HISTORY OF COMPUTERS PPT Flashcards
(19 cards)
What are the earliest tools used as computers?
The earliest computers were tools like human fingers, pebbles, stones, and tally sticks used by ancient people for counting.
What is an Abacus and when was it used?
The Abacus is a calculating board used as early as 5000 BC by the Greeks and developed further by the Romans, Egyptians, and Japanese.
What device did John Napier invent and what was its purpose?
John Napier invented “Logs & Bones,” a set of sticks (bones) with numbers for multiplication and division.
Who invented the first mechanical calculator, and what was it called?
The first mechanical calculator, called the Arithmetic Engine, was invented by Blaise Pascal. It was only capable of adding and subtracting.
What was the Stepped Reckoner, and who invented it?
The Stepped Reckoner, a machine capable of performing division and multiplication, was invented by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.
What is the significance of the Loom, and who invented it?
The Loom, a weaving machine invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard, was used to control the raising and lowering of threads.
Who is known as the “Father of Modern Computers,” and what did he invent?
Charles Babbage is known as the “Father of Modern Computers” for inventing the Analytical Engine, the first general-purpose computer.
Who invented the first successful commercial adding machine?
William Seward Burroughs invented the first successful commercial adding machine.
What did Herman Hollerith develop, and what was its purpose?
Herman Hollerith developed the Tabulating Machine, a punch card tabulating device for data processing.
What was the Mark 1, and who developed it?
The Mark 1, an Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, was developed by Howard H. Aiken between 1937 and 1948.
What is ENIAC, and who led its development?
ENIAC (Electronic Numeral Integrator and Calculator), the first general-purpose electronic digital computer, was developed by Dr. John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert.
What was the ENIAC originally designed for, and what was its first use?
ENIAC was designed for calculating artillery firing tables for the U.S. Army but was first used in hydrogen bomb calculations.
What is EDVAC, and how does it differ from ENIAC?
EDVAC, or Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer, is an improved version of ENIAC with a new computer circuitry design.
What are the main components of a computer’s basic structure?
All computers have a common structure that includes input, CPU (Control Unit and ALU), and output.
What is the purpose of input devices?
Input devices feed data into the computer for processing, such as a keyboard, mouse, microphone, and disk drive.
What is the CPU, and what are its main parts?
The CPU is the brain of the computer, consisting of the Control Unit (CU) and Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU).
What does the Control Unit (CU) do in a computer?
The Control Unit directs all activities and operations within the computer.
What is the function of the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)?
The ALU performs mathematical and logical operations.
What is the purpose of output devices?
Output devices display the finished product from processing, such as monitors, printers, and speakers.
