GIT REVIEWER
Presper Eckert and John
UNIT 04: EVOLUTION OF A COMPUTER
 The history of computers is a remarkable
journey that spans several centuries, witnessing
 transformative advancements that have
revolutionized human society. From ancient
calculating
 devices to the powerful supercomputers and
smartphones we have today, this course aims to
 provide a comprehensive overview of the
evolution of computers, highlighting key
examples that
 illustrate major milestones in this remarkable
progression.
I. PRE-COMPUTER ERA (Pre-20th Century)
A. Abacus: One of the earliest known calculating
devices, the abacus has roots dating back to around
2400 BCE in ancient Mesopotamia and China. It allowed
users to perform basic arithmetic operations through the
manipulation of beads on rods.
B. Pascaline: Invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642, the
Pascaline was an early mechanical calculator capable of
performing addition and subtraction. It featured gears
and wheels to handle numerical computations.
II. MECHANICAL COMPUTERS (19th Century)
A. Analytical Engine: Designed by Charles Babbage in
the 1830s, the Analytical Engine was a conceptual
mechanical computer that laid the groundwork for
modern computing. It featured basic arithmetic
operations, loops, and conditional branching.
B. Jacquard Loom: In the early 1800s, Joseph-Marie
Jacquard developed a loom that used punched cards to
control the weaving patterns, effectively introducing the
concept of programming through punched cards.
III. EARLY ELECTRONIC COMPUTERS (20th
Century)
A. Colossus: During World War II, British engineer
Tommy Flowers developed Colossus, the world's first
programmable electronic digital computer. It was used to
break encrypted German codes and played a crucial role
in the Allied victory.
B. ENIAC: Completed in 1945, the Electronic Numerical
Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was the first general-
purpose electronic computer. It was massive and used
vacuum tubes for computation.
C. UNIVAC I: Developed by J.
Mauchly in 1951, UNIVAC I was the first commercially
available computer, widely used for scientific and
business applications.
IV. THE BIRTH OF MODERN COMPUTING
(1950s-1960s)
A. Transistors: In 1947, the invention of transistors by
John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley at
Bell Labs revolutionized computing. Transistors replaced
bulky vacuum tubes, making computers smaller, faster,
and more reliable.
B. IBM 360: Introduced in 1964, the IBM System/360
series was a family of mainframe computers that offered
compatibility across models, setting a new standard for
computer architecture.
C. ARPANET: In the late 1960s, the U.S. Department of
Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA)
created ARPANET, the precursor to the modern internet,
which allowed computers to communicate with each
other for the first time.
V. THE RISE OF MICRO COMPUTERS (1970s-
1980s)
A. Altair 8800: In 1975, the MITS Altair 8800 became
one of the first commercially successful microcomputers,
inspiring hobbyists and entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and
Paul Allen to develop software for it.
B. Apple II: Introduced in 1977, the Apple II was one of
the first mass-produced, user-friendly personal
computers, making a significant impact on the home
computing market.
C. IBM PC: Launched in 1981, the IBM Personal
Computer (IBM PC) became the industry standard,
accelerating the adoption of personal computers in
businesses and homes.
VI. THE INTERNET ERA (1990s)
A. World Wide Web: In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee invented
the World Wide Web, making the internet accessible to
non-technical users and transforming the way we access
and share information.
B. Dot-com Bubble: The late 1990s saw a surge of
internet-based companies, leading to the dot-com
bubble, with examples like Pets.com and Webvan, which
eventually burst in the early 2000s.
VII. ADVANCEMENTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
A. Smartphones and Tablets: The introduction of the
iPhone in 2007 revolutionized mobile computing, leading
to a proliferation of smartphones and tablets that have
become integral to modern life.
B. Cloud Computing: Cloud computing services, such
as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure,
provide scalable and on-demand computing resources
over the internet, enabling businesses and individuals to
access data and applications from anywhere.
C. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning:
Advancements in AI and ML have led to breakthroughs
in natural language processing, image recognition,
autonomous vehicles, and more.
D. Quantum Computing: Quantum computers,
exemplified by companies like IBM and Google, leverage
the principles of quantum mechanics to perform complex
calculations exponentially faster than traditional
computers.
