Friday, June 27, 2008

Pre-mechanical Period, The Mechanical Period, The Electromechanical Period,The Electronic period, The Four Generations of Digital Computing - (Joannacel A. Paraiso)


I learned about the four basic periods in the history of computers. The:
· Pre- mechanical Period(3000-1450)
· Mechanical Period(1450-1840)
· Electromechanical Period(1840-1940)
· Electronic Period(1940- present)

In the Pre-mechanical Period, I learned that:

· Petroglyths are signs or simple figures carved in rocks.


· Pictographs are the pictures or sketches that visually resemble
that which is depicted.


· Ideographs are the symbols to represent ideas or concepts.


· Computing began when our ancient ancestors devised the first, rudimentary
counting methods.


· In 3100 B.C., the Sumerians in Mesopotamia(southern Iraq) devised cuneiform—
the true first written language and the first real information system.


· The Phoenicians created symbols that expressed single syllables and consonants
(the first true alphabet).


· The Greek adopted the Phoenician alphabet and added vowels.


· The Romans gave the letters Latin names to create the alphabet we use today.


· In Egyptian system. 1-9 as vertical lines, the number 10 as a U or circle, the number 100as a coiled rope, the number 1000 as a lotus blossom, 10000 as a finger, 100000 as a frog and 1000000 as an Egyptian.


· The first numbering system similar to those we use today were invented by the Hindus in India who created a nine- digit numbering system.


· Around 875 A. D., the concept of zero was developed.


· Abacus is the first calculator and it is also one of the very first information processor.



The Mechanical Period
> Johann Gutenberg invented the movable- type printing process.


>The people who held the job title computer are the one who works with numbers.


>John Napier introduces logarithms. Logs allow multiplication and division to be reduced to addition and subtraction.


>Wilhelm Shickard invents the first mechanical calculator. It can work with six digits, and carries digit across columns. It works but never makes it beyond the prototype stage because it was burned.


>William Oughtred invented the slide rule and an early example of an analog computer.


>Blaise Pascal invented the mechanical calculation machine. He called it Pascaline. It is made out of clock gears and levers and could solve basic mathematical problems.


>Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz invented the machine called stepped reckoner that could multiply 5 digit and 12 digit numbers yielding up to 16 digit number.


>Joseph- Marie Jacquard developed an automatic loom that was controlled by punch cards.


>Arithmometer became the first mass- produces calculator developed by Charles Xavier Thomas De Colmar. This device performed the same type of computations as Leibniz’s stepped reckoner, but was more reliable.


>Charles Babbage invented the first modern design: a steam- powered adding machine called the difference engine. He also invented the analytical machine that took information from punched cards to solve and print complex mathematical operations. The difference engine and the analytical engine are regarded as the first “thinking machines”. These machines were made for people who weren’t math experts. The engines are easy to operate and produced solutions at the turn of a hand crank. He earned the title “father of computers”.


>Ada Augusta Lovelace was credited the “first computer programmer”. The programming language Ada is named in her honor.



The Electromechanical Period

Voltaic Battery
>The first electric battery, known as the voltaic pile was invented by Alessandro Volta. It is consisted of a stack of alternating discs of zinc and copper or silver separated by felt soaked brine. They provided a simple source of stored electrical energy that didn’t rely on mechanical means.


Telegraph>Invented by Samuel F. B. Morse.


Telephone and Radio
>Developed by Alexander Graham Bell. The first and the famous quotation that was transmitted in the first telephone was “Watson, come here, I want you”.


>Guglielmo Marconi discovered that electrical waves travel through space and can produce an effect far from the point at which they originated.


>George Boole develops binary algebra known as Boolean algebra.


>Pehr and Edvard Schuetz complete their computing machine capable of processing fifteen- digit numbers, printing out results, and rounding off to eight digits.


>Dorr Felt devises the Comptometer.


>Herman Hollerith was the first person to successfully use punched cards.


>Otto Shweiger invented the first efficient function calculator called the millionaire.


>Lee De Forest developed the vacuum tube.




The Electronic period
. The first programmable computer is the Z1 created by Konrad Zuse.
· The first digital computer is the Atanasoff-Berry Computer(ABC).
· The first stored program computer is the EDSAC.
· The first personal computer is the
Altair 8800.
· The first workstation is the
Xerox Alto introduced in 1974.
· The first laptop or portable computer is the Osborne I.
· The first PC (IBM compatible) computer is the IBM PC.
· The first PC clone is the Compaq Portable.
· The first Apple computer is the
Apple I.
· The first computer company is the Electronic Controls Company.
· The first multimedia computer is the amega.
. Other major computer companies first are the Compaq Digital, Del, Hewlett Packard, NEC, and Toshiba.
The Four Generations of Digital Computing
First Generation
>The computers had vacuum tubes, resistors, and welded metal joints.


