The History of Computers

Summary

This documentary traces the evolution of computers from ancient abacuses to modern digital marvels. It highlights key milestones, including the invention of gear-driven calculators, Babbage's Difference Engine, Hollerith's tabulating machine, and ENIAC—the first all-electric digital computer. The narrative also touches on the development of the microprocessor and the rise of personal computing, culminating in the story of Bill Gates and Microsoft, illustrating the transformative impact of computing on society.

Takeaways

• 😀 The term 'computer' originally referred to humans, mostly women, who performed repetitive calculations before the advent of electronic machines.
• 📚 The abacus, dating back to 300 BCE by the Babylonians, was one of the earliest aids for mathematical computations, and the term 'calculator' originates from 'calculus', the Latin for pebble.
• 🔩 Wilhelm Schickard's 'calculating clock' from 1623 was likely the first gear-driven calculating machine, but it received little attention due to his early death from the plague.
• 🔄 Blaise Pascal invented the Pascaline at the age of 19, a mechanical calculator to assist his tax collector father, although it was not widely adopted due to cost and accuracy issues.
• 🧵 Joseph Marie Jacquard's invention of the power loom in 1801, which used punch cards to control the weaving pattern, laid the groundwork for the use of cards in computing.
• 🔢 Charles Babbage's Difference Engine, proposed in 1822, was an ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful attempt at creating a large, steam-driven calculating machine.
• 🏆 Herman Hollerith's tabulating machine, developed for the 1890 census, utilized punch cards and significantly reduced the time and cost of data processing, leading to the formation of IBM.
• 🔋 The Harvard Mark 1, built in 1944, was a massive electromechanical computer that marked a step towards modern computing, with Grace Hopper coining the term 'debugging'.
• 💡 ENIAC, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator, was the first all-electric, digital computer, built in 1945, and was instrumental in World War II code-breaking efforts.
• 📺 The UNIVAC I, the first commercial computer, introduced magnetic tape for data storage and was a significant milestone in the evolution of computing technology.
• 💼 The rise of Microsoft began with a contract to provide software for IBM's PCs, which eventually led to Microsoft's dominance in the software industry.
• 💻 The microprocessor, invented in 1971, revolutionized computing by allowing computers to be small, affordable, and accessible to individuals, leading to the personal computer era.

Q & A

What was the original job title of 'computer' before electronic computers existed?

Before electronic computers, 'computer' was a job title used to describe human beings, mostly women, who performed repetitive calculations required for tasks such as navigational tables, tide shifts, and planetary positions.

What is the earliest known mathematical aid mentioned in the script?

The abacus is mentioned as the earliest aid for mathematical computations, with the oldest surviving abacus dating back to 300 BCE by the Babylonians.

What does the term 'calculator' originate from?

The term 'calculator' originates from the Latin word for pebble, 'calculus', which was used in the original abacus design with pebbles placed between grooves.

Who invented the Pascaline, and for what purpose was it created?

Blaise Pascal invented the Pascaline at the age of 19 to assist his father, who was a tax collector. It was a gear-driven calculator that could only add numbers together.

What invention by Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1801 had a significant impact on the development of computers?

Joseph Marie Jacquard invented a power loom that could base its weave on a pattern automatically read and belted by punched cards, a technique that has been in use ever since in the form of descendants of these punch cards.

What was the name of the steam-driven calculating machine proposed by Charles Babbage?

Charles Babbage proposed a steam-driven calculating machine called the Difference Engine.

What was the purpose of Herman Hollerith's invention, and how did it contribute to the 1890 census?

Herman Hollerith invented the Hollerith tabulator, which was used for counting census data. His technique successfully completed the 1890 census in only three years, saving five million dollars.

What company did Herman Hollerith build after the success of his tabulation technique in the 1890 census?

After the success of his tabulation technique, Herman Hollerith built a company that would grow to be known as International Business Machines, or IBM.

What was the name of the first all-electric, digital computer, and who built it?

The first all-electric, digital computer was called the ENIAC, which was built by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert.

What was the significance of the ENIAC's first problem run, and how long did it take compared to a mechanical calculator?

The first problem run on the ENIAC took only 20 seconds and was checked against an answer obtained after 40 hours of work with a mechanical calculator, demonstrating a significant increase in speed and efficiency.

What invention in the 1970s revolutionized the personal computer industry and allowed for individual ownership of computers?

The invention of the microprocessor in the 1970s, specifically the Intel 4004, revolutionized the personal computer industry by allowing computers to be small, affordable, and accessible for individual ownership.