Charles Babbage is credited with inventing the first mechanical computer. Ada Lovelace is credited with writing the first algorithmintended for processing on a computer. The earliest foundations of what would become computer science predate the invention of the modern digital computer. Machines for calculating fixed numerical tasks such as the abacushave existed since antiquity, aiding in computations such as multiplication and division. Blaise Pascaldesigned and constructed the first working mechanical calculator, Pascals calculator, in 1642. [ 3 ]In 1673 Gottfried Leibnizdemonstrated a digital mechanical calculator, called the Stepped Reckoner. [ 4 ]He may be considered the first computer scientist and information theorist, for, among other reasons, documenting the binary number system. In 1820, Thomas de Colmarlaunched the mechanical calculatorindustry [ 5 ]when he released his simplified arithmometer, which was the first calculating machine strong enough and reliable enough to be used daily in an office environment. Charles Babbagestarted the design of the firstautomatic mechanical calculator, his difference engine, in 1822, which eventually gave him the idea of the firstprogrammable mechanical calculator, his Analytical Engine. [ 6 ]He started developing this machine in 1834 and in less than two years he had sketched out many of the salient features of the modern computer. A crucial step was the adoption of a punched card system derived from the Jacquard loom [ 7 ]making it infinitely programmable. [ 8 ]In 1843, during the translation of a French article on theanalytical engine, Ada Lovelacewrote, in one of the many notes she included, an algorithm to compute the Bernoulli numbers, which is considered to be the first computer program. [ 9 ]Around 1885, Herman Hollerithinvented the tabulatorwhich used punched cardsto process statistical information; eventually his company became part of IBM. In 1937, one hundred years after Babbages impossible dream, Howard Aikenconvinced IBM, which was making all kinds of punched card equipment and was also in the calculator business [ 10 ]to develop his giant programmable calculator, the ASCC/Harvard Mark I, based on Babbagesanalytical engine, which itself used cards and a central computing unit. When the machine was finished, some hailed it as Babbages dream come true. [ 11 ] During the 1940s, as new and more powerful computingmachines were developed, the termcomputercame to refer to the machines rather than their human predecessors. [ 12 ]As it became clear that computers could be used for more than just mathematical calculations, the field of computer science broadened to study computationin general. Computer science began to be established as a distinct academic discipline in the 1950s and early 1960s. [ 13 ] [ 14 ]The worlds first computer science degree program, the Cambridge Diploma in Computer Science, began at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratoryin 1953. The first computer science degree program in the United States was formed at Purdue Universityin 1962. [ 15 ]Since practical computers became available, many applications of computing have become distinct areas of study in their own right. Although many initially believed it was impossible that computers themselves could actually be a scientific field of study, in the late fifties it gradually became accepted among the greater academic population. [ 16 ]It is the now well-known IBMbrand that formed part of the computer science revolution during this time. IBM (short for International Business Machines) released the IBM 704 [ 17 ]and later the IBM 709 [ 18 ]computers, which were widely used during the exploration period of such devices. Still, working with the IBM [computer] was frustrating...if you had misplaced as much as one letter in one instruction, the program would crash, and you would have to start the whole process over again. [ 16 ]During the late 1950s, the computer science discipline was very much in its developmental stages, and such issues were commonplace. Time has seen significant improvements in the usability and effectiveness of computing technology. Modern society has seen a significant shift in the users of computer technology, from usage only by experts and professionals, to a near-ubiquitous user base. Initially, computers were quite costly, and some degree of human aid was needed for efficient use - in part from professional computer operators. As computer adoption became more widespread and affordable, less human assistance was needed for common usage.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 16:37:00 +0000
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