Second Generation
>Uses transistors as main logic element.


Third Generation
>Individual transistors were replaced by integrated circuits.


Fourth Generation
>Uses microprocessor. It is an integrated circuit built on a tiny piece of silicon.

Learnings of the Week ( Maria Nona V. Sison)






I learned much about the History of Computer.

There are Four basic Periods:
1) PRE-MECHANICAL AGE
2) MECHANICAL AGE
3) ELECTROMECHANICAL AGE
4) ELECTRONIC AGE








THE PRE- MECHANICAL AGE began (3000 B.C.- 1450 A.D.)





WRITING AND ALPHABETS COMMUNICATION

PETROGLYTHS- signs of simple figures carved in rocks
• IDEOGRAPHS - symbol to represents ideas and concepts

Sumerians in Mesopotamia also known as (Southern Iraq) devised Cuneiform.
Phoenicians developed the syllables and consonants.
Greeks added vowels to the Phoenician Alphabet.
Romans gave the letters the Latin Names.

The Input technologies used:
Sumerians- Stylus
Egyptians -
Papyrus
Chinese
– Paper from Rags

The Output technologies used:
Books and Libraries




THE FIRST NUMBERING SYSTEM

The Egyptian System
• Number 1-9 (symbolizes the vertical lines)
• Number 10 as (U or circle)
• Number 100 as (coiled rope)
• Number 1,000 as ( lotus blossom)
• Number 10, 000 as (finger)
• Number 100,000 as (frog)
• Number 1,000,000 as (Egyptian Man)

(100 and 200 A.D.)
The Hindus in India created the nine- digit numbering system we used today.

(Around 875 A.D.)
The concept of zero was created.


THE FIRST CALCULATORS : ABACUS


ABACUS (500 B.C.)
• One of the very first information processors.
• The first Calculator. Invented in Babylonia and popularized in China.
• Man’s first recorded adding machine
• Ancient computing device constructed of sliding beads on small wooden rods, strung on a wooden frame.





THE MECHANICAL AGE (1450- 1840)


The Period of COMPUTER Explosion where many inventors were popularized. And the development of BOOK INDEXES and widespread use of PAGE NUMBERS.


JOHANN GUTENBERG (1450)-

Invented the movable metal-type printing process.



Before, people who works with numbers are called as COMPUTER.


JOHN NAPIER (1614)-

Intruduces LOGARITHMS.

WILHELM SHICKARD (1623)
He invents the first mechanical calculator.



WILLIAM OUGHTRED
Invented the slide rule. Invented an Early example of an analog computer.


BLAISE PASCAL (1642)
Invented the a mechanical calculation machine. This machine is called as PASCALINE.


GOTTFRIED WILHELM VON LEIBNIZ(1646-1716)
Invented a machine called the stepped reckoner that could multiply 5 digit and 12 digit numbers yielding up to 16 digit number.



JOSEPH MARIE JACQUARD (1801)
Invented an Automatic loom. Punch card idea picked up by Babbage from him.


CHARLES XAVIER THOMAS DE COLMAR (1785-1870)
Invented the Arithmometer and became the first mass-produced calculator.


CHARLES BABBAGE

known as the "FATHER OF THE MODERN COMPUTER" where he's inventions Analytical and Difference Engine which is called as "thinking machines"


ADA AUGUSTA LOVELACE
Also known as (LADY BYRON) was credited the “first computer programmer”. The programming language Ada is named in her honor.





ELECTROMECHANICAL PERIOD (1840- 1940)



The beginning of telecommunication.


DISCOVERIES OF THIS PERIOD WERE:


Voltaic Battery , Telegraph, Telephone and Radio



VOLTAIC BATTERY (18TH Century) known as the voltaic pile was invented by Alessandro Volta. It is consisted of a stack of alternating discs of zinc and copper or silver separated by felt soaked brine.


TELEGRAPH (1832) - discovered by Finley Breeze Morse.



TELEPHONE (1876) - discovered by Alexander Graham Bell




RADIO (1894)- discovered by Guglielmo Macaroni and concluded that electrical waves can travel through space and can produce an effect far from the point.




ELECTROMECHANICAL COMPUTING

- Tabulating Machine
- Comptometer
- Comptograph
- Punched cards




Tabulating machine (1853)- completed by Pehr and Advard Scheutz



Comptometer (1885)- discovered by Dorr Felt. Adding and Subtracting Calculator
Comptograph (1889) - also invented by Dorr Felt containing built-in printer


Millionaire- was invented by Otto Shweiger



Vacuum tube- was invented by Lee de Forest





ELECTRONIC PERIOD (1941- Present)



From the previous period, Electromechanical, computers were operated manually. Now, Electricity are then developed and so improvements too. Computers became sophisticated and more faster than before.


