This document provides a high-level overview of the history and trends in computer science:
- It traces the early history of computing from Lady Ada Byron as the first programmer in the 1800s to the development of boolean algebra and its use in computer switching circuits.
- Key developments like the birth of the microcomputer in 1975 and the designation of the computer as "Man of the Year" in 1982 are mentioned.
- Recent trends discussed include exponential increases in processing power according to Moore's Law, the growth of multicore and manycore processors, and shifts toward distributed computing in large data centers and on mobile/pervasive devices like laptops and smartphones.