Fria Antonette K.
Devanadera
BSOA-1B
ICT1
The history of computer evolution is a long journey that spans centuries, overall the
development of tools and machines that have profoundly transformed the way humans
process information.
1. Pre-20th Century: Early Mechanical Devices
Abacus (c. 2000 BC): The abacus, invented in ancient Mesopotamia, is considered
one of the earliest computing tools, used for basic arithmetic calculations.
Mechanical Calculators (17th Century): Inventors like Blaise Pascal (Pascaline,
1642) and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (Stepped Reckoner, 1672) developed mechanical
calculators that could perform addition, subtraction, and other operations.
Jacquard Loom (1801): Joseph Marie Jacquard developed a loom controlled by
punched cards, an innovation that influenced later computing developments.
2. 19th Century: Conceptual Foundations
Charles Babbage (1791-1871): Often called the "father of the computer," Babbage
conceptualized the Analytical Engine, a mechanical general-purpose computer.
Though never completed, it laid the groundwork for future designs.
Ada Lovelace (1815-1852): A mathematician who is often credited as the first
computer programmer, Lovelace wrote algorithms for Babbage's Analytical Engine
and foresaw the machine's potential beyond mere calculation.
3. Early 20th Century: Mechanical and Electromechanical Computers
Alan Turing (1912-1954): Turing developed the concept of the Turing machine, a
theoretical model of computation that became foundational for computer science.
Hollerith's Tabulating Machine (1890): Herman Hollerith developed a punched
card system to tabulate census data, leading to the creation of IBM (International
Business Machines Corporation) in 1924.
4. Mid-20th Century: The Advent of Electronic Computers
ENIAC (1945): The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was the
first general-purpose electronic digital computer. Developed by John Presper Eckert
and John Mauchly, it was used for military calculations.
Transistors (1947): The invention of the transistor by John Bardeen, Walter
Brattain, and William Shockley revolutionized electronics and led to smaller, more
efficient computers.
UNIVAC I (1951): The Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC I) was the first
commercially available computer, developed by the same team behind ENIAC.
5. 1960s-1970s: The Rise of Integrated Circuits and Microprocessors
Integrated Circuits (1958): Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce independently invented
the integrated circuit, allowing for more compact and reliable computers.
IBM System/360 (1964): A mainframe computer family that set standards for
computer compatibility and was widely adopted in business and government.
Microprocessor (1971): Intel introduced the Intel 4004, the first commercially
available microprocessor, marking the beginning of the microcomputer revolution.
6. 1980s-1990s: Personal Computers and the Internet
Apple II (1977): One of the first successful personal computers, developed by Steve
Jobs and Steve Wozniak, popularized computing among the general public.
IBM PC (1981): IBM's entry into the personal computer market set the standard for
PC architecture.
The Internet and World Wide Web (1990s): The development of the internet,
and Tim Berners-Lee's invention of the World Wide Web, transformed computers into
powerful tools for global communication and information sharing.
7. 21st Century: Mobile Computing, AI, and Beyond
Smartphones and Mobile Computing: The rise of smartphones and tablets has
made computing ubiquitous, with mobile devices now more common than traditional
desktop computers.
Cloud Computing: The shift towards cloud computing allows for storage and
processing of data over the internet, enabling scalability and remote access to
powerful computing resources.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Advances in AI, machine learning, and quantum
computing are pushing the boundaries of what computers can achieve, from
autonomous vehicles to natural language processing.
