LIVING IN THE IT ERA
LECTURE
WEEK 3
HISTORY OF COMPUTERS
A. EVOLUTION OF COMPUTERS
B. CLASSIFICATIONS OF COMPUTERS
INTRODUCTION
• These human computers were typically
engaged in the calculation of
mathematical expressions.
• The calculations of this period were
specialized and expensive, requiring years
of training in mathematics.
• The first use of the word "computer" was
recorded in 1613, referring to a person who
carried out calculations, or computations,
and the word continued to be used in that
sense until the middle of the 20th century.
EVOLUTION OF COMPUTERS
• The evolution of computers has six
generations namely: pre-modern era, first,
second, third, fourth, and fifth generations.
PRE-MODERN ERA
• Manual-Mechanical Devices are devices
that are operated manually by the user.
Examples of manual mechanical devices
are:
o Tally Sticks - was an ancient memory
aid device to record and document
numbers, quantities, or even
messages.
o Abacus - It is also called a counting
frame and is considered the first man-
made computing device. In fact, it
was used for centuries. It uses beads
and it was invented in China.
o Napier’s Bones - It is a manually-
operated device used for calculating
products, quotients, square and cube
roots. It was invented by John Napier in
1614.
o Oughtred’s Slide Rule - It is a
mechanical analog computer
consisting of movable bars with a
precise scale that uses approximations
for solving problems like multiplication,
division, roots, logarithms, and
trigonometry. It was invented by
William Oughtred.
o Pascaline Calculator - It is also called
Adding Machine. It is the first
mechanical calculating device that
uses cogged wheels that can be used
to add and subtract two numbers. It
was invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642.
o Stepped Reckoner - Invented by
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in 1672. The
machine can add, subtract, multiply,
and divide automatically.
o Babbage’s Difference and Analytical
Engines - These engines embodied
most of the design of modern
computers. The Difference engine can
compute tables and the Analytical
engine is completely automatic and is
capable of calculating any
mathematical problems. It was
invented by Charles Babbage.
o Arithmometer - A mechanical
calculator invented by Thomas de
Colmar in 1820, The first reliable, useful,
and commercially successful
calculating machine. The machine
could perform the four basic
mathematic functions. The first mass-
produced calculating machine.
• Electronic Devices. The principal
components of electronic devices are
circuit boards, transistors, or silicon chips,
and use electrical switches and circuitry
instead of mechanical relays. Examples of
electronic devices are:
o ABC (Atanasoff-Berry-Computer) - The
first special-purpose digital computer
that solves simultaneous equations. It
was developed by John Atanasoff.
o Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Calculator (ENIAC) - The first fully
electronic general-purpose digital
computer ever completed by John
Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert.
o Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic
Computer (EDVAC) - Mauchly and
Eckert started working on it two years
before ENIAC even went into
operation. Their idea was to have the
program for the computer stored
inside the computer. This would be
possible because EDVAC was going to
have more internal memory than any
other computing device to date.
Memory was to be provided through
the use of mercury delay lines. It is a
completely internally programmed
machine. This is simply the
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 enhancement of ENIAC to overcome
its limitations.
o Electronic Delay Storage Automatic
Calculator (EDSAC) - It is also known as
an Electronic Binary Digital computer
that uses a binary representation of
data and internally stored programs;
the first full-size stored-program
computer, built at the University of
Cambridge, England by Maurice
Wilkes and others to provide a formal
computing service for users. EDSAC
was built according to the von
Neumann machine principles.
FIRST GENERATION COMPUTERS
1951-1958
The size of computers during the first-generation
computers are mainframes. The major
hardware features are vacuum tubes and
magnetic drums, and the processing speed is
1,000 instructions per second.
EXAMPLES:
• Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC)
- It is the first commercial business
computer and was developed by John
Eckert and John Mauchly.
• IBM 701
- is the first-generation IBM computers.
• IBM 650
- the most popular 1st generation
computer.
