The Evolution of Computers: From Abacus to Artificial Intelligence
- 1. EVOLUTION OF COMPUTERS JOURNEY OF COMPUTERS: FROM BIG TO POCKET-SIZED RITIKA SHAR MA
- 2. WHAT IS COMPUTER EVOLUTION? The evolution of computers refers to how computers have changed over time — from large, slow machines to today's fast, compact devices like smart phones and tablets. “Did you know that 400 years ago, computers were not machines — they were people?” In the old days, humans used to do big calculations. These people were actually called "computers" — it was their job title! Their job was to solve math problems using paper and brain power. Doing these calculations was hard and expensive, and needed special training. The word "computer" was first used in 1613, but it meant a person, not a machine. Tally Sticks – The First Memory Tool A tally stick was a piece of wood used to count and record numbers or messages. People made small cuts or marks on the stick to track things like: Money owed Number of sheep or goods Simple messages
- 3. ABACUS – THE FIRST CALCULATOR An abacus is an old counting tool used to do math calculations. It was made with beads and rods — you move the beads to count. The first abacus was used in Babylon (2400 B.C.) and China (around 500 B.C.). It helped people add, subtract, multiply, and divide — just like a calculator!
- 4. NAPIER’S BONES – EARLY CALCULATOR It was invented by John Napier in 1614. He was a Scottish mathematician. What is it? Napier’s Bones is a tool that helps people multiply, divide, and find square and cube roots easily. It uses rods (sticks) with numbers on them, arranged in a special way. The rods have numbers written in such a way that, when you place them in a row and follow simple steps, you can get the answer to complex calculations. This tool was very helpful before calculators were invented. People used to move the rods around and place them in a special wooden or board setup to do calculations faster.
- 5. SLIDE RULE A slide rule is an early calculating tool. It was mainly used before electronic calculators became common. Invented by William Oughtred in 1622. He used the ideas of another scientist, John Napier, who discovered logarithms The slide rule helped people do:Multiplication (×),Division (÷),Square Roots (√),Logarithms,Trigonometry (used in engineering and science) It made hard math easier and faster It was not used for simple addition or subtraction It looked like a ruler with sliding parts. People used it by lining up numbers and reading the results using scales.
- 6. You had to turn the wheels by hand, and it would show the result. What could it do? The Pascaline could do addition and subtraction only. It could not multiply or divide numbers. •Very Expensive: The machine was too costly, so only a few people could afford it. •Manual Effort Needed: You had to operate it by turning wheels, which needed effort and time. PASCALINE – THE FIRST MECHANICAL CALCULATOR Inventor:The Pascaline was invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642.Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, and inventor.He made it to help his father, who worked as a tax officer, to do calculations faster. What is the Pascaline? Pascaline was a mechanical machine used for doing math calculations. It worked using gears and wheels.
- 7. STEPPED RECKONER – EARLY MECHANICAL CALCULATOR Invented by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in 1672. Leibniz was a German mathematician and philosopher. He improved on Pascal’s calculator by adding more functions. It was a mechanical calculator (like a machine). It used gears, wheels, and a special mechanism called the “stepped drum”. The machine was operated by turning a crank. Unlike Pascaline, this machine could: ✅ Add ✅ Subtract ✅ Multiply ✅ Divide The Stepped Reckoner was one of the first machines to perform all four math operations. It showed how mechanical machines could automate complex math.
- 8. DIFFERENCE ENGINE & ANALYTICAL ENGINE Difference Engine (1822) A mechanical calculator designed to solve math problems. It was used to make tables of numbers, like square roots or logarithms. Worked automatically — you entered the numbers, and it did the rest. Invented by: Charles Babbage(also known as the Father of the Computer) Analytical Engine (1834) More advanced than the Difference Engine. It was the first design of general-purpose computer. It had all the basic parts of modern computers: •Input (punched cards) •Memory (to store data) •Processor (called the "mill") •Output (printed results)
- 9. First Computer Programmer – Augusta Ada Byron In 1840, Ada Byron suggested using the binary system. She wrote the first program for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. That’s why she is called the world’s first computer programmer.
- 10. SCHEUTZIAN CALCULATION ENGINE – FIRST PRINTING CALCULATOR Invented by Per Georg Scheutz in 1843. He was a Swedish inventor, lawyer, and engineer. What is the Scheutzian Engine? It is a mechanical calculator. It was based on Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine idea. It could do calculations and also print the results automatically! What made it special? It was the first calculator that could print answers directly.
- 11. TABULATING MACHINE – FIRST DATA PROCESSING MACHINE Invented by Herman Hollerith in 1890. He was an American statistician and inventor. What is the Tabulating Machine? A mechanical device used to process large amounts of data. It read punched cards and counted the data automatically. Helped summarize and organize information quickly. How Did It Work? Punched cards were used to enter data. The machine had electrical connections that would read the holes in the cards. It would then sort, count, and print the results.
- 12. HARVARD MARK 1 & Z1 1. Harvard Mark 1 What it was: The first big electro- mechanical computer. Who made it: Howard H. Aiken, along with IBM. When: Finished in 1944. 2. Z1 What it was: The first computer that could be programmed. Who made it: Konrad Zuse, in Germany. When: Built between 1936 and 1938. How it worked: You told it what to do using punched paper tapes, and it gave you results by showing lights.
- 13. 1.ENIAC(Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) What it was: A huge electronic computer that could do many different jobs. Who made it: John Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly. When: Finished in 1946. 2.UNIVAC(UNIVersal Automatic Computer What it was: The first computer sold for regular use by businesses. Who made it: J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly (the same people who made ENIAC!). ENIAC/UNIVAC/EDVAC 3.EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable AutomaticCompute) This computer was special because it could keep both instructions (program) and its information (data) inside its own memory.Designed by Von Neumann in 1952.
- 14. OSBORNE 1 Osborne 1 What it was: The first computer you could actually carry around! When: Released in 1981 by the Osborne Computer Corporation. The First Computer Company What it was: The very first company made just for computers. It was called Electronic Controls Company. Who started it: J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly (the same people who made ENIAC and UNIVAC!). When: Started in 1949. The First Computer Company
- 15. THANK YOU
Editor's Notes
- #8: Though the machines were never fully built in Babbage’s time (because of technology limits), the idea was revolutionary. The Analytical Engine inspired the design of modern computers. It is considered the first concept of a real programmable computer.
- #9: Who was she? Augusta Ada Byron (also called Ada Lovelace) was a very smart woman from England. 🗓️ In 1840 – She worked with Charles Babbage, the man who designed the Analytical Engine (an early idea of a computer). 💡 What did she do? She told Babbage to use a special number system called the binary system (which computers still use today — 0s and 1s). She wrote the first program (instructions) for the Analytical Engine — even before real computers were built! 🏆 That’s why she is called the First Computer Programmer in the world.
- #11: It was the first step toward modern computers that process data. Hollerith’s company later became part of IBM, one of the biggest computer companies today.