Computer Literacy and Generations of Computers

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Computer Literacy and Generations of Computers

• Artificial Intelligence
• Section 1
• Mr. Sciame

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What is a computer?

• Definition
• Types
• Programs/Programmers
• Hardware

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Computer Organization

• All computers may be envisioned as being divided
  into 6 logical units
• Input Unit
• Output Unit
• Memory Unit
• Arithmetic/Logic Unit
• Central Processing Unit
• Secondary Storage

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Historical PerspectivesEarly Mechanical Devices

• The Abacus, also called a counting frame, is a
  calculating tool used primarily in parts of Asia
  for performing arithmetic processes.

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Historical PerspectivesEarly Mechanical Devices

• Blaise Pascal was a 17th century philosopher,
  mathematician, and inventor

• The Pascal Adder Blaise
  Pascal

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The Difference Engine

• Created by Charles Babbage, beginning in 1822.
• Ada Byron, the Countess of Lovelace aided him
  by writing the instructions (program) for it

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Charles Babbage and Ada Byron
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The Hollerith Tabulating Machine

• Holleriths Tabulating Machine was inspired by
  Jacquards Loom Machine and Train Ticket
  Punchers.
• The 1880 census took 7 years to complete. A
  contest was held to find a better method.
  Holleriths Tabulating Machine won the contest.
  The 1890 census took 6 months to complete.
• In 1890, Hollerith founded the Tabulating Machine
  Company (TMC). In 1911, it merged with Computing
  Scale Co. and International Time Recording to
  become Computer Tabulating Recording Co (CTR). In
  1924, CTR became IBM.

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Hollerith and His Machine
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Early Electronic Computers

• Howard Aiken and Grace Hopper designed the MARK
  series of computers at Harvard University.
• The MARK series of computers began with the Mark
  I in 1944.
• Used by the US Navy for gunnery and ballistic
  calculations, the Mark I was in operation until
  1959.

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Howard Aiken

• He was an electrical engineer and physicist who
  first conceived of the Mark I in 1937. It was
  completed in 1944.
• IBM funded his research. Aiken headed a team of
  three engineers including Grace Hopper. 

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Grace Hopper

• Grace Hopper studied at Vassar College and Yale
  and then joined the Naval Reserve in 1943 
• She invented the language APT and verified the
  language COBOL.
• Grace Hopper was the first computer science "Man
  of the Year" in 1969.  In 1991, Grace Hopper
  received the National Medal of Technology.

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Notable Quotes

• Howard Aiken loved computers, but even he had no
  idea of their eventual widespread appeal. "Only
  six electronic digital computers would be
  required to satisfy the computing needs of the
  entire United States," he said in 1947.
• Grace Hopper is responsible for the term 'bug'
  for a computer fault. The original 'bug' was a
  moth, which caused a hardware fault in the Mark
  I. Hopper was the first person to 'debug' a
  computer. 

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Historical Perspectives

• Early Mechanical Devices
• The Abacus
• The Pascal Adder
• The Difference Engine
• The Hollerith Tabulating Machine
• Early Electronic Computers
• Mark I
• ABC
• ENIAC

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The First Generation

• 1951-58
• Characteristics
• The UNIVAC
• Vacuum Tubes
• Binary (Machine Code)

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Second Generation

• 1958-64
• Characteristics
• Transistor replaces vacuum tube
• Introduction of Programming Languages
• Split between Business and Scientific Usage

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Third Generation

• 1964-70
• Characteristics
• Integrated Circuits (Chips)
• Proliferation of Languages

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Fourth Generation

• 1970 - 95
• Characteristics
• PC
• Packaged Programs

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Fifth Generation

• Today
• Characteristics
• Internet
• Multimedia
• CD usage

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Evolution of Operating Systems

• Batch Processing
• One job at a time, a single program at a time,
  processing data in groups or batches
• Multiprogramming
• Sharing computers resources (efficiency)
  simultaneous operation of many jobs. Computer
  shares resources vying for attention.
• Timesharing
• Computer accessed through terminals. Computer
  goes from user to user, appearing to be
  simultaneous.

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Evolution of Operating Systems

• Personal Computing
• Standalone
• Local Area Networks
• Computer networks linking pcs to the network
• Distributed Computing
• Computing is no longer at one site, but
  distributed elsewhere