Mechanical Era of computer History

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:

• Abacus

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.

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