What is a computer? It is a vexed question, but two key factors are crucial to the modern definition: it must be programmable, and it must have stored memory. The first machine to fulfill both these criteria was first run at Manchester University in England on 21 June 1948.
The development of computers is sometimes viewed as falling into several phases or generations.
First generation began with the ENIAC [electronic numerical integrator and calculator] modern computers designed by J.Presper Eckert and John W Mauchly, both of the University of Pennsylvania. Completed in 1946, this was first all-purpose, all-electronic digital computer. A special-purpose, all-electronic digital computer. A special-purpose, all-electronic computing machine called Colossus had earlier been developed at Bletchley Park, in England, and was in operation by December 1943. The Colossus was designed [by the computer genius Alan Turing] to decipher codes generated by the German electromechanical enciphering devices known as Enigma machines. The successor to ENIAC was EDVAC [Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer].
The ‘second generation’ of modern computers began in 1959, when machines employing semiconductor devices known as transistors became commercially available.
The ‘third generation’ of modern computers began in the late 1960s, when integrated circuits were imprinted on silicon chips. This permitted the construction of large ‘mainframe’ computers with much higher operating speeds.
The ‘fourth generation’ of modern computers began in the 1980s. This and subsequent generations have continued to develop very large-scale integrations [VLSI] and have promoted the advancement of virtual reality (VR) and computer aided design (CAD).
Did you know?
The term ‘debugging’ was coined after a problem with Harvard’s Mk1 computer was found to have been caused by a month in the works
Babbage’s Analytical Engine [1835] failed to achieve the status of first programmable computer because it was not built-but it was the first computer to appear on a stamp
The modern programming language ADA is named after mathematician Ada, Countess of Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron and the world’s first computer programmer; for several years the Microsoft certificate of authenticity was watermarked with an image of the Countess
1804 Joseph-Marie Jacquard [France] develops the first punched card control system [patent granted 1805], and the Jacquard Loom becomes the first programmable machine
1835 Charles Babbage [England] designs the ‘Analytical Engine’, the first programmable computer, but it is not built. The Countess of Lovelace [England] devises a programme for it, thereby becoming the first computer programmer
1855 George Scheutz [Sweden] builds the first practical programmable computer, using a simplified form of the principles outlined by Babbage
1884 Dr Hermann Hollerith [USA] patents the Hollerith Tabulator, the first machine designed for processing data [patents granted 1889]
1931 Konrad Zuse [Germany] produces the Z1 computer, the first machine to use the presence or absence of electric charge to represent binary code
1939 Professor John Atanasoff & Cliffort Berry [both USA] produce the first fully electronic digital computer
1943 the Colossus, formulated by Professor Max Newman & Alan Turing, and built by Thomas Flowers [all,UK], becomes the first programmable electronic computer
1948 Professors Freddie Williams & Tom Kilburn [both England] build the first operational stored-programme computer
1950 The Univac 1 [Universal Automatic Computer] becomes the first commercially manufactured computer, marketed by Remington Rand Inc. [USA]
1958 Jack Kilby, working for Texas Instruments [both USA], builds the first integrated circuit, or microchip [patent filed 1959, granted 1964]
1964 Douglas Engelbert [USA] produces the first computer mouse [patent filed 1967, granted 1970]
1983 Tandy Corporation [Radio Shack] launches the first laptop computer
The first laptop computer, the TRS-80 Model 100, launched in 1983 [available with 8k or 24k of memory, expandable to 32k]
First generation began with the ENIAC [electronic numerical integrator and calculator] modern computers designed by J.Presper Eckert and John W Mauchly, both of the University of Pennsylvania. Completed in 1946, this was first all-purpose, all-electronic digital computer. A special-purpose, all-electronic digital computer. A special-purpose, all-electronic computing machine called Colossus had earlier been developed at Bletchley Park, in England, and was in operation by December 1943. The Colossus was designed [by the computer genius Alan Turing] to decipher codes generated by the German electromechanical enciphering devices known as Enigma machines. The successor to ENIAC was EDVAC [Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer].
The ‘second generation’ of modern computers began in 1959, when machines employing semiconductor devices known as transistors became commercially available.
The ‘third generation’ of modern computers began in the late 1960s, when integrated circuits were imprinted on silicon chips. This permitted the construction of large ‘mainframe’ computers with much higher operating speeds.
The ‘fourth generation’ of modern computers began in the 1980s. This and subsequent generations have continued to develop very large-scale integrations [VLSI] and have promoted the advancement of virtual reality (VR) and computer aided design (CAD).
Did you know?
The term ‘debugging’ was coined after a problem with Harvard’s Mk1 computer was found to have been caused by a month in the works
Babbage’s Analytical Engine [1835] failed to achieve the status of first programmable computer because it was not built-but it was the first computer to appear on a stamp
The modern programming language ADA is named after mathematician Ada, Countess of Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron and the world’s first computer programmer; for several years the Microsoft certificate of authenticity was watermarked with an image of the Countess
1804 Joseph-Marie Jacquard [France] develops the first punched card control system [patent granted 1805], and the Jacquard Loom becomes the first programmable machine
1835 Charles Babbage [England] designs the ‘Analytical Engine’, the first programmable computer, but it is not built. The Countess of Lovelace [England] devises a programme for it, thereby becoming the first computer programmer
1855 George Scheutz [Sweden] builds the first practical programmable computer, using a simplified form of the principles outlined by Babbage
1884 Dr Hermann Hollerith [USA] patents the Hollerith Tabulator, the first machine designed for processing data [patents granted 1889]
1931 Konrad Zuse [Germany] produces the Z1 computer, the first machine to use the presence or absence of electric charge to represent binary code
1939 Professor John Atanasoff & Cliffort Berry [both USA] produce the first fully electronic digital computer
1943 the Colossus, formulated by Professor Max Newman & Alan Turing, and built by Thomas Flowers [all,UK], becomes the first programmable electronic computer
1948 Professors Freddie Williams & Tom Kilburn [both England] build the first operational stored-programme computer
1950 The Univac 1 [Universal Automatic Computer] becomes the first commercially manufactured computer, marketed by Remington Rand Inc. [USA]
1958 Jack Kilby, working for Texas Instruments [both USA], builds the first integrated circuit, or microchip [patent filed 1959, granted 1964]
1964 Douglas Engelbert [USA] produces the first computer mouse [patent filed 1967, granted 1970]
1983 Tandy Corporation [Radio Shack] launches the first laptop computer
The first laptop computer, the TRS-80 Model 100, launched in 1983 [available with 8k or 24k of memory, expandable to 32k]
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