EVOLUTION OF COMPUTERS

By,
Amit Kumar,
MBA III sem, FMS-BHU
 COMPUTER
 “A computer is a machine capable of
complex mathematical and logical operations
and processing voluminous data and
information with enormous speed and absolute
accuracy.”
 THE FIRST MATHEMATICAL
DEVICE
 The first
mathematical device
to facilitate
arithmetical
computations was
Abacus used by
Chinese before the
birth of Christ. It is an
ancient device which
uses beads strung on
wires to aid
mathematical
computations.
 THE FIRST COMPUTER

 The first
computer capable of
performing basic
arithmetical functions
was designed around
1840 by Charles
Babbage, which he
called the Analytical
Engine.
 THE FIRST COMPUTER Cont…

 He designed his computer around five

components:
1.A store to hold numbers.
2.An arithmetic unit to perform arithmetic
operations.
3.A control unit to coordinate the various
activities in the correct sequence.
4.An input device to transfer both numbers and
instructions into the machine.
5.An output device to display the result of
computations.
 THE FIRST ELECTRONIC DIGITAL
COMPUTER
 The first
electronic digital
computer, ENIAC
(Electronic Numerical
Integrator and
Calculator) was
announced in 1947
based on vacuum tube
circuitry. Von Neumann
introduced the concept
of stored program
around the same time.
 THE FIRST ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPUTER
USING STORED PROGRAM

 The first
electronic digital
computer using stored
program, ESDAC
(Electronic Delay
Storage Automatic
Calculator) was
announced in 1949.

T h e E D S A C , b u ilt b y M a u rice
W ilke s a n d h is te a m a t
C a m b rid g e U n ive rsity , 1 9 4 9
 SECOND GENERATION COMPUTER

 In 1949, Bell
Laboratories developed the first
transistor. In 1958 the first
transistorized computer
appeared. Transistorized
computers provided faster
operations, were more reliable
and generated less heat than
vacuum tubes. Computers using
transistor circuitry belonged to
second generation computer.
 FIRST GENERATION COMPUTER

 Remington Rand, USA

developed the first commercial
computer UNIVAC (Universal
Automatic Computer). The first
business firm to acquire
computer (UNIVAC I) was the
General Electric in 1954. These
computer used vacuum tube
circuitry, are said to belong the
first generation computers.
 In India, first generation
computer were first used at
Indian Statistical Institute,
Kolkata and at the Tata Institute
of Fundamental Research,
Mumbai.
 SECOND GENERATION COMPUTER
Cont..

 IBM 1401 introduced in

1959, which promoted
computerized commercial data
processing. Use of magnetic
tapes made IBM 1401 a very
successful business computer.
Magnetic tape developed in
1950 was compact, portable,
permitted sequential storage
and retrieval of 50-100 million
characters of data and provided
rapid transfer of data to the
computer. During the sixties,
IBM of USA and ICL of UK ruled
the Indian market with their
second generation computers,
namely, IBM 1401 and ICL 1901.
 THIRD GENERATION COMPUTER

 Third generation computers were introduced in

mid sixties, which were based on tiny integrated circuits
(ICs). Silicon available in abundance, was used in
making ICs chips. ICs provided vast internal storage and
operated in nanoseconds. Third generation computers
introduced discs and random access secondary storage
devices.
 IBM 360 and PDP11 were a few popular third
generation computers
IB M 3 6 0 PD P1 1
FOURTH GENERATION COMPUTER

 Large Scale Integrated (LSI) chips

became available in 1969. Computers built on
LSI chips termed as fourth generation computer.
 MICROCOMPUTERS

 Invention of the microprocessor in 1972

could be considered as one of the most
important event of the 20th century. When
integrated with storage and input/output units, a
microprocessor produces a microcomputer.
 A few distinctive characteristics of
microcomputers are as follows:
 User-friendliness
 Relatively inexpensive
 Low maintenance cost
 Small size
EVOLUTION OF
COMPUTERS
 Period Event

Circa B.C. The first mathematical device Abacus

17th centaury The first four-function calculator Machine arithmetic
1830-50 The first computer (mechanical) Analytical engine
1885 The first computer cards Hollerith cards
1930 Card readers, sorters and accounting machines Unit record machines
1946 Stored program accepted by Von Neumann
1947 ENIAC-the first electronic digital computer using vacuum tubes First generation computers
1949 EDSAC-the first stored program electronic computer
1949 Transistors
1950 Voluminous storage and sequentional access devices Magnetic tapes
1958 Computers using transistors Second generation computers
1959 Random access devices Discs
1964 Integrated circuits (ICs)
1965 Computers using ICs Third generation computers
1969 Large Scale Integrated (LSI) circuits
1971 Computers using LSI circuits Fourth generation computers
1972 Microprocessors
1976 First microcomputer The Apple computer

References :
C o m p u te rs a n d In fo rm a tio n M a n a g e m e n t
by S. C. Bhatnagar and k. V. Ramani

http://web.arch.usyd.edu.au/~sriz8189/computing7.html
http://www.getinfo.net/douge/babbage.htm

http://www.princeton.edu/~mike/articles/histories/kingscch

.htm
http://www.computer-history.info

http://www.columbia.edu/acis/history