| Computers, it seems as if they have been
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| | could perform calculations at the rate of
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| around forever. Yet it wasn't until the
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| | 5,000 additions per second. Operators
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| 1981 that the first personal computer was
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| | used plug boards and wires to program the
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| introduced by IBM - only twenty six years
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| | desired operations. The computer used
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| ago.
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| | magnetic tape to store input and output
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| So who invented the first computer and
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| | rather than punch tape, another invention
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| how did it evolve to what it is today?
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| | by Eckert and Mauchley. Such computers
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| The definition of a computer is any
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| | were to later be called 'First
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| programmable electronic device that can
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| | Generation' computers.
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| store, retrieve, and process data. But
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| | It was in 1947 when Bell Laboratories
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| the idea of 'computing' dates all the way
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| | invented the transistor that a wave of
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| back to the 1200s when a Moslem cleric
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| | 'Second Generation' computers were born.
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| proposed a way to solve problems with a
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| | Texas Instruments improved the transistor
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| series of written procedures. In 1801
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| | in 1954 and the vacuum tubes were
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| Joseph-Marie Jacquard built a loom that
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| | replaced. With the transistors, computers
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| weaves by reading punched holes stored on
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| | became less expensive and smaller in
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| small sheets of hardwood; the plates read
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| | size.
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| or retrieved the pattern and creates or
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| | It wasn't until the development of
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| processed the weave.
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| | programming language came along that the
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| But it wasn't until prior to World War II
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| | 'Third Generation' computer was born.
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| when John V. Atansoff and Clifford John
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| | Originally, programmers communicated with
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| Berry started building the 'electronic'
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| | computers through plug boards and wires.
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| computer. Because of the war, the two
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| | In 1956, FORTRAN, the first programming
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| were unable to complete their project.
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| | language was developed. Then, in 1959
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| But in 1939, Astansoff finished a small
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| | came COBOL. These programming languages
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| prototype computer to test his ideas. The
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| | enabled programmers to write code and
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| computer was called the ABC, standing for
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| | translate it into machine language. The
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| Atansoff-Berry Computer.
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| | operating system was created to provide a
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| The machine used 300 vacuum tubes to
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| | buffer between the user and the machine
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| perform calculations, capacitors to store
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| | and to enable the user to ask the
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| binary data and punch cards to
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| | computer to perform a high level task.
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| communicate input/output. Unlike old
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| | After this came the necessity for
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| mechanical machines, which used direct
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| | storage. In 1970, IBM put a floppy disk
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| counting, the ABC used logical operations
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| | drive into their 3740 system. The floppy
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| to perform addition and subtraction.
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| | disk provided three times more storage
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| During World War II, the military wanted
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| | space and thus the 'Fourth Generation'
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| the computer for more advanced uses. They
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| | computers were born.
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| were seeking an easier way to compute
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| | Personal computers have changed
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| firing and ballistic tables. This is when
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| | tremendously since this time with
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| J. Presper Eckert and William Mauchley
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| | everything from hardware to storage to
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| developed the ENIAC or Electronic
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| | great varieties of software. With
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| Numerical Integrator and Calculator. This
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| | technology multiplying itself with each
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| computer filled a thirty by fifty foot
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| | decade, who knows what the future
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| room and weighted thirty tons. The
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| | generation computers could look like.
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| computer used 18,000 vacuum tubes and
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