A brief history of computing
- 2. Connecting with Computer Science 2 Objectives • Learn why today almost everyone is a computer operator • Learn about the predecessors of modern computer hardware and software • Trace the development of computer hardware and software through several generations
- 3. Connecting with Computer Science 3 Objectives (continued) • Learn that sometimes good ideas flop and bad ones survive • Meet some interesting figures—some famous, some infamous, some wealthy, and some obscure • See some issues facing modern computing
- 4. Connecting with Computer Science 4 Why You Need to Know About the History of Computing • Computers are everywhere – Communication device – Tool for artists, architects, and designers – Information archive – Entertainment device – Trains, planes, automobiles • What caused the revolution? • What lies ahead?
- 5. Connecting with Computer Science 5 Ancient History • Origins of computer in ancient Assyria – Tablets with arithmetic/trigonometric solutions – Math solves societal and personal problems • Drivers of mathematical development – Property ownership and the need to measure – Vertical construction and the pyramids – Navigation and the need to control time • Computers do math
- 6. Connecting with Computer Science 6 Pascal and Leibniz Start the Wheel Rolling • Paper, wood, stone, papyrus tables, abacuses as “computers” • 1622: invention of slide rule • 1642: invention of mechanical calculator by Blaise Pascal • 1694: Leibniz Wheel expands arithmetic operations
- 7. Connecting with Computer Science 7 Joseph Jacquard • Invents programmable loom in 1801 – Jacquard loom weaves patterns in fabric – Allows input and storage of parameters – Selection pins oriented with punch cards – Similarities with player piano • Concept of the stored program
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- 9. Connecting with Computer Science 9 Charles Babbage • Invents Difference Engine in 1823 – Device adds, subtracts, multiplies, divides • Designs Analytical Engine – Components of modern computer • Input and output devices, memory and CPU – Not built due to lack of funds • Collaborates with Ada Lovelace Byron – Attribution of program loop concept – Ada programming language namesake
- 10. Connecting with Computer Science 10 Herman Hollerith • Invents electromechanical counter in 1880s – Serves tabulation role in 1890 US census – Machine uses punch cards as input – Single-purpose machine • Company created around technology becomes IBM – IBM rolls out multi-purpose Mark I in 1944 – Mark I rapidly made obsolete by vacuum tubes
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- 12. Connecting with Computer Science 12 Progression of Computer Electronics • Charles Sanders Peirce extends work of Boole – Electric switches emulate the true/false conditions of Boolean algebra – Benjamin Burack implements concepts in 1936 logic machine • John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry build computer using vacuum tubes • World War II as developmental turning point
- 13. Connecting with Computer Science 13 Wartime Research Drives Technological Innovation • Military need: trajectory tables for weapons testing – U.S. Navy Board of Ordinance helps fund Mark I – U.S. Army funds ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) • ENIAC runs 1000 times faster than Mark I • ENIAC and Mark I too late to assist in war effort
- 14. Connecting with Computer Science 14 ENIAC and EDVAC • ENIAC’s overhead – Loud and large at 30 tons: fills a huge basement – 18,000 vacuum tubes need constant attention – 6,000 switches need for arithmetic operations • ENIAC’s strengths – Performs arithmetic and logic operations – Made multi-purpose with symbolic variables • ENIAC’S other weaknesses – Could not modify program contents – Had to be programmed externally
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- 16. Connecting with Computer Science 16 ENIAC AND EDVAC (continued) • EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) created in 1944 – Recognized as the Von Neumann machine – Superior model for descendant computers – Operation governed by program in memory – Programs could be modified – Stored program concept: programs reusable • The British response: Colossus – Colossus helps crack German U-boat Enigma code – All machines destroyed by 1960s
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- 18. Connecting with Computer Science 18 The Computer Era Begins: The First Generation • 1950s: First Generation for hardware and software – Vacuum tubes worked as memory for the machine – Data written to magnetic drums and magnetic tapes – Paper tape and data cards handled input – The line printer made its appearance • Software separates from hardware and evolves – Instructions written in binary or machine code – Assembly language: first layer of abstraction – Programmers split into system and application engineers