FIRST GENERATION


Using of vacuum tubes as their main logic elements. Usually in this period, these are being used: Vacuum tubes, resistors, and welded metal joints. They were large, slow, and expensive and produced a lot of heat.



SECOND GENERATION


Transistors are used to replace vacuum tubes. Transistors are Less-giving heat, smaller and it allows computer to communicate over telephones.


THIRD GENERATION


By the next generation, new device was invented and replace Transistors, which is IC (Integrated Circuits



FOURTH GENERATION


And by the last generation, the device was improved, and the new development of Microprocessors was used to replace Integrated Circuits.





THE DIFFERENT FIRST COMPUTER INVENTIONS:


The first PROGRAMMABLE computer - Z3 (Zuse's 3)


The first DIGITAL computer -Atanasoff-Berry Computer


The first STORED PROGRAM computer - EDSAC

The first PERSONAL computer - Altair 8800


The first WORKSTATION -Xerox Alto


The first laptop or PORTABLE computer- Osborne I

The first PC (IBM compatible) computer - IBM PC

The first PC CLONE - Compaq Portable

The first APPLE computer- Apple 1

The first computer COMPANY - Electronic Controls Company

The first MULTIMEDIA computer - Amiga 1000


Other Major firsts COMPANY:


Compaq, Digital, Dell, Hewlett Packard, NEC & Toshiba

Thursday, June 26, 2008

LEARNINGS OF THE WEEK - NAVARRA





I learned that during this period began at around 3000 BC until 1450 A.D. I learned that it is the period where writing and alphabet communications began. it is where they only used signs or just a simple figures carved in rocks for them to communicate with others. Early humans are using ideographs or symbols to represent ideas or concept.




PRE - MECHANICAL PERIOD

SUMERIANS


- From Mesopotamia ( Southern Iraq )
- Devised the cuneiform
- Their input technology was a stylus that could scratch marks in wet clay.

Cuneiform
- It is the first true written language and the first real information system.
- It is using a clay tablet as an actual cuneiform symbols.

PHOENICIANS
- Created symbols that expressed single syllables and constants at around 2000 B.C.
- They developed the first true alphabet.

GREEKS
- Adopted the Phoenician alphabet and added vowels.
- Made paper from rags, on which modern-day paper-making is based at around 600 B.C

ROMANS
- Gave the letters Latin names to create the alphabet we use today.

EGYPTIANS
- wrote the Papyrus plant at around 2600 B.C
- They kept scroll.
-

CHINESE
- They made paper from rags, on which modern-day paper-making is based.




NUMBERING SYSTEM

Egyptians numbering system
- they use symbols that represents particular number.
· 1 – 9 = vertical lines
· 10 = U or circle
· 100 = coiled rope
· 1000 = lotus blossom

HINDUS
- India
- created a nine-digit numbering system
- The first numbering systems similar to those in use today were invented between 100 and 200 A.D.

875 A.D
- The concept of zero was developed.



I learned that ABACUS was the very first processor. It is the man’s first recorded adding machine. It was invented in Babylonia during 500 B.C. It is an ancient computing device constructed of sliding beads on small wooden rods, strung on a wooden frame. I also learned that it can be consider as the first calculator.




MECHANICAL PERIOD

I learned that it is the period where computers are already invented by some popular inventors of computes. It happens at around 1450 up to 1840. The development of book indexes and the widespread use of page numbers were during this period.


There are many inventors that are being well – known because of their inventions. Ahd they are:

Johann Gutenberg
- Invented the movable metal-type printing process in 1450.

The first general purpose "computers
- Actually people who held the job title "computer: one who works with numbers."

John Napier
- introduces the Logarithm
- introduce a machine that allow multiplication and division to be reduced to addition and subtraction
- He was so intelligent, many of the locals believed him to be in league with the Devil.
- 1614

Wilhelm Shickard
- He invents the first mechanical calculator
- He invents a machine that can work with six digits and carries digits across columns

- 1623

William Oughtred


- invented the slide rule.
- Invented an Early example of an analog computer

Blaise Pascal


- invented the a mechanical calculation machine.
- This machine is called as PASCALINE (was made out of clock gears and levers and could solve basic mathematical problems like addition and subtraction)
- 1642

Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz
- 1646-1716
- Invented a machine called the stepped reckoner that could multiply 5 digit and 12 digit numbers yielding up to 16 digit number.

Joseph-Marie Jacquard
- 1801
- automatic loom
- Punch card idea picked up by Babbage from him.

