HISTORY OF COMPUTER DEVELOPMENT
Computers are
machines that perform tasks or calculators
according to a set of instructions, or programs.
The first fully electronic computers, was introduced in the 1940s, were huge machines that required teams of
people to operate. Compared to those early machines, today's computers are
amazing. Not only are they thousands of times faster, they can fit on your
desk, in your lap, or even in your pocket.
Actually
electronic data processing does not go back more than just half a century i.e.
they have been in on existence since early 1940's. In early days when our
ancestors lived in caves, counting was a problem,
when they started using stones to count their animals
or the possessions they never knew that this will lead to a computer of today.
People today started following a set of procedures
to perform calculations with these stones, which later led to the creation of a
digital counting device, which was the predecessor
of the first calculating device invented known as ABACUS.
ABACUS:
Abacus is an instrument used in performing arithmetic calculations. It is
probably the first calculating device. The Chinese
invented it and because of its success it spread from China to other countries.
The abacus is also called a counting frame,
it consists of a tablet or frame bearing parallel wires or grooves on which
counters or beads are moved. A modern abacus consists of wooden
frame with beads on parallel wires, and a crossbar
oriented perpendicular to the wires that divides the beads into two groups.
Each column or wire represents one place in the decimal system. The Abacus was
used for addition and subtraction.
It could not carry out complex mathematics operation.
Key note:
Task, Instructions, invented in the year? Problem of early machine, advantage
of today’s machine, counting devices, what is Abacus/counting
frame. Who invented Abacus? Uses of Abacus.