A brief history of computers

 

The history of computers is associated with the constant development of electronics as a result of which every home has a PC. When did the computer appear? The very first computer in the world was created in the 1600s in the form of a calculator. The first computer closer to our type was created in 1941 and looked far from what we see it now. The development of computers has passed 5 great generations. About how the emergence of the first computers took place, and about the technologies contributing to the appearance of a personal computer - our article will briefly tell.

When did the first computer appear?

Throughout the history of human existence, he has repeatedly tried to improve the world around him in order to improve his life to make it easier and more comfortable. The history of the creation of the computer is, first of all, the desire of man to invent a device for solving problems that are impossible for the human mind. And as practice shows, this task was performed with a bang.

If you think that the computer appeared several decades ago, then you are deeply mistaken, because its history dates back several centuries. Of course, the first ancestors of the modern PC were very primitive and even the language does not turn to call them "computers", but without going through all these stages of formation, it may not have become such a miracle of technology.

So, the first computer created in the history of mankind is considered to be the machine for counting Blaise Pascal, which arose in 1642. It was the first primitive calculator that helped the inventor add up and subtract. Pascal's invention is considered the zero stage in the development of computers and for its time it was a progressive device, because previously there were no attempts to mechanize calculations.

The "computer" invented by Pascal was called "Pascaline" and it was a box with numerous gears. With the help of wheels, the device allowed you to enter numbers from 0 to 9, and in the upper part of the case, after entering the initial data, the result was shown.

Photo Source: en.wikipedia.org

Pascal's apparatus – the first computer

History of creation and development of computers

The zero stage in the development of the computer lasted quite a long time, because the history of the development of computers was abrupt. Pascal's invention received its improvement in 1671. The German mathematician Gustav Leibniz invented an arithmometer based on the gear wheel, which "could" perform not two, but four actions. After this leap in the development of the computer, there was a century and a half lull, preceding a grandiose breakthrough in development.

The first generation of computers: tube computers

The era of rather primitive computers is interrupted by the first computers, the creation of which began in the 30s on the basis of vacuum tubes and relays. These were cumbersome, inconvenient to use, but progressive for their time, computers. The price of such an invention was biting, so only large corporations and governments of some countries could afford to buy such a "thing".

In addition to the high cost, the first electronic computers had other drawbacks:

• A large electronic mechanism required a lot of electricity and generated a lot of heat.
• There was virtually no software in the computer.
• The number of instructions that such a computer executed was small.
• The execution of actions was slow, there was very little RAM.

One of the main disadvantages of tube computers was just in these very lamps. Since there were about 15-30 thousand of them in one device, then, in case of a breakdown and the need for replacement, it took a lot of time and effort to find the lamp and replace it.

Photo Source: en.wikipedia.org

One of the first tube computers – ENIAC

The emergence of transistors and the second generation of computers

In the 60s, there was another round in development - the history of the computer moved to the second generation of computers. This was the invention of the transistor - the first semiconductor that replaces the electronic lamp.

• The dimensions of such a computer have significantly decreased.
• Productivity has increased from hundreds of thousands to 1 million operations per second.
• The memory of the computer was several tens of thousands of words, the RAM reached up to 32 KB.
• Thanks to the transistor computer, the development of high-level programming languages begins.

The invention of the transistor contributed to a real surge in the development of the computer. In various countries - the USA, the USSR, England, France, Japan - they are developing their own, increasingly advanced computers. External memory devices, I/O devices, multiprocessing, and less significant structural changes to the computer appear.

The third generation of computers: the first standards

The period from the late 60s to the end of the 70s the history of the creation of the computer refers to the era of integrated circuits. Their appearance made it possible to make a serious leap in the development of computer technology - all this period is called the third generation of computers. The ability to integrate several semiconductor devices into one chip allowed the computer of that time to come much closer to the PC that we know today.

