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Computers have been around for a very, very long time. But the definition of what makes something a computer has changed a great deal. And the progress made on developing computers was made by many many people, not just one "inventor". There are many people out there who would say that the first "computer" was the abacus, invented in Asia about 5000 years ago. But somehow I doubt that this is what you're looking for, so let's look a little more recently... As time went on, there were a number of special devices invented to help with things like tax collecting, taking the census, etc. At first, these were purely mechanical, but by the start of the twentieth century, they were run by steam. The first of the "modern" computers was invented during World War II, in 1941 by a German engineer named Konrad Zuse. The computer was called the Z3 and was used to help design German airplanes and missles. A couple years later, in 1943, the Allied forces developed a computer called Colossus to help decode German messages. But since the Z3 was developed by the side that lost the war and Colossus stayed a military secret for many years, these computers didn't contribute much to the ones that came next. Independent of the Colossus project, the next computer was the Mark I, designed by Howard H. Aiken, an engineer working with Harvard and IBM. The Mark I was positively huge, taking up half of a football field, but it helped to create ballistic charts for the US Navy during the war. Shortly after this, though, came the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), developed by John Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly, working with the government and the University of Pennsylvania. ENIAC was a lot like the Mark I, except that it ran about 1000 times faster. Moving along, there were other computers like EDVAC (1945), UNIVAC I (1951), etc. But all these computers had something in common with the older computers - they were designed for a specific purpose and couldn't really be used for anything else. They also all worked by using vacuum tubes, which is what made them take up so much space. The invention of the transistor in 1947 by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley at Bell Labs made the big difference from here. Using transistors, computers came around that could store memory and even run programs. Soon they even had computer languages so that people could change the programs run by the computer when they wanted to. After a while, the focus on computer research came to be on making them smaller, giving us the kinds of computers that we have today. For some great resources with a lot more detailed information, check out these links: Computers: History and Development - Lots of information starting all the way back in Asia all the way
What else can I help you with?
What was used insted of a computer in the olden?
The computer was designed to solve math problems. It then evolved into what we have today. Before computers, the abacus was a popular tool for calculating, and was usually faster then the computer (in fact, people made money by betting on what would solve first: abacus or computer)
What word is used with a type of media and usually means the media can be used to start the computer?
The word used to describe a type of media that is usually used to start a computer is known as bootable media. This can include a DVD disc, USB flash drive, or floppy disk.
Greek word meaning computer?
meaning of the word-computer greek
In computer language what does the word progra mean?
In the computer language the word "progra" is short for program. The word "progra" is shorthand or slang for the word program in the computer language.
What is control word in computer architecture?
The combination of control steps used for the generation of control signals is a control word. A control word is a word whose individual bits represent the various control signals
Who used the word funny for the first time?
The word was first used in the 17th century. It is not known whom the actual person was that first used the word.
How many bits in ibm's first computer?
The IBM 701, their first computer available for sale, had 36 bits per word. This word size was used on all their 700 and 7000 series binary scientific computers.
When was the word convergency first used?
The word convergency was first used in the 17th century. The word is traced back to William Derham who was an English Scientist during this time period.
Who made use the word State for the first time?
Machiavelli first used this term.
Who made use of the word state first time?
Machiavelli first used this term.
Who made use of word ''state'' for the first time?
Machiavelli first used this term.
How old is the word computer?
whwn the first computer was made that was when the word computer was made so look up that question
When and by whome the word Pan India used first time?
indus
What year was the word computer first used to describe a mechanical calculating device?
yes indeed young sir!
When was doctress first used?
This is the first time. Never use it again. There is no such word, nor should there be any such word. Use doctor.
Who was the first person to use the computer?
The first recorded use of the word in the English language was in 1613 and referred to a person - someone who computed. The first recorded use of the word for an electrical item which did the computation for you was 1897. Although Charles Babbage had devised what was effectively a mechanical computer in 1837, the term, 'computer' was not used for it. He called it an 'Analytical Engine'.
Was Word the first program on a computer?
No. The first computer program came several years before Word did. There does not seem to be any agreement as to what the first program was, but suffice it to say there were several that came before Word. In fact, Ada Lovelace arguably wrote a "computer program" in 1842!