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- 20. Connecting with Computer Science 20 UNIVAC • UNIVAC: first commercially viable computer – US Census Bureau is first customer – Faces skepticism from Howard Aiken, Mark I builder • UNIVAC and the 1952 Presidential election – Successfully predicts outcome during CBS broadcast – Quickly adopted by all major news network
- 21. Connecting with Computer Science 21 IBM (Big Blue) • IBM dominates mainframe market by the 1960s – Strong sales culture – Controlled 70 percent of the market • IBM vision – Sharp focus on a few products – Leverage existing business relationships – Introduce scalable (and hence flexible) systems – Lease systems with 10 to 15 year life spans
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- 23. Connecting with Computer Science 23 Transistors in the Second Generation • Software Innovations – Assembly language limitations – Appearance of high-level languages: FORTRAN, COBOL, LISP • Hardware Development – Transistor replaces vacuum tube – RAM becomes available with magnetic cores – Magnetic disks support secondary storage
- 24. Connecting with Computer Science 24 Circuit Boards in the Third Generation • Integrated Circuits(IC) or Chips – Miniaturized circuit components on board – Semiconductor properties – Reduce cost and size – Improve reliability and speed • Operating Systems (OS) – Program to manage jobs – Utilize system resources – Allow multiple users
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- 26. Connecting with Computer Science 26 Time-Sharing • Allocates system resources to multiple users – Input with long paper rolls instead of punch cards – Productivity gains offset by increased response time • General purpose machines broaden appeal • Programmers gear software toward end user – Distinctions between application level and OS level – Statistical and accounting programs hide implementation details
- 27. Connecting with Computer Science 27 Living in the ‘70s with the Fourth Generation • The era of miniaturization – LSI chips contain up to 15,000 circuits – VLSI contain 100,000 to 1 million circuits • Moore’s Law – Circuit density doubles every 1.5 years – Memory capacity and speed rise while costs drop • Minicomputer industry grows • Microcomputer makes appearance
- 28. Connecting with Computer Science 28 The Personal Computer Revolution • Causes – Hardware vision of engineers – Iconoclastic software developers seeking challenges – Electronic hobbyists realizing a dream • The role of will – Components previously developed – Social and economic support
- 29. Connecting with Computer Science 29 Intel • The Intel 4004 chip – 4004 transistors aboard – Accrues greater functionality – Precursor to central processing unit (CPU) • Gary Kildall writes OS for Intel microprocessor • Software and hardware become separate commodities
- 30. Connecting with Computer Science 30 The Altair 8800 • Development spurred by Popular Electronics • Ed Roberts reports on the Altair 8800 – Kit based on Intel 8080 – Generates 4000 orders within three months • Altair 8800 features – I/O similar to ENIAC’s – Open architecture provides adaptability – Portable
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- 32. Connecting with Computer Science 32 Enter Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Microsoft • Gates and Allen develop a BASIC interpreter – High level language for microcomputer programmers • Briefly associate with MITS • Form Micro-Soft company in 1975
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- 34. Connecting with Computer Science 34 The Microcomputer Begins to Evolve • Microcomputer’s profitability lures more players – Enter Radio Shack, IMSAI, Sphere and others • Altair’s bus becomes S100 industry standard • MITS stumbles – Links prices of faulty hardware to BASIC – Develops new model incompatible with 8080 • 1977 – MITS sold off – Hardware companies introduce competing models
- 35. Connecting with Computer Science 35 An Apple a day… • 1976: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak offer Apple I • 1977: Apple II developed and released – Based on Motorola 6502 processor – Gains respect in industry as well as among hobbyists – Promotes application development • VisiCalc spreadsheet program – Drives Apple II sales – Earns new title: killer app – Draws attention of wider business community
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- 37. Connecting with Computer Science 37 IBM Offers the PC • IBMS builds a microcomputer with new ways – Adopts the Intel 8088 off the shelf – Uses a non-proprietary CPU – Create approachable documentation – Offer open architecture • New product name: personal computer (PC) • PC sold through retail outlets
- 38. Connecting with Computer Science 38 MS-DOS • IBM chooses Microsoft to develop OS • Microsoft introduces MS-DOS – Based on Kildall’s 8 bit CP/M – Runs on 16 bit CPU (Intel 8088) – Prevails over competition • IBM calls operating system PC-DOS