• The computer was significantly reduced in size - it could be easily put on the table.
• Performance increased to millions of operations per second.
• Due to the creation of microcircuits, not only the operation of the computer, but also its repair was much simplified.
• The machines of the third generation were software-compatible with each other, as they had a common architecture.
• The computer could perform multiple tasks at the same time.
• Magnetic disks are used as external storage devices, which work much faster than their predecessors - magnetic tapes.

The leader in the production of computers IBM by the beginning of the 70s released more than 20 different models of computers. In one of the latest developments of this time, cache memory appears for the first time. To improve developments, many countries are joining forces and signing an agreement on cooperation in the field of computer technology.

Photo Source: en.wikipedia.org/

Mainframe Computer – IBM System/360

The fourth generation of computers: microprocessors

In the 70s, the computer finally became personal and accessible – a period began that the history of the computer is briefly designated as the "fourth generation of computers". The emergence of this stage in the development of the computer was made possible by the creation by Intel of the first microprocessor. Computer technology gained a great advantage and began to quickly upgrade - every year computers became more powerful and compact.

The history of the appearance of a new generation computer began with the fact that the Japanese company Busicom ordered 12 chips for calculators from the American corporation Intel. The devices were of different models and each required its own chip, but Intel did not bother with a small order with the creation of different chips. They simply made a universal microprocessor that would fit into any of the devices. This was the impetus for the creation in 1972 of a more complex 8-bit microprocessor, which was already used in computers.

The First Personal Computers

In the second half of the 70s, the development of computers reached the point where the creation of a computer accessible to everyone ceased to be a problem. But it was not developed by large corporations and world giants in the production of equipment, but by two students - Steven Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Enthusiasts worked in the garage, creating there the "Club of Homemade Computers", which would later turn into the corporation "Apple Computer".

It was the first computer aimed at ordinary buyers, and not at programmers – the PC did not have to be assembled by itself, it was sold in a completely ready-to-use form. The idea of a personal computer was so successful, and the product was in demand, that it was successfully picked up by other manufacturers.

The history of the computer and ready-made equipment

Photo Source: en.wikipedia.org

One of the first production computers – Apple II

The fifth generation of computers: an attempt to create artificial intelligence

Some experts distinguish only four generations of computer development, preferring to believe that the last stage continues to this day. In fact, since the mid-80s, there has been a fifth generation of computers, which we can observe with our own eyes. Modern developers face an extremely difficult task – to create an intelligent computer. The introduction of artificial intelligence into computer technology continues and there are already good achievements in this direction.

Nevertheless, it is still far from creating a truly intelligent computer that could not only automatically solve problems, but also independently manipulate the data received and develop the ability to learn thanks to neural networks.

Personal computers today

The history of the computer has come a long and thorny way and it is thanks to this that today each of us can use a personal computer with various technical bells and whistles. But, it turns out, the version of the PC that we are using now is not perfect enough and is improving today:

• Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are working to eliminate wires from personal computers. This device for transmitting information is outdated and requires an upgrade - an excellent replacement for traditional wires will be pulses of germanium lasers, which are already being introduced into the computer.
• An interesting direction in the development of a modern PC can be considered the introduction of various smart gadgets into it. Smart watches, heartbeat sensors, posture sensors - all this we saw outside the personal computer, but now work is underway to introduce these useful finds into it.
• It is planned to introduce a new data storage technology into the computer - memristor memory. Thanks to the unique chips made of titanium dioxide and platinum, the computer will be able to process data 1,000 times faster, make millions of cycles of rewriting and instantly process the information.
• For modern computers, long-term energy storage is also a problem, so there are active developments in the direction of innovative batteries for the computer, which will allow you to charge and discharge the battery many thousands of times.
• The latest developments of computers and at all seem frightening – we are offered to combine an electronic computer with a human brain! Such cyborgization of the computer involves the attachment of a kind of polymer grid with electrodes to special implants-neurons in the human brain. A large arsenal of computer functions is assumed: from the treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease to the control of complex structures by the power of thought.

The computer has come a long way before it comes to us in a powerful and compact way. But its development does not end and it is quite possible that tomorrow this device will change beyond recognition and also radically change the life of each of us.