Unit 05: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND
EMERGING TRENDS
1. FIRST INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION – 1765
 Started in England during the late 18th century,
concentrated in Britain and initially focused on
textile manufacturing.
 Significant evolutions: Cort’s puddling; rolling
process for making iron, Crompton’s mule for
spinning cotton, Watt steam engine
 Products / Services – Vegetables, Coal, Iron,
Discovery of chemicals
 Transportation – Railroads, Basic farming
 Production System – Manual Labor to
mechanical
 Communication - Printed materials
2. SECOND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION – 1870
 Significant evolution: Development of electricity,
Internal-combustion engine, Railway, Chemical
industry
 Products / Services – electricity, chemicals,
petroleum, steel
 Transportation – automobiles, aircrafts
 Production System – machine-aided equipment
Communication – telephone, telegraph
3. THIRD INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION – 1969
 Started with the development of transistors and
the rise of electronics and digital technology.
 Products / Services – Internet, rise of
electronics, source of energy: nuclear power
 Production System – Automation
4. FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION–2000
ONWARDS
IT AND PRODUCTIVITY
 Economists interested in the pervasive effects of
technological change in different industrial
revolutions have devised the concept of a
General Purpose Technology (GPT). It is a
technology of wide application used in various
industries and whose impact is strong on their
functioning.
Productivity
 Productivity is the quality of producing
something. It is a measure of the efficiency of a
person, machine, factory, system, etc., in
converting inputs into useful outputs. It is an
indication of the efficiency of production or
distribution.
The Effect of Technology on Productivity
 Labor productivity can be measured as output
produced per hour of labor. For example,
consider an automobile factory that is able to
produce 10 cars per day using 100 hours of
labour. If a new invention permits those same
workers to produce 20 cars in the same amount
of time, their productivity has been doubled.
GAME CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES
Advanced Industrial Robotics - Involves machines
which are designed to perform industrial tasks
automatically, with high programmability and the
capacity to interact with their environment thanks to the
use of digital sensors, usually seen in manufacturing or
production lines.
Additive Manufacturing - Involving digitally controlled
devices to add layer on layer of material(s) to create
objects from 3D digital models. This is usually done in
the industrial sector such as architectural, medical,
dental, aerospace, automotive, furniture and jewelry.
Industrial Internet of Things - the use of connected
sensors attached to different objects throughout the
production process to feed live data to central
computers, usually seen on the factory floor.
Electric Vehicles - vehicles whose main system of
propulsion depends on (externally generated) electricity
rather than fuel. (e.g. Tesla)
Industrial Biotech - the use of biological processes of
living organisms for industrial purposes, drawing on
recent scientific insights such as systems genomics and
metabolomics. Uses enzymes and microorganisms to
make bio-based products in sectors such as chemicals,
food ingredients, detergents, paper, textiles and biofuels.
Advanced industrial robotics, additive manufacturing and
Industrial Internet of Things involve innovations in the
manufacturing production process, and have a very wide
applicability across most manufacturing sectors. Electric
vehicles and industrial biotech concern innovations of
specific products (and related processes), and have a
more narrow applicability to particular sectors.

THE PLATFORM ECONOMY

 A platform is a business that connects people
through technology, making an ecosystem that
allows value to be created and exchanged. This
works by matching users to each other in order
to make financial or social transactions that
create value.
 Platforms don’t own the resources that create
value, they can grow much faster than
 pipeline businesses. These businesses make up
a platform-based economy. Some key features
of a platform will include:
 Using sophisticated logistics software for
matching and payment
 Providers on the platforms are independent
contractors
 Very low barriers to entry for providers on most
platforms Trust is achieved via crowdsourcing of
ratings and reputational data.

THE PLATFORM MODEL SHOWS THREE (03)
COMPONENTS

 platform - controller of the channel or platform

and arbiter of the participants in the
 platform
 consumers/customers - buyers or users of the
outputs offered through the platform
 producers/providers - supplier of the outputs
sold through the platform