation
The Fifth Generation

4. The Computer Age Rapid changes Four generations over 50 years
Trends across generations
Decrease size
Increase speed

5. The First Generation UNIVAC 1951-1958 Vacuum Tube Magnetic core memory
Heat
Burnout
Machine language
Magnetic core memory
Storage
Punched cards
Tape (1957)
UNIVAC
Universal Automatic Computer
First computer built for business.

6. The Second Generation 1959-1964 Transistor Storage
Smaller
No warm-up time
Less energy
Less heat
Faster
More reliable
Storage
Removable disk pack (1954)
Magnetic tape
Programming languages
Assembly language
FORTRAN (1954)
COBOL(1959)
Used primarily by business, university, government

7. The Third Generation 1965-1970 Integrated Circuit Family of computers
Electronic circuit on small silicon chip
Reliability
Compactness
Low cost
Inexpensive – mass-produced
Family of computers
Software
Upward compatibility
Unbundled software
Several programs share computer’s resources
Interactive processing

8. The Fourth Generation 1971-Present Microprocessor Explosive growth
General-purpose processor on a chip
Explosive growth
Digital watches
Pocket calculators
Personal computers
Cars
Copy machines
Television sets

9. Personal Computer History
Apple (1975)
Home use
Keyboard
Screen
VisiCalc spreadsheet software

10. Personal Computer History
IBM (1981)
Became industry standard
Improved keyboard
80-character screen
Add memory
Expansion slots
Encouraged hardware and software development by others
Nonproprietary parts
Clones

11. Personal Computer History
Microsoft/Intel
Wintel
Microsoft supplies operating system for PC
MS-DOS
Windows
Intel supplies microprocessor
Continually challenged – others making inroads

12. Personal Computer History The Internet Revolution
Started as ARPANet – a network of computers that could survive a nuclear attack
Attractive to the average user
Links
Graphical browser

13. The Fifth Generation Mid 1990’s Intelligent computers
Artificial intelligence
Expert systems
Natural language

14. The Fifth Generation AI – Artificial Intelligence
How computers can be used for tasks that required human characteristics
How to make computers do things that people currently do better
Evolving science
Robotics
Problem Solving
Natural languages
Expert systems

15. The Fifth Generation AI – How Computers Learn
Improve performance based on past errors
Knowledge base – set of facts and rules
Inference engine – applies rules to the facts to create new facts
Example
Fact: Amy is Ken’s wife
Rule: If X is Y’s wife, then Y is X’s husband
Created Fact: Ken is Amy’s husband

16. The Fifth Generation Data Mining
Extracting previously unknown information from existing data
Relationships
Trends
Look for hidden information that cannot be found because of the size of the database

17. The Fifth Generation Natural Language
Humans communicate with computers in the language they use on a daily basis
Ambiguities of natural language

18. The Fifth Generation Expert Systems
Software used with an extensive set of organized data that presents the computer as an expert on a particular topic
User
Knowledge seeker
Asks questions in English-like format
Computer responds with an answer and explanation

19. The Fifth Generation Building an Expert System
Expert system shell
Software that contains the basic structure used to find answers to questions
Build knowledge base
Knowledge engineer writes rules

20. The Fifth Generation Robotics
Computer-controlled device that can physically manipulate its surroundings
Primarily found in factories
Field robots
Dangerous work
“Dirty” jobs

21. The Fifth Generation VR – Virtual Reality
Engage a user in a computer-created environment
User physically interacts with computer-created environment
Immersion – user becomes absorbed in the VR interaction
How it works
Alters perceptions
Appeals to several senses at once
Presents images that respond immediately to users movements

22. The Fifth Generation VR – Virtual Reality
The future of VR
Virtual showroom
Try new medical procedures on simulated patients
Problem
Simulator sickness
Costs