Computers: An Early History (1800s )

The break-throughs in computing devices brought to the world by the likes of Pascal and Leibniz were certainly remarkable achievements for their time. However, it would take over a hundred years before devices were developed that would actually gain popularity and produce efficiency in calculations for large masses of people as a result.

By the 1800s, drawing from the early work of Pascal and Leibniz, inventors had designed sophisticated mechanical calculators. Charles Xavier Thomas, a Frenchman like Pascal, was responsible for the invention of the first mechanical calculator that properly calculated not only addition, subtraction and multiplication, but division as well.

A less related development took place in 1804 at the hands of Joseph Marie Jacquard, yet another citizen of France. Jacquard developed a machine that would mechanically control the weaving of loom through punch cards. This became extremely popular at the time as mill owners would be able to increase productivity and profits while cutting overhead (the cost of weavers). Of course, the weavers took note of what was happening and loathed Jacquard for costing them their jobs. Today, modern punch cards are in fact a tribute to the work of this man and as any employee checks in for work, or checks out, he or she is using a device based at least in premise on that invention.

The next big step for the ancient computer wouldn’t come from France, but her neighbor to the North: Great Britain. Here, a mathematician by the name of Charles Babbage would develop the Difference Engine (with monetary assistance from the government). This was the first successful automatic mechanical calculating machine, great for performing routine calculations.

Charles had a better idea though, and soon abandoned this project. He called it the Analytical Engine. With the help of his assistant, Augusta Ada King (the Countess of Lovelace from 1815 to 1842), Babbage began work on the world’s first digital computer into which instruction routines would be fed (routines created by Lady Lovelace). Babbage died before he was able to complete his work which would be carried on by his son.

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Computers: An Early History (1946-1956)

Aside from the military, some of the greatest advances in computing technology came as a result of commerce. Though most of the early breakthroughs in computing devices came with significant government support, private enterprises piggy-backing on these developments would enrich their sponsors, leading to great achievements even in the private market.

In 1951 for example, Remington Rand developed the Universal Automatic Computer (also known as the UNIVAC I). This machine, drawing from the breakthroughs seen in Von Neumann’s Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (the EDVAC for short) would become the first ever commercial computer in the modern sense. The machine, in comparison to previous machines that were developed for the express purposes of war or science, was a great tool for that era’s accountants and their tasks, such as paying bills and payrolls.

By 1948, an advance in a related field would become a boon for computer developers. Scientists had created the transistor, a tiny device that would soon replace cumbersome vacuum tubes in such products as televisions and radios, and soon also in computers. Advanced computer models, which had till than surpassed the weight of several cars and covered parts of football fields in their length, would shrink greatly in size.In addition to which they’d become significantly faster due to these transistors, and become more precise (smaller devices are more manageable, thus, less error prone).

By 1956, transistors began to be used in the development of public use computers. Two notable supercomputers from this era, that had banked on the development of these transistors were IBM’s Stretch and Sperry-Rand’s LARC. These computers were capable of managing insanely large amounts of data required by scientists at atomic energy development facilities and thus found eager funding from the government. These machines found a great use in the energy industry, in science and for the government. However, they were more powerful than what business demanded at that time and weren’t particularly useful for the simply calculations (in comparison) made by merchants day to day. They did require a more human centric approach however and thus the Assembly Language was developed in result.

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