The Invention of Computer and Its Significance in Human History

Computers are what run society today, everywhere we look we see devices that are run off of computers and microcomputers such as phones, computers, tablets, and even vehicles. It is now the way the world communicates with each other, because of computers it is a much smaller world in which we live. Computers have been around for such a short period of time, yet they seem to be advancing faster than anything else; this is because there is an infinite number of ways computers can be implemented to help individuals. Thirty years after the first computer was developed, computers had already been altered to read and save information on magnetic tapes that ran through the computer. The picture below was taken at East Carolina University (ECU) in the mid 1970’s of a man changing tapes in a tape computer (Computer Data Tapes). 40 years after this picture was taken, this form of computers is almost unrecognizable by society today, due to dramatic advancements in computer technology.

Currently, computers are used for everything in life. For example, from researching for a large essay project to playing video games with friends. “From the outset, computers were weighed for both military and commercial significance, and hence they straddled the very institutional boundaries that central to this study. It is also significant that computers became valuable research instruments in nearly all disciplines.” (Akera, 2). The first digital computer was constructed in 1946 by John Mauchly, a professor, and Presper Eckert, an inventor. “They met by chance in 1941 at the University of Pennsylvania’s Moore School of Engineering. They soon developed a revolutionary vision: to use electricity as a means of computing--in other words, to make electricity "think."” (McCartney, 1). They were ignored by their colleagues, but in 1943 they were becoming more well known and was funded by the U.S Army. The U.S Army was seeking for a contraption that can quickly calculate ballistic missile trajectories in wartime Europe and Africa (McCartney, 1). John Mauchly and Presper Eckert led a team that constructed the computer that occupied 1,800 square feet and weighed thirty tons. They named the large computer, ENIAC, Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer. The process of building this machine was not an effortless task, Mauchly and Presper and their team had to overcome many problems

In the early 1980’s computers were unknown. The only real computers were called mainframe computers and they took up an entire room in size. They used a special code called binary that only worked with 1’s and O’s. All of the data had to be inputted by stretches of tape or by flipping switches. It took people to develop a computer language for the computer to take off. The first language was called Cobal and it was followed by Fortran and Basic. Because of the large size of computers, having one would require having space big enough to house a room size machine. It took a company named Intel and its founder Gordon Moore, to develop a microprocessor, which shrunk down the size of the processor by placing millions of transistors on a single

An innovative era of technological advancements and radical new concepts swept the nation by storm. The revolution was steered by a collaboration of boundless minds and problem solvers. Through a series of trial and error, computers were transformed from small sprockets and motors to machines that could unravel most of society’s problems. In 1946, Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, two military commissioned American inventors, constructed one of the world’s first computers using vacuums and enormous air conditioners. The two men started an industry in machine processing speed and power. Eckert and Mauchly’s invention defined all new aspects of the future. By the 1950s computers were a public attraction; they were being used for military purposes, business management, and the advancement of networking.

Today’s generation could never ever imagine in their wildest dreams about the world, ages before, when there were no computers or any other technologies. So much we have advanced that now every information is just a click away and is in your hands 24/7. All this advancement was possible only with the introduction of a small device called the “Computer”. The computer is considered the most revolutionary invention of the twentieth century and it appears to be as well. The impact of computer usage can be found in

It is not very often that a new invention comes about and touches every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. A machine that has done all this and more now exists in nearly every business in the U.S. and in one out of every two households. This incredible invention is the computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society. From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed

Back in 1970s, computers were very complex, had many chips, and hard to come by. This all changed in 1975, when Wozniak tested the Apple I’s prototype. This computer had less chips than other leading brands and was able to, for the first time in history, display a few letters on a screen. His acquaintance, Steve Jobs, persuaded him to sell it, and within the next year, the

Charles Babbage is recognized as “The Father of Computing”. He developed the concept of a digital programmable computer. Charles contrived the concept called the Analytical Engine and it hailed as the first general-purpose computer concept. The Analytical Engine serves to be the signature of computer technology; nevertheless, this computer concept was the evolution that began the inventions of computers. Whereas the 1st generation of computers served in the early 19th century, it expanded throughout the generations; thus, evolving into computers people know today. In the 21st century not computers, but technology itself are highly known to be used everywhere. The advancement of technology within the 21st century does not just go into using computers; furthermore, it goes to using cell phones, tablets, pcs, laptops, desktops, wearable devices, such as smartwatches and activity trackers, etc. Computers are disbursed within workplaces, such as colleges, high schools, and even hospitals.

The early computer development began in the late 60’s, at that time their common use was for complex mathematical calculations, and were mostly used by government corporations. As time went on computers became widely popular, and they were being used at a personal level. The Apple Lisa Computer was the first successful personal computer with a GUI interface which was introduced in 1983. Nowadays computers have become extremely popular, and they are being used almost everywhere. We are becoming overwhelmingly dependent on computer technology which is causing a negative impact on the human society because of the following reasons, lack of social confidence, privacy threat and health problems.

The actual invention of the microprocessor took place somewhat before the 70s, with the first notable product the AL-1: an 8 bit computer processor “slice” (an expandable portion of a larger central processing unit) debuting in March of 1969. However the first commercially available microprocessor, the 4004, was released in 1971 by Intel. Intel had already established itself as a leader in the integrated circuit (IC) design industry before this point, mainly dealing with memory, but made the leap into the microprocessor world after receiving a request from a customer to design a custom circuitry for their new calculator – a task that would be infeasible

The modern day society is the result of countless processes of change and evolution, among the more notable of them being the evolution of Information Technology. Today, technology impacts all aspects of the life of humanity, from the trivial chores, to the complex and intricate endeavors. But this state of affairs could not have been possible had it not been for the creation and strong development of the Personal Computer.

As the number of pc’s increased through the American households its usefulness also increased. Although once used to do basic calculations the household computer was now able to do so much more in such little space. This was all possible due to the

Technology progressed in non-consumer sector and in the 1960’s microprocessors began to take shape. In 1965 Gordon Moore a co-founder of early microchip producer Intel theorized that the number of transistors that it was possible to fit onto a single piece of silicon would

The first ever computer was invented in the 1820s by Charlse Babbage. However the first electronic digital computer were developed between 1940 and 1945 in the United States and in the United Kingdom. They were gigantic, originally the size of a large room, and also need to be supply a large amount of power source which is equivalent as several hundred modern personal computers. The history of computer hardware covers the developments from simple devices to aid calculation, to mechanical calculators, punched card data processing and on to modern stored program computers. The tools or mechanical tool used to help in calculation are called calculators while the machine operator that help in calculations is called computer. At first the

When electronic digital personal computers were initially unveiled and introduced to the technological innovation, industry four decades ago, not one person