What is a Computer?

A computer is an electronic machine that collects information, stores it,

processes it according to user instructions, and then returns the result.

A computer is a programmable electronic device that performs

arithmetic and logical operations automatically using a set of
instructions provided by the user.

Early Computing Devices

People used sticks, stones, and bones as counting tools before
computers were invented. More computing devices were produced as
technology advanced and the human intellect improved over time. Let
us look at a few of the early-age computing devices used by mankind.

1. Abacus
Abacus was invented by the Chinese around 4000 years ago. It’s a
wooden rack with metal rods with beads attached to them. The abacus
operator moves the beads according to certain guidelines to complete
arithmetic computations.

2. Napier’s Bone
John Napier devised Napier’s Bones, a manually operated calculating
apparatus. For calculating, this instrument used 9 separate ivory strips
(bones) marked with numerals to multiply and divide. It was also the
first machine to calculate using the decimal point system.

3. Pascaline
Pascaline was invented in 1642 by Biaise Pascal, a French
mathematician and philosopher. It is thought to be the first mechanical
and automated calculator. It was a wooden box with gears and wheels
inside.

4. Stepped Reckoner or Leibniz wheel

In 1673, a German mathematician-philosopher named Gottfried
Wilhelm Leibniz improved on Pascal’s invention to create this
apparatus. It was a digital mechanical calculator known as the stepped
reckoner because it used fluted drums instead of gears.
5. Difference Engine
In the early 1820s, Charles Babbage created the Difference Engine. It
was a mechanical computer that could do basic computations. It was a
steam-powered calculating machine used to solve numerical tables such
as logarithmic tables.

6. Analytical Engine
Charles Babbage created another calculating machine, the Analytical
Engine, in 1830. It was a mechanical computer that took input from
punch cards. It was capable of solving any mathematical problem and
storing data in an indefinite memory.

7. Tabulating machine
An American Statistician – Herman Hollerith invented this machine in
the year 1890. Tabulating Machine was a punch card-based mechanical
tabulator. It could compute statistics and record or sort data or
information. Hollerith began manufacturing these machines in his
company, which ultimately became International Business Machines
(IBM) in 1924.

8. Differential Analyzer
Vannevar Bush introduced the first electrical computer, the Differential
Analyzer, in 1930. This machine is made up of vacuum tubes that
switch electrical impulses in order to do calculations. It was capable of
performing 25 calculations in a matter of minutes.

9. Mark I
Howard Aiken planned to build a machine in 1937 that could conduct
massive calculations or calculations using enormous numbers. The
Mark I computer was constructed in 1944 as a collaboration between
IBM and Harvard.

History of Computers Generation

The word ‘computer’ has a very interesting origin. It was first used in
the 16th century for a person who used to compute, i.e. do calculations.
The word was used in the same sense as a noun until the 20th century.
Women were hired as human computers to carry out all forms of
calculations and computations.
By the last part of the 19th century, the word was also used to describe
machines that did calculations. The modern-day use of the word is
generally to describe programmable digital devices that run on
electricity.

Early History of Computer

Since the evolution of humans, devices have been used for calculations
for thousands of years. One of the earliest and most well-known devices
was an abacus. Then in 1822, the father of computers, Charles
Babbage began developing what would be the first mechanical
computer. And then in 1833 he actually designed an Analytical Engine
which was a general-purpose computer. It contained an ALU, some
basic flow chart principles and the concept of integrated memory.

Then more than a century later in the history of computers, we got our
first electronic computer for general purpose. It was the ENIAC, which
stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer. The inventors
of this computer were John W. Mauchly and J.Presper Eckert.

And with times the technology developed and the computers got
smaller and the processing got faster. We got our first laptop in 1981
and it was introduced by Adam Osborne and EPSON.

Generations of Computers
In the history of computers, we often refer to the advancements of
modern computers as the generation of computers. We are currently on
the fifth generation of computers. So let us look at the important
features of these five generations of computers.

 1st Generation: This was from the period of 1940 to 1955. This was
when machine language was developed for the use of computers.
They used vacuum tubes for the circuitry. For the purpose of
memory, they used magnetic drums. These machines were
complicated, large, and expensive. They were mostly reliant on batch
operating systems and punch cards. As output and input devices,
magnetic tape and paper tape were implemented. For example,
ENIAC, UNIVAC-1, EDVAC, and so on.
 2nd Generation: The years 1957-1963 were referred to as the
“second generation of computers” at the time. In second-generation
computers, COBOL and FORTRAN are employed as assembly
languages and programming languages. Here they advanced from
vacuum tubes to transistors. This made the computers smaller, faster
and more energy-efficient. And they advanced from binary to
assembly languages. For instance, IBM 1620, IBM 7094, CDC 1604,
CDC 3600, and so forth.
 3rd Generation: The hallmark of this period (1964-1971) was the
development of the integrated circuit. A single integrated circuit (IC)
is made up of many transistors, which increases the power of a
computer while simultaneously lowering its cost. These computers
were quicker, smaller, more reliable, and less expensive than their
predecessors. High-level programming languages such as
FORTRON-II to IV, COBOL, and PASCAL PL/1 were utilized. For
example, the IBM-360 series, the Honeywell-6000 series, and the
IBM-370/168.
 4th Generation: The invention of the microprocessors brought along
the fourth generation of computers. The years 1971-1980 were
dominated by fourth generation computers. C, C++ and Java were the
programming languages utilized in this generation of computers. For
instance, the STAR 1000, PDP 11, CRAY-1, CRAY-X-MP, and
Apple II. This was when we started producing computers for home
use.
 5th Generation: These computers have been utilized since 1980 and
continue to be used now. This is the present and the future of the
computer world. The defining aspect of this generation is artificial
intelligence. The use of parallel processing and superconductors are
making this a reality and provide a lot of scope for the future. Fifth-
generation computers use ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration)
technology. These are the most recent and sophisticated computers.
C, C++, Java,.Net, and more programming languages are used. For
instance, IBM, Pentium, Desktop, Laptop, Notebook, Ultrabook, and
so on.