- 39. Connecting with Computer Science 39 The Apple Macintosh Raises the Bar • Steve Jobs visits Xerox PARC – Alto: graphics, menus, icons, windows, mouse – Observes functioning Ethernet network – Learns about hypertext • Jobs succeeds with Xerox ideas – Picks up where Xerox, focused on copiers, leaves off – Incorporates many Palo Alto components in Macintosh • 1984: Macintosh unveiled – Graphical user interface (GUI) – Mouse: point-and-click and ease-of-use
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- 41. Connecting with Computer Science 41 Other PCs (and One Serious OS Competitor) Begin to Emerge • Microsoft two-fold argument to IBM – Adapt open architecture concept to OS – Allow Microsoft freedom to license its OS • Microsoft answers Apple – Windows 3.1 incorporates Mac’s GUI features – Competing PC clones appear with Microsoft’s OS • Microsoft leverages position – OS presence drive application software sales – Sales synergies and licensing give 90 % of PC pie
- 42. Connecting with Computer Science 42 The Latest Generation (Fifth) • Parallel computing – Aka parallel architecture – CPUs joined for simultaneous task execution • Three approaches – SIMD (single instruction, multiple data) stream – MIMD (multiple instruction, multiple data) stream – Internetworking • Uses – Control web pages, databases, networks – Mathematical modeling and scientific research (Cray)
- 43. Connecting with Computer Science 43 The Internet • ARPA origins of new communication system – Resource sharing – Common protocols – Fault tolerance • 1969: ARPANET born – Consisted of (4) computers at (4) locations – Different systems linked with Interface Message Processor (IMP) • ARPANET grows rapidly – Protocols allow easy entry into network – Electronic mail comprises 2/3 of network traffic
- 44. Connecting with Computer Science 44 LANs and WANs and other ANs • The Internet as network of networks – Wide Area Network (WAN) – Local Area Network (LAN) – Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) – Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) – Urban Area Network (UAN) • Network technologies – Ethernet – Fiberoptics – Wireless technologies
- 45. Connecting with Computer Science 45 Super Software and the Web • Object-oriented programming (OOP) • Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) • Origin of the World Wide Web (WWW) – 1990: Tim Berners-Lee develops hypertext – Prototype browser created on NeXT computer – Marc Andreesen and Mosaic – Microsoft and Internet Explorer • Web components – Web pages – Browser – Network technology
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- 47. Connecting with Computer Science 47 The Microsoft Era and More • The “browser wars” – Microsoft integrates IE browser into Windows – Netscape opposes Microsoft: goes open source • The wars continue in court – US government file antitrust suit against Microsoft – By 2001 most of antitrust suit dropped or lessened • Linux OS threatens Windows – Low cost, open source, reliability • Microsoft in perspective – Accounts for 10 percent of world’s software – Microsoft a small software player outside of PC
- 48. Connecting with Computer Science 48 What About the Future? • Parallel Computing – Massive amplification of computing power – Can be hosted by local networks as well as Internet • Wireless networking – Bluetooth – Embedded or ubiquitous computing • Digitization of Economy • Privacy and security • Open source movement
- 49. Connecting with Computer Science 49 One Last Thought • Development as a product of needs and wants • The mixture of forces driving innovation – Commercial and physical requirements (IC) – The need to solve a problem (Analytical Engine) – The desire to create something new (Apple I) – The goal of winning a war (World War II) – The need to succeed (Bill Gates) • The evolutionary view • The purpose of historical study – Avoid mistakes and emulate triumphs
- 50. Connecting with Computer Science 50 Summary • The evolution of computers is tied to the evolution of mathematics and driven by the need to master time and space • From stone tablets to electronic machines, the computer’s chief purpose has been to manipulate mathematical and linguistic symbols • Many civilizations from the times of the ancients to the present have contributed to the development of computers and their science
- 51. Connecting with Computer Science 51 Summary (continued) • Mechanical calculators were invented in the 17th century by Pascal and Leibniz • The Jacquard Loom of 1801 introduced the punch card and the concept of a stored program • Charles Babbage designed a prototype of the modern computer: The Analytical Engine • Herman Hollerith incorporated punch cards in his mechanical tabulating machines
- 52. Connecting with Computer Science 52 Summary (continued) • World War II drove computer innovation in the mid-twentieth century: ENIAC, Mark I, Colossus • The EDVAC’s Von Neumann architecture has become a basic model for all later development • Progress from vacuum tubes to integrated circuits has exponentially increased the computer speed and simultaneously reduced the size and cost • The microcomputer and Internet, latter 20th century developments, have made computers ubiquitous