COMPUTING FUNDAMENTALS

1. The information society

2. History of computing
2.1 The abacus, Pascal’s adding machine
2.2 Leibniz, Jacquard Loom, Charles Babbage
2.3 Hollerith’s tabulating equipment
2.4 IBM-Harvard MARK 1
2.5 ENIAC/EDVAC (Von Neumann model of computing)
2.6 Integrated circuits
2.7 Modern computers

HISTORY OF COMPUTING

ABACUS - The abacus also called a counting frame is a calculating tool used
primarily in parts of Asian performing arithmetic processes.

- The first manual data processing device which was developed in China in the
- Two reasons for its popularity is simple and effective
- The latin word came from “abakos”. The Greek genitive form of abar (“calculating
table”)

Pascal’s Adding machine (Pascal’s Calculator)

- An adding machine which is a type of calculator usually specialized for

bookkeeping calculations
- A machine that was capable of adding and subtracting numbers

Leibniz Calculator

- Utilized the same techniques for addition and subtracting as Pascal’s device but
could also perform multiplication and division, as well as extract square roots.

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (Von Leibniz)

- He also invented the binary system the foundation of virtually all modern
computer architectures

Jacquards loom

- The Jacquard loom is a mechanical loom invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard in

1801 that simplifies the process of manufacturing textiles and complex
 - The loom is controlled by punch-cards with pinched holes. Each row of which
corresponds to one row of the design. Multiple rows of holes are punched on
each card and the many cards that compose the design of the textile strung
together in order

Babbage’s Analytical Engine

- Charles Babbage considered the father of modern computer

- Was an English mathematician philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer
who originated the concept of a programmable computer.

Difference Engine (1822) – Designed to automate a standard procedure for

calculating the roots of polynomials

- arithmetic mechanical calculator designed to elaborate polynomial functions

- he abandoned the difference engine and to work on more powerful device the
Analytical engine

Analytical Engine – was designed to use two types of cards

1. Operation cards – to indicate the specific function to be performed
2. Variable cards – to specify the actual data

Hollerith’s Punched-card Machine

- an electrical device designed to assist in summarizing information and later,

accounting invented by Herman Hollerith, the machine was developed to help the
process of data for the 1890 U.S Census. It spawned a larger class of device
known as unit record equipment and the data processing industry

MARK 1

- was invented by Howard H. Aiken

- official name was Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator
- could perform the four basic arithmetic operations and could locate information
stored in tabular forms
- The first automatic general purpose digital computer

ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator)

- Developed during the period of 1943-1946

- Created by young engineer students working at the Moore School of Electrical
Engineering of the University of Pennsylvania under the direction of Presper
Ecker Jr. and John Mauchy
- The first electronic digital computer to solve ballistics problems
 - It could perform 300 multiplications per second

EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer)

- John Von Neumann proposed a modified version of ENIAC

Difference in ENIAC
The EDVAC would employ binary arithmetic in all their calculations
The EDVAC would have stored-program capability

COMPUTER GENERATIONS

1. First Generation Computers (1957-1959)

- Univac – the first commercial computer
- Use of vacuum lubes as a means of storing data in memory card
2. Second Generation Computers (1959-1964)
- Solid state components (transistors and diodes) and magnetic core storage
- Transistor performs the same as a vacuum tube except that electrons move --
through solid materials instead of vacuum.
- Computers became much smaller in size faster, more reliable
- Built in error detecting devices
- More efficient programming methods
- Essential accessories such as high-speed card readers and and printers
3. Third Generation Computers (1965-1970)
- Integrated solid state improved secondary storage devices new input/output
devices
- Arithmetic and logical operations performed in microseconds or even
nanoseconds
4. Fourth Generation Computers (1970-Present)
- Development of microelectronics
- Development in computer technology such as multiprocessing,
multiprogramming miniaturization, time-sharing operating speed and virtual
storage
- Because of microprocessors computers are much faster, much less expensive,
and much greater data processing capacity