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Created by Blaise Pascal, it was a mechanical calculator designed to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division by using repeated operations. -
In 1771, German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz invented the Leibniz Wheel, which is regarded as the first true four-function calculator. -
Joseph-Marie Jacquard invented the first machine with storage and programming, the Jacquard loom, which automated textile manufacturing using punched cards. -
Charles Babbage, invented the Difference Engine, a machine capable of solving polynomial equations and performing more complex arithmetic operations. -
The Analytical Engine, was created by Babbage. It's a machine with four essential components: the mill (CPU), store (memory), reader, and printer(the modern input and output devices). These components are now a part of every computer in modern times. -
A forerunner to the contemporary computer, the tabulating machine was invented by American statistician and inventor Herman Hollerith. It mechanically reads, counts, and sorts data from punched cards. -
The Mark I, a massive electromechanical protocomputer built in the late 1930s at Harvard University, was sponsored by IBM and the US Navy, providing crucial calculations during WWII. It was followed by three advanced computing machines, including the fully electronic Mark IV. -
Konrad Zuse, a German mathematician, engineer, and computer pioneer, developed the Z1, a general-purpose mechanical computer. -
Invented in 1939 by John V. Atanasoff and Clifford Berry, was the first electrically encoded computer specifically designed for solving linear equation systems. -
The first programmable electronic digital computer, was invented in England in 1943-1945 by Tommy Flowers and used extensively for cryptanalysis during WWII. -
Created by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert was the first fully electronic, general-purpose computer. It utilized 18,000 vacuum tubes, measured 30.5 meters in length and 3 meters in height, and weighed 30 tons. -
The EDVAC, was built at the University of Pennsylvania and it was the first computer designed based on von Neumann's architecture. -
The first generation of computers was marked by the introduction of expensive commercial machines, accessible only to large organizations. These computers were large, relied on vacuum tubes as electronic switches, and were housed in rooms with restricted access. That's why they were only accessible to big businesses.
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In the second generation of computers, transistors replaced vacuum tubes, leading to smaller and more affordable machines, which became accessible to smaller businesses.
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The third generation of computers saw the invention of integrated circuits and chips, reducing size and cost. Power doubled every two years, minicomputers emerged, and the software industry emerged with pre-made software packages, allowing companies to purchase and use software instead of developing their own.
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The fourth generation of computers saw significant advancements in electronics, integrating entire computer subsystems onto a single circuit board. This era saw the rise of desktop computers and the emergence of computer networks.
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The fifth generation of computing, which began in 1985, has been characterized by the miniaturization of devices such as laptops, advancements in secondary storage media, multimedia capabilities, the Internet, and virtual reality. The smartphone, represents the most groundbreaking application of electronic miniaturization.