1. Describe The Mechanical Era (zeroth
generation) of computer history in chronological order.
Ancient people lived on the earth for centuries
without counting. Then, they started to count their ten fingers. It becomes so
difficult to live and to remember anything. These phenomena were gradually
replaced by the use of stones, counting notches on sticks or marks on walls.
The different generations are described below which has helped the humans for
keeping records with the passing of time.
1.) The Mechanical Era (Zeroth generation)
The calculator of this age was developed by using
mechanical components like wood, metal, stone, bone, etc. It was used for
simple mathematical calculations. Some of the popular calculations used in this
age are:
In ancient period, it was used to calculate
mathematical calculation. It was used for performing simple calculation like
counting, addition, subtraction and multiplication of number. An abacus
consists of a rectangular frame carrying a number of wooden rods. Mid-bar
divides each of these rods in top unequal -upper and lower parts.
The upper part is called heaven, whereas lower part is
called earth. The heaven consists of two beads, whereas the earth part consists
of five beads to each rod. The value of bead on heaven part is five and earth
is one. Each abacus consists of nine or eleven or thirteen rods.
- Napier Bone [John Napier (1550-1617 AD)]
THE SCOTTISH mathematician John Napier first published
the table of logarithms in 1614 AD. It was very used and consists of a large
number of calculations.
He invented bone rods and used bones to demonstrate by
subtracting and multiplication by addition according to his principle. These
are made of strips of bones on which numbers were carved (imprinted) and
painted that`s why it is also called Napier's bone.
- Slide Rule [William Oughtred (1575-1660AD)]
It is a rectangular device-slide-rule. It was a
calculating device based on the principle of a log. A rule consists of two
graduated scales, one of which slips upon other. It is divided in such a way
that suitable alignment of one scale against the other makes it possible to
find products and quotient of any numbers.
- Pascaline [Blaise Pascal (1623-1662AD)]
The French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal,
invented first arithmetic calculator which could do
addition and subtraction, with numbers being entered by manipulating its dials
and operation could be done by using gars. Pascal invented the machine for his
father, a tax collector, so it was the first business machine too.
- Stepped Reckoner [Baron Gottfried Wilhelm Von
Leibniz (1646-1716AD)]
A German mathematician and philosopher invented a
first calculator, Stepped Reckoner, which was able to perform automatic
addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and square root too. Each with
nine teeth of varying lengths instead of wheels it was called 'Leibniz
Calculator' or 'Stepped Reckoner'.
- Jacquard Loom [Joseph Marie Jacquard (1752-1834
AD)]
The French man, Joseph Marie Jacquard, was a textile
manufacturer who invented a mechanism for automated weaving clothes for the
textile industry at Lyon, in 1802 AD. This machine was used to automatically
control weaving looms to facilitate the production of weaving cloth with
complex patterns.
- Charles Babbage (1791-1871 AD)
The English Professor and Mathematician, Charles Babbage, invented the
Different Engine at Cambridge University, in 1822 AD. This machine could solve
differential equations and calculate various mathematical functions.
He also gave design like today’s modern
computer which was based on the principle of Input, Process, Output and Mill
but unable to complete it due to lack of
money and electronic devices, called " Analytical Engine ".
As he contributed the inventions like analytical
engine and difference engine like today’s modern computer, so he is known as
father of modern computer science.
- Lady Augusta Ada Byron Lovelace (1815-1852 AD)
The English intelligent and independent-minded woman,
Lady Augusta, was a daughter of English poet
Lord Byron and a very Great follower, assistant of Charles Babbage. Lady
documents Babbage`s work and writes programs for Babbage.
This plan is now regarded as the first computer
program. That`s why, she was considered the first computer programmer and a
software language developed by the US Defense Department, was named ‘ADA’ in
her honor.
- Tabulating Machine [Herman Hollerith (1860-1929
AD)]
An American Inventor, Herman Hollerith, also applied
the Jacquard loom concept in computing and applies for patents for an automatic
punch-card tabulating machine. He invented a machine known as " Tabulating
Machine ". This device could process on the punch cards and perform census
calculating faster than ever before.
- John Von Neumann (1903-1975 AD)
The Hungarian Mathematician, John gave an idea of
stored program computer in the sense that program is stored internally in the
main memory of the computer along with its associated data, in 1945. So, he is
called the "Father of Stored Program". Before that, program required
for the computer were integrated and written permanently in chips. So,
modification of program was not possible. But, after Neumann, such programs
were stored on a computer in some storage media, so modification was easy and
flexible.