The History of Computers :: Technology Technological Computers Essays

The History of Computers In the year 2003, it is almost impossible for those of us who have been brought up with computer to imagine what the world was like before their coming. People use computers every day in their homes, using the Internet, specifically e-mails and Instant Messenger, to keep in touch with friends and relatives far away. People also use computers every day at work and school, planning projects and writing papers. For many of today’s children, computers are an integral part of their education, and some of them use computers in school every day. These children benefit from the ideas of many people many years ago, those who laid the foundation for today’s modern computer. An analytical engine first described by Charles Babbage in May 1835 was the first machine to possess the five essential functions of a computer (Hofemeister, 1-7). Even though the engine was never completed, its design included the five basic functions of input, programming, calculation, storage, and output (Hofmeister, 1-7). This machine was an essential part of the evolution of the first computer, but it was certainly not the beginning. In 1642, Blaise Pascal developed the â€Å"Pascaline† – a mechanical adding machine, and in 1673 Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz developed a mechanical calculator that could perform more complex functions, such as multiplication and division (Hofmeister, 1-8). The machines developed by Pascal and von Leibniz, along with the Analytic Engine designed by Babbage, led to the unveiling of Mark I, the first operational electro-mechanical computer, which was designed by Howard Aiken in 1944 (Hofmeister, 1-8). Aiken began work on this machine in 1937, using the principles first conceptualized by Babbage (Hofmeister, 1-10). Most of the Mark I was mechanical, which slowed it down, a problem that was fixed in the Colossus, a computer which â€Å"replaced the speed of the mechanical components with the speed of electricity (Hofmeister, 1-10).† This was a major advancement in computer technology. The Colossus Mark II, which was built at around the same time, is believed to have â€Å"contained all the elements of a modern computer except an internal program store (Hofmeister, 1-10).