-
Slide Rule Calculator
Manual calculators were the first devices that could assist in doing logarithmic calculations. English mathematician by the name of William Oughtred used Napier's logarithms to construct the first slide rule calculator. This was an essential tool for students and engineers up through the 1960s. http://gregplaysbass.com/images_index/abacus-1-AJHD.jpg for picture citation -
Schickard's Mechanical Calculator
In early 1623 a man by the name of Wilhelm Schickard created a mechanical calculator known as Schickard's Calculator, which had a series of interlocking gears. Common in this age was the manual calculator, but the mechanical ones would soon surpase the obsolete devices.
http://www.wists.com/thumbnails/8/e3/8e3aa7cb35c0b10eef72c87d526f4b27-orig picture citation -
Charles Babbage's Difference Engine
A steam powered calculator that was used to quickly and accurately calculate large tables of numbers used for astronomical and engineering applications. Although it seemed like a good idea, Babbage's device was far too advanced to be created at the time.
http://people.uncw.edu/tompkinsj/112/texnh/images/BabbageDifferenceEngine.jpg picture citation -
Babbage's Analytical Engine
Charles Babbage was at it again trying to create an all-purpose calculator. This too was not completed, but many believe is what today's computers represent. Babbage proposed storing programs and data for calculations on punch cards, which were seen on the 1970s computers.
http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T389/AnalyticalEngine.jpg citation -
Hollerith Tabulating Machine
Was invented by Herman Hollerith, specifically for the 1890 census. And what took seven years to complete in 1880, only took six months for the 1890 census. Hollerith knew he had something and decided to open The Tabulating Machine Company, which today is called the International Business Machines, IBM.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/51/143443768_b1308f747b.jpg by ian nelson -
Konrad Zuse's Z3
A German by the name of Konrad Zuse developed a computer during World War II. It was like the ABC computer and was designed to work with binary numbers. Unfortunately, Hitler did not believe that computers would help in war and the computer was not found until after the war.
http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/images/1941_zuse_z3_large.jpg -
Atanasoff-Berry Computer
An Iowa State professor known as John V. Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford E. Berry created the ABC. This was the first use of vacuum tubes instead of mechanical switches for processing circuitry. This is considered the first electronic digital computer.
http://www.rmutphysics.com/charud/scibook/computer/evolution/images/atanasoff-berry-computer.jpg -
Harvard Mark I
Howard Aiken, an IBM sponsored engineer, was given the task to embark on an audacious plan to integrate 73 IBM Automatic Accounting Machines into a single unified computing unit.What emerged was the ASCC. also known as Harvard Mark I.
http://www.kantl.be/ctb/vanhoutte/teach/slides/graphics/mark1.jpg -
COLOSSUS
A team of British developers created the COLOSSUS, an electronic device designed to decode messages encrypted by the German Enigma Machine. COLOSSUS contained 1800 vacuum tubes, used binary arithmatic, and was capable of reading input at the rate of 5000 characters per second. This gave the allies a major advantage during World War II.
http://happidrome.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/1944_colossus_large.jpg -
ENIAC
Was designed to calculate trajectory tables for the US Army, but was not finished until November 1945, three months after World War II. It was over 100 ft long and 10 ft high and weighed over 30 tons. It contained 18000 vacuum tubes and consumed 174000 watts of power.
http://climateknowledge.org/figures/WuGblog_figures/RBRWuG0093_ENIAC_vt.edu.gif -
Transistors
Transistors would soon replace vacuum tubes because of their size and efficiency,
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Electronic_component_transistors.jpg -
UNIVAC
Considered the first sucessful digital computer. Contructed under the auspices of Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corp, which was taken over by Remington Rand, which was one of IBMs rivals. It was 14.5 ft long, 7.5 ft high, and 9 ft wide. It was more powerful than ENIAC and smaller. UNIVAC could complete 2.25 million instruction cycles per second. The cost was about $930,000, which is now $7 million by today's standards.
http://tecnoburgui.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/1951_univac_large.jpg -
Interated Circuits
Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce created the integrated circuit independently, which would be the future of computer technology, Jack Kilby's integrated circuit was a key development for creating today's small, fast, and efficient computers.
http://www.wired.com/images/index/2008/02/integrated_circuit.jpg -
IBM 360
The date that is regarded as the advent of third generation computers. This sytem integrated the integrated circuit.
http://www.uh.edu/engines/ibm360.jpg -
DEC PDP-8
Digital Equipment Corp introduced their own computer, which was the first comercially successful minicomputer. Minicomputers were designed to be smaller and less powerful than mainframe computers, while maintaining the capability to simultaneously run multiple programs for multiple users.
http://www.computerhistory.org/internet_history/full_size_images/pdp-8.jpg -
Intel 4004 Chip
Ted Hoff created the fourth generation technology with the Intel 4004 genral-purpose microprocessor. The Intel 4004 microprocessr was small. Its chip was only 1/8" by 1/16. Even in the chip carrier the microprocessor was less than 1" in length.
http://www.thg.ru/cpu/20051118/images/4004.jpg -
Mark-8
Jonathan A. Titus was featured in July 1974 issue of Radio Electronics. He created the Mark-8, which is often considered forerunners of today's personal computer.
http://gecko54000.free.fr/documentations/images/pictures/thm_Intel_8008_Mark-8.jpg -
Motorola 6800
This was an 8-bit microprocessor created by engineers who later quit Motorola to create a better 8-bit processor for MOS.
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/6800/L_Motorola-XC6800B.jpg -
Apple I
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer Corp and released the Apple I. It was a kit containing a system board with 4 kb of RAM for $666.66.
http://www.news.org.bd/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/apple-mac-computers-through-the-ages.jpg -
Zilog Z80
This was an enhanced 8080 microprocessor that was used in many early computer systems and in the same year Intel released their 8085.
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Z80/L_Zilog-Z80%20CPU%20(wgg).jpg -
Apple II
The newly introduced Apple II had colored graphics, expansion slots, a disk drive, a 1.07 MHz 6502 processor, and 16 kb of RAM, which sold for $1,195. THis was a very successful product and one of the main reasons behind its success was the program called VisiCalc, which was the first electronic spreadsheet.
http://www.edwardsamuels.com/illustratedstory/chapter%204/AppleII.jpg -
IBM PC
A decendent of today's Window's-based PCs. It had 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 processor, 16 kb of RAM, and single-sided 160 kb floppy disk drives, which sold for $3,000.
http://www.cs.uakron.edu/~margush/465/01_images/1981_ibm-pc.jpg -
Apple Lisa
A key feature of the Lisa was its graphical user interface, whichwas anidea borowed from the Xerox Alto computer. Considering its $10,000 price tag, it proved to be too expensive for most consumers.
http://radarti.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/applelisa4_3.jpg -
Apple Macintosh
The $2,495 Macintsh featured a graphical user interface that made programs easier to use than those on the command-line-based IBM PC. The Macintosh became the computer of choice for graphical applications such as desktop publishing.
http://www.cs.rpi.edu/academics/courses/fall09/os/c01/AppleMacintosh.jpg -
DEC is purchased by Compaq
The big minicomputer company, DEC, was purchased by Compaq, who would later be bought by Hewlett-Packard.
http://www.helpdeskcomputer.it/images/logo_compaq.jpg -
IBM AS/400
Last device claimed to be a minicomputer. Minicomputers would now be replaced by newer microcomputers, which were faster and smaller.
http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/logo/images/920913.jpg
.jpg){kind=link}