SECOND GENERATION COMPUTERS
1959-1963
The major hardware features of second-
generation computers are transistors and
magnetic cores. Its processing speed is
1,000,000 instructions per second and the size is
mainframe.
EXAMPLES:
• TRADIC
- is one example of a second-generation
computer. It is the first transistorized
computer.
• UNIVAC II, IBM 7070, 7090, and 1400 series.
- More examples of second-generation
computers.
THIRD GENERATION COMPUTERS
1964-1970
During the third generation, minicomputers
already became available. The major
hardware features are integrated circuits or
“chips”, and the processing speed is 10,000,000
instructions per second.
EXAMPLES:
• IBM System 360
- is the first general-purpose machine
used in science and business.
FOURTH GENERATION COMPUTERS
1971-PRESENT
The size of a computer varies from mainframes,
minicomputers, and microcomputers. The
major hardware features are microprocessors or
large-scale integrated circuits. The minimum
processing speed is 100,000,000 instructions per
second. As these small computers became
more powerful, they could be linked together to
form networks, which eventually led to the
development of the Internet.
Fourth-generation computers also saw the
development of GUIs, the mouse, and
handheld devices.
FIFTH GENERATION COMPUTERS
PRESENT-FUTURE
Based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Still in
development. The use of parallel processing
and superconductors is helping to make
artificial intelligence a reality. The goal is to
develop devices that respond to natural
language input and are capable of learning
and self-organization. There are some
applications, such as voice recognition, that
are being used today.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF COMPUTERS
The computers can be classified according to
purpose, according to data handled, and
according to capacity.
ACCORDING TO PURPOSE
• General-purpose computers
- have the ability to store different
programs of instruction and thus,
perform a variety of operations.
Examples of general-purpose
computers are personal computers,
laptops, and tablets.
• Special-purpose computers
- are designed to perform one specific
task. The program of instructions is built
into, or permanently stored in the
machine. Examples of special-purpose
computers are highway tolls, air traffic
control, satellite tracking, airline
reservations, and automated teller
machines.
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ACCORDING TO DATA HANDLED
• Analog Computers
- The name analog comes from the word
“analogous” meaning similar. Analog
computers are used for scientific,
engineering, and process control
purposes. They deal with quantities that
are continuously variable. One
example is the analog speedometer in
an automobile.
• Digital Computers
- refer to machines that specialize in
counting. It operates by counting
values that are discrete, or separate
and distinct.
• Hybrid Computers
- This special-purpose machine called a
hybrid computer combines the
measuring capabilities of the analog
computer and the logical and control
capabilities of the digital computer. It
offers an efficient and economical
method of working out special types of
problems in science and various areas
of engineering. Some Hybrid machines
contain special equipment to convert
analog voltages into digital voltages,
and vice-versa.
systems but above the capabilities of
personal computers. Also known as
mid-range computers, these became
popular in the late 1960s but have
become almost extinct because of the
popularity of personal computers. The
latter can now perform most of the
tasks reserved for minis.
• Microcomputers
- are the smallest, least expensive, and
most used types of computers. They
have small memories, less processing
power, are physically smaller, and
permit fewer peripherals compared to
super and mainframe computers. They
are more commonly known as personal
computers or simply PCs. The term was
initially used to refer to IBM-compatible
computers.

ACCORDING TO CAPACITY
• Supercomputers
- These are arguably the most powerful
in terms of speed and accuracy. They
are types of computers used in solving
complex mathematical computations.
They are capable of executing trillions
of instructions per second, which is
calculated in floating point operations
per second (FLOPS).
• Mainframe computers
- are large-sized computer types. They
are equally powerful but fall short in
terms of the computation ability in
supercomputers. They are like big file
servers, enabling multiple users from
nearby and remote locations to access
resources at the same time. Also known
as big iron, these systems can handle
massive amounts of data going in and
out simultaneously. This makes them
popular with businesses.
• Minicomputers
- are general-purpose devices without
the monumental expenses associated
with a larger system. Their processing
power is below that of mainframe