Lecture Notes: ITC Origins of Computers.

Origins of Computers
A computer is a general purpose machine (electronic device) that accepts inputs,
processes them and then stored the outputs in accordance with the instructions called a
program.

Background & Historical information on the Development of Computers.

In terms of history of computers, it starts from a long long time ago, the name Abacus
appears for counter/calculator. This device was first developed by Egyptians in the 10th
century B.C, but it was given it final shape in the 12th century A.D. by the Chinese
educationists.
Abacus (3000BC): Abacus appears to be a Slide Rule (1630): Then comes the slide
counter/calculator. It uses beads on rods to rule which is based on Napier’s rules for
count & calculate, mostly used in China. logarithms.

Charles Babbage (1791-1871),

British,: Charles Babbage efforts
to reduce the complexity of
calculation and to improve its
accuracy, he thought to create a mechanical
calculator. The first machine created was the
Difference Engine (1822) as shown on right,
and the Analytical Engine (1933): a
programmable calculating device.
Jacquard Loom (1801): The idea of the Punch card used to program analytical
fabric patterns generation was focused. engine.
Fabric patterns were encoded on punch
cards, as shown.

1
Lecture Notes: ITC Origins of Computers.

Ada Lovlace (1816): Hollerith generated the tabulating

A mathematical genius, machine and sorter in 1890. In 1924 CTR
work with Babbage on was renamed as International Business
analytical engine for Machine (IBM).
documentations.

That is, to programmed

analytical engine.

Ada Lovelace being the world’s first

computer programmer.
She died at age 36.

ENIAC: Electronic Numerical Integrator EDVAC:

and calculator in 1946 A stored program computing.

IBM: 1949 IBM card programmed UNIVAC: In 1951 first Universal

calculator (CPC). Automatic Computer completed.

As the time passed, more suitable and reliable machine was introduced which could
perform the work more quickly. The developments in terms of computer generations
from 1st to 5th generations are reviewed in lecture notes Unit1-3.The main difference
between the different generations of computers is the amount of energy it uses. As going
up the generations, they generally use the energy more efficiently, which results in good
performance.

2
 Lecture Notes: ITC Origins of Computers.

The concept of Intel Core generations starts with Core i series emerges in 1990. The
difference in processor micro-architecture is the main difference in Intel Core i processor
generations, see Unit1-3.

A summary table below shows the development in computer generation:

Gener Example Machines Hardware Software Perfor
ation mance
1 ENIAC, EDSAC, Vacuum tubes, Machine code, 2 Kb memory,
EDVAC, UNIVAC Magnetic drums Stored programs, Punch card 10 KIPS
IA Computers.
2 IBM-1401, 1620, 7094, Transistors, High level Languages: 32 Kb
Honey well 200, CDC Core memory (core Cobol, Fortran Magnetic tape, memory,
1604 , CDC 3600 means ring, self Batch oriented, Application 200KIPS
destructive) updating, Inventory, Pay-roll
3 IBM-360 & 370, ICs, Semiconductor Timesharing, Real-time 2 Mb memory,
Burrough-B6500 Memory, applications with remote 5 MIPS
PDP-11, NCR-395 Microprocessors, processing, Market
Emergence of Mini- forecasting, Credit card billing,
computer Graphics, Structured
Programming
4 IBM-3090, VLSI, Packaged Programs, 8 Mb memory,
Cray-XMP, Networks, Modularity of Special 30 MIPS
IBM PC Optical disks programs, Object-oriented
languages, Expert systems
5 IBM-3081, Burrough- ULSI, Parallel systems Parallel Languages, 64 Mb
B7900, DEC-2010, Gallium Arsenide Simulating & modeling, AI memory,
IBM-PC & XT, Sun (GaAS) 10
Sparc, Intel Paragon GFLOPS
Summary of computer generation