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Computer History
This category includes questions and answers about the history of the computer. Ask questions about the first computer and major developments in computing.
5,564 Questions
Babbage designed 3 machines but built none:
- Difference Engine - This was a machine for calculating polynomial functions by the "method of differences". He had a government contract to design and build a prototype, but he got diverted by ideas for a better machine (Analytical Engine) that could solve a much wider range of problems also he argued repeatedly with his machinist delaying parts. Eventually parliament canceled the contract for nonfulfillment and the project died.
- Analytical Engine - This was an actual general purpose programable digital mechanical computer, but without funding it couldn't be built.
- Difference Engine II - This was a redesigned Difference Engine using concepts from the Analytical Engine, the parts count was reduced by over a factor of 6 thus reducing the cost by a similar factor but with the same calculation ability as the original Difference Engine. Babbage tried to convince the government to fund this, but parliament decided they had wasted enough money on this crackpot already, and without funding it couldn't be built.
Two copies of Difference Engine II have been built by the London Science Museum, to prove that the machine could be built to 1840's machining tolerances and work (a long debated point). Both work as designed computing correct answers. However the machines have a tendency to break difficult to replace parts, so the museums tend to select simple problems to solve that avoid using known broken parts instead of replacing them.
universal automatic computer
Means UNI VAC IDEA OF JON VON NEUMANN..
How did chales Babbage get the idea to invent the computer?
he got frustrated being a human computer, with human computer error rates, with typesetting errors of human computers hand written answers, and said "there has to be a way to do this with steam!"
How did the computer change the world?
It changed the world because you didn't have to use computer art the libray anymore you can just use the one that you got .Also for the people that was born in the times that it was invented could have something to do there work on. and it had to do with the making of a great way to find out things on the internet and i must tell all people that the internet is a great thing to use in the furture and it will be inproved
When was multimedia first used in the world?
The first use as a adjective was in 1962, several sources, including the including Merriam Webster
Webster says, the first use as a noun (multimedia as in 'combining several kinds of media') was in 1950.
Wikipedia says the term was coined in 1966
In technology (printers, etc), Hewlett Packard.
In food (HP Sauce, etc) Harry Palmer - the founder. (Not "Houses of Parliament", despite an image of the Parliament being on the label of every sauce bottle).
The acronym HP can also be an abbreviation for "horsepower" (a unit of mechanical work equal to 746 watts).
Did lady Augusta lovelace create the computer?
She assisted Charles Babbage by writing programs for his computational engine and as such she is attributed with being the first ever programmer. In honour of this a programming language was named after her 'Ada'.
Why an understanding of the binary number system is important to IT professionals?
Computers do most of their calculations in binary, internally.
The binary system consists of 1's and 0's only, which are used in computer technology to signify "on" or"off", the only possible states for each of the millions of transistors operating the machine.
What was the memory capacity of second generation of computer?
8 gb hard drive running win98 and 32 MB ram,WOW! 3 grand for that what a ripoff lol
How does the Internet started?
The Internet got it start about 1969 as a joint project of universities, the federal government, and defense industries. They formed network that was called ARPANET which eventually became the Internet.
What is the random operating memory?
There is no such thing.
random access memory maybe? RAM
ROM = Read Only Memory, not Random Operating Memory.
What is the name of the female who is credited for being the first computer programmer?
Lady Ada Lovelace (Byron). She worked with Charles Babbage and has a Language named after her (i think).
Input device is a device you plug into computer. For example: mouse, keyboard...
What are the most important areas of computer that people use?
the keyboard and mouse..... if you need areas that are on the computer then the internet or Microsoft word
In what year did the laptop debut?
That depends on what you define as a laptop. There is no firmly agreed definition, so choose your own.
The first self contained laptop size and weight machine that used an LCD screen was the Epson HX-20 introduced November 1981. It had 20 characters of text on each of 4 lines of display and weighed 3.5lbs.
The widest consensus agrees the Osbourne 1 introduced in April 1981 was the first "true" portable computer. It had a handle, the keyboard folded up to cover the 5" Cathode Ray Tube(CRT) screen, a battery pack was an option. However at 24.5lbs a person was not likely to use it on their lap.
Earlier, September 1975, IBM released their model 5100 considered to be the first self contained "portable" computer. It had everything needed to operate in a single unit that could be carried from place to place. The built in keyboard did not fold. There was no factory battery option. 55lbs makes laptop use even less plausible.
Early on, some machines were called "portable" if they could be moved with a forklift or hand truck and did not require being custom built within their own dedicated room where they would remain for their useful life.
Who coined the term bug in relation to computer programming?
An unnamed technician working the night shift on the Harvard Mark II electromechanical computer. The machine had failed while working a problem sometime earlier and he had been troubleshooting it. He tracked the problem to a relay whose contacts would not close properly. When the relay was removed and replaced, a moth was found smashed to death in the old relay's contacts. When he made the entry in the logbook for that problem he referred to the moth as "the first computer bug" and taped the moth into the book to prove it.
When Grace Murray Hopper came in on the day shift she read the log entry and thought it would be a great story to tell.
How was the Jacquard Loom invented?
It was actually one of the first punch card "computer" systems. A punch card would be inserted into the machine and it would weave accordingly.
It actually took a deck of several hundred or thousand punched cards to specify one weave pattern. Each card specified the up/down positions of each of the lengthwise threads for a single pass of the crosswise thread. In other words, if a certain textile needed 2087 crosswise thread passes to create the weave pattern, a deck of 2087 punch cards was needed. Each hole in the card corresponded to on lengthwise thread.
That is hard to say as IBM was formed in 1924 as the merger of 3 different companies, each already making many products:
- one company made meat slicers, coffee grinders, scales, etc.
- one company made time clocks.
- one company made punch card data processing machines.
Computers have affected our world in many different ways. We use them for many things in the world now. If we didn't have computers we wouldn't have many things - traffic lights, some of the tills in shops etc. Things that are made in factories are sometimes made by robots - which need to be programed by a computer. Traffic lights are use computer technology ; changing the colours, simple as - but it is more complicated than it seems. If they didn't invent computers then our world would be almost like when we had electricity but no computers - we wouldn't have many different things. I hope this has helped.