Charles Xavier Thomas de Colmar


- 1785-1870
- Invented the Arithmometer became the first mass-produced calculator

Charles Babbage
- Invented the first modern computer design: a steam powered adding machine called “the difference engine”.
- invented the “analytical engine”.
- difference engine and the analytical engine are regarded as the first “thinking machines”.
- “father of computers”.




ELECTROMECHANICAL PERIOD





I learned that elecromechanical period happens during 1840 up to 1940. This is the period where the discovery of electricity began. The beginning of telecommunication happened during this period. I also learned that the discovery of Voltaic Battery, Telegraph, Telephone and Radio happened during this period.





VOLTAIC BATTERY





- It is considered as the first electric battery in vented by Alessandro Volta, in the 8th century.



- It consists of stack alternating discs of zinc copper.




TELEGRAPH



- It was conceived by Samuel F.J. Morse in 1832.



TELEPHONE



- It was discovered by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.



- “ Watson, come here I want you” the famous quotation that transmitted by Alexander Graham Bell.



- It was introduced on a large scale at the PHILADELPHIA CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION in 1877.




RADIO





- GuglielmoMacaroni discover that electrical waves can travel through space and can produce an effect far from the point which led to the discovery of radio in 1894.



- George Boole develops the Binary Algebra.



ELECTROMECHANICAL COMPUTING



- Tabulating Machine



- Comptometer



- Comptograph



- Punched cards



Tabulating machine



- 1853



- completed by Pehr and Advard Scheutz.



- capable of processing fifteen-digit numbers, printing out results and rounding off to eight digits.



Comptometer



- 1885



- by Dorr Felt



- a key driven adding and subtracting calculator.

Comptograph



- 1889



- invented by Felt



- containing built-in printer





- the first person to successfully use punched cards in 1890



- he adapted the Punched Card



- he won the contest with his punched card device and his invention helped to complete the 1890 census in just two and one-half years



- he was the father of information processing and found the Tabulating machine Company which later became the Computer Tabulating Recording Company



- his company went to become the International Business Machines Corporation known today as IBM



Millionaire



- the first efficeint four-function calculator



- invented by Otto shweiger, a Swiss Engineer.



- 1893



Vacuum tube



- developed by Lee De Forest which provide electricity controlled switch, a necessity for digital electronic computers







ELECTRONIC PERIOD



I learned that during this period, all the computers that are already using electricity during the electomechanical period, they are enhanced and are improved. There are many machines that from simple functions become complicated. There are also machines that from a moderate fast become faster. This period began at 1941 until present.



This is also the time where all the inventions and inventors are rapidly growing higher. It is because it is the time of the war where the government is giving fund to those inventors who can invent a machine that can help their country to win the war or to help the resident that are really affected.




FIRST GENERATION





- used vacuum tubes as their main logic elements



- Punched cards to input and externally store data



I learned that computer in this time had vacuum tubes, resistors, and welded metal joints. They were large, slow, and expensive and produced a lot of heat. I also learned that computers needed many experts to operate them.



Presper Eckert and John Mauchly



- developed the first operational electronic digital computer, called ENIAC, for US Army



ENIAC



- was over 1000 times faster than Mark 1, and could perform 5000 additions per second



- had more than 1800 vacuum tubes, and took up to 1800 square feet of space



UNIVAC-1



- became the first commercially available electronic computer



- designed by Eckert and Mauchly







SECOND GENERATION





I learned that in this generation, vacuum tubes are already replaced by transistors. Magnetic tape and disks began to replace punched cards as external storage devices. I also learned that magnetic cores were strung on a wire the computer became the primary internal storage technology. This generation evolved at around 1940s. This is also the generation where transistors are developed.



Transistor



- Semiconductors could be used in the design of a device



- Used to replace vacuum tubes



- Invented by John Barden, Walter Brattain and William Shockley of Bell Telephone Laboratories



- It is a small, solid-state component designed to monitor the flow of the electric current.



- Were smaller, faster, cheaper, required less power, and produce less heat than vacuum tubes



- made second generations computers faster and more reliable than first generations.



- It can amplify signal, or open and close a circuit



- It allowed second generations computers to communicate over telephone lines.



Grace Hopper



- the woman that found the first computer bug



- in 1961



Ken Olsen



- the founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)



- Release the first minicomputer, the PDP-8.



IBM 360



- introduced in April



- Quickly becomes the standard institutional mainframe computer.



BASIC (Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)



- developed by Thomas Kurtz and John Kemeny of Dartmouth College



- as a computer language to help teach people how to program








THIRD GENERATION



- it uses the pc that are composed of transistors.





FOURTH GENERATION



- it uses the processor which is used nowadays.