INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING

CHAPTER 1: COMPUTING ESSENTIALS

LESSON 1 – WHAT IS COMPUTER SCIENCE?
What is Computer Science?
As previously defined we said that Computer is a tool that does the
processing of data, right? But how about we go deeper to the science behind
this computer? Let’s now dig-in through the history of computer and later let’s
define what computer science is and who the father of computer science is?

In the early 1800’s, Charles Babbage an English mathematician

developed the first computer which is really intended to do only calculations.
This project of Mr. Babbage was funded by the English government and
unfortunately became a failure. But because of unending development, Mr.
Herman Hollerith in the year 1890’s designs the punch card system that is used
for the national census. Mr. Hollerith also established a company that eventually
became IBM in 1911.

Figure 1.1 – Picture of Mr. Babbage’s Invention (Left) and Picture of Mr.
Hollerith’s Invention (Right)

After the discovery of Mr. Hollerith; J.V. Atanasoff, physics and

mathematics guru and his graduate students decided to build the first computer
that they can use to solve equations simultaneously. Imagine, during as early as
this year, computers are already used for Mathematics computation.

In 1943, Mr. Mauchly and Presper began the development of the

Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC) which was known as
the grandfather of digital computers.

This ENIAC machine, which was officially completed on February

1946, “was enormous because it occupied the 50x30 ft. room where its 40
panels are arranged. It has approximately, 18,000 vacuum tubes, 70,000
resistors, 10,000 capacitors, 6,000 switches and 1,500 relays (Source:
Brittanica.com)”. Imagine how big the first computer is? But this computer was
first used to do the calculations for the construction of the hydrogen bomb. In
the same year, when the two gentlemen received a funding from the
government, they both leave the University of Pennsylvania to build another
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING
CHAPTER 1: COMPUTING ESSENTIALS
LESSON 1 – WHAT IS COMPUTER SCIENCE?
version of ENIAC called UNIVAC, the first commercial computer for business
and government use.

Figure 1.2 – Pictures of Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator

(ENIAC) and Universal Automatic Computer 1 (UNIVAC)

In 1953, a lady name Grace Hopper develops the first computer

language called COBOL. While in 1954, the FORTRAN programming
language is also born. The Integrated Circuit (IC) known to be a Computer Chip
which is the heart of the computer was conceived in year 1958.

And in the year 1970, Intel Company unveils their first Dynamic
Random Access Memory (DRAM) chip. The following year, Shugart leads the
creation of the floppy disk, where data can be saved as external storage. In 1973,
a research staff from Xerox Company named Robert Metcalfe develops the
Ethernet. During the year 1975, IBM Company releases their first commercially
available portable computer that is called IBM 5100. While in 1976, Steve Jobs
together with Steve Wozniak start the Apple Computer.

Figure 1.3 – Pictures of the first floppy disk and the IBM 5100

In 1981, the first IBM personal computer was introduced to the market
and this computer uses Microsoft MS-DOS operating system and the rest was
history. If you will notice this brief history, the common use of computer was
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING
CHAPTER 1: COMPUTING ESSENTIALS
LESSON 1 – WHAT IS COMPUTER SCIENCE?
to solve, or compute that’s why Computing Science indeed is a very huge topic.
And this module will be covering the Essentials or the Fundamentals of that
Science.

Now, let’s define what Computing Science is? According to

MerriamWebsite.com dictionary “Computer Science is a branch of science that
deals with the theory of computation or the design of computers”. So when we
say Computing Science it means that we will go deeper on what’s inside a
computer and what makes it work because for the next years in this program,
you will be learning a lot of this. Like from the basic programming to advance
object oriented techniques, from basic computer hardware parts to advance
computer troubleshooting, from configuring a single computer to connecting
different computer in one local area network (group of computers) and many
more.

That’s how big computing Science is? Just another fact: Do you know
who the Father of Modern Computer Science is? It’s Alan Turing. So let’s know
who this man was? According to ReadWrite.com “Mr. Alan Turing was born in
June 23, 1912 at Paddington, London.” He was considered the father of modern
computer science because of his great contribution to the computing world like
the Turing Machine and the cracking of German Enigma Codes during the
World War II.

Figure 1.4 – Picture of Mr. Alan Turing and the Turing Bombes

The next topics for this chapter will expose you to the different basic
terminologies in Computer Science and Information Technology/Information
Systems as preparation for your further studies.