The Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC) was the first electronic digital computer, built in 1942 at Iowa State University. It used vacuum tubes and rotating drums to store data and was designed to solve systems of linear equations with up to 29 variables. While slow by today's standards at 15 seconds per operation, the ABC pioneered key ideas still used in modern computers like binary representation of data and separation of memory and processing. After Atanasoff left, the ABC was dismantled, and its innovations went unrecognized for decades until a legal case in the 1970s.
The Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC) was the first electronic digital computer, built in 1942 at Iowa State University. It used vacuum tubes and rotating drums to store data and was designed to solve systems of linear equations with up to 29 variables. While slow by today's standards at 15 seconds per operation, the ABC pioneered key ideas still used in modern computers like binary representation of data and separation of memory and processing. After Atanasoff left, the ABC was dismantled, and its innovations went unrecognized for decades until a legal case in the 1970s.
The Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC) was the first electronic digital computer, built in 1942 at Iowa State University. It used vacuum tubes and rotating drums to store data and was designed to solve systems of linear equations with up to 29 variables. While slow by today's standards at 15 seconds per operation, the ABC pioneered key ideas still used in modern computers like binary representation of data and separation of memory and processing. After Atanasoff left, the ABC was dismantled, and its innovations went unrecognized for decades until a legal case in the 1970s.
The Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC) was the first electronic digital computer, built in 1942 at Iowa State University. It used vacuum tubes and rotating drums to store data and was designed to solve systems of linear equations with up to 29 variables. While slow by today's standards at 15 seconds per operation, the ABC pioneered key ideas still used in modern computers like binary representation of data and separation of memory and processing. After Atanasoff left, the ABC was dismantled, and its innovations went unrecognized for decades until a legal case in the 1970s.
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History
Of COMPUTER SUBMITTED BY: JARED S LOZADA GRADE&SECTION: G8-MODESTY TEACHER: MARY JANE B. REMIGIO SUBJECT: TLE-ICT DATE OF SUBMISSION:2/24/2 A computer is a device that accepts information (in the form of digitalized data) and manipulates it for some result based on a program, software, or sequence of instructions on how the data is to be processed. But who made it? When is the computer made? What it is called? What does it look like? Is it heavy, or light? The first modern electronic digital computer was called the Atanasoff–Berry computer, or ABC.
It was built by physics Professor John Vincent Atanasoff and his graduate student, Clifford Berry, in 1942 at Iowa State College, now known as Iowa State University.
That’s where I have been teaching computer engineering for over 30 years, and I’m also a collector of old computers. I got to meet Atanasoff when he visited Iowa State and got a signed copy of his book.
Before ABC, there were mechanical computing devices that could perform simple calculations. The first mechanical computer, The Babbage Difference Engine, was designed by Charles Babbage in 1822. The ABC was the basis for the modern computer we all use today.
The ABC’s drums. Courtesy of Iowa State University Library Special Collections and University Archives, CC BY-ND The ABC weighed over 700 pounds and used vacuum tubes. It had a rotating drum, a little bigger than a paint can, that had small capacitors on it. A capacitor is device that can store an electric charge, like a battery. The ABC was designed to solve problems with up to 29 different variables. You might be familiar with equations with one variable, like 2y = 14. Now imagine 29 different variables. These are common problems in physics and other sciences, but were difficult and time-consuming to solve by hand.
Atanasoff was credited with several breakthrough ideas that are still present in modern computers. The most important idea was using binary digits, just ones and zeroes, to represent all numbers and data. This allowed the calculations to be performed using electronics.
Another idea was the separation of the program (the computer instructions) and memory (places to store numbers).
The ABC completed one operation about every 15 seconds. Compared to the millions of operations per second of today’s computer, that probably seems very slow.
Unlike today’s computers, the ABC did not have a changeable stored program. This meant the program was fixed and designed to do a single task. This also meant that, to solve these problems, an operator had to write down the intermediate answer and then feed that back into the ABC. Atanasoff left Iowa State before he perfected a storage method that would have eliminated the need for the operator to reenter the intermediate results. Part of the ABC. Courtesy of Iowa State University Library Special Collections and University Archives, CC BY-ND Shortly after Atanasoff left Iowa State, the ABC was dismantled. Atanasoff never filed a patent for his invention. That means that, for a long time, many people weren’t aware of the ABC.
In 1947, the creators of the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer, or
ENIAC, filed a patent. This allowed them to claim they were the inventors of the digital computer. For several decades, most people thought that the ENIAC was the first modern computer.
The second generation of computer
The period of second generation was from 1959-1965. In this generation, transistors were used that were cheaper, consumed less power, more compact in size, more reliable and faster than the first generation machines made of vacuum tubes. In this generation, magnetic cores were used as the primary memory and magnetic tape and magnetic disks as secondary storage devices. In this generation, assembly language and high-level programming languages like FORTRAN, COBOL were used. The computers used batch processing and multiprogramming operating system. The main features of second generation are − Use of transistors Reliable in comparison to first generation computers Smaller size as compared to first generation computers Generated less heat as compared to first generation computers Consumed less electricity as compared to first generation computers Faster than first generation computers Still very costly AC required Supported machine and assembly languages Some computers of this generation were − IBM 1620 IBM 7094 CDC 1604 CDC 3600 UNIVAC 1108 Third generation of computer The period of third generation was from 1965-1971. The computers of third generation used Integrated Circuits (ICs) in place of transistors. A single IC has many transistors, resistors, and capacitors along with the associated circuitry. The IC was invented by Jack Kilby. This development made computers smaller in size, reliable, and efficient. In this generation remote processing, time-sharing, multiprogramming operating system were used. High-level languages (FORTRAN-II TO IV, COBOL, PASCAL PL/1, BASIC, ALGOL-68 etc.) were used during this generation.
The main features of third generation are −
IC used More reliable in comparison to previous two generations Smaller size Generated less heat Faster Lesser maintenance Costly AC required Consumed lesser electricity Supported high-level language Some computers of this generation were − IBM-360 series Honeywell-6000 series PDP (Personal Data Processor) IBM-370/168 TDC-316 Fourth generation of computer The period of fourth generation was from 1971-1980. Computers of fourth generation used Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits. VLSI circuits having about 5000 transistors and other circuit elements with their associated circuits on a single chip made it possible to have microcomputers of fourth generation. Fourth generation computers became more powerful, compact, reliable, and affordable. As a result, it gave rise to Personal Computer (PC) revolution. In this generation, time sharing, real time networks, distributed operating system were used. All the high-level languages like C, C++, DBASE etc., were used in this generation.
The main features of fourth generation are −
VLSI technology used Very cheap Portable and reliable Use of PCs Very small size Pipeline processing No AC required Concept of internet was introduced Great developments in the fields of networks Computers became easily available Some computers of this generation were −
DEC 10 STAR 1000 PDP 11 CRAY-1(Super Computer) CRAY-X-MP (Super Computer)
The fifth generation of computer (where we are)
The period of fifth generation is 1980-till date. In the fifth generation, VLSI technology became ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) technology, resulting in the production of microprocessor chips having ten million electronic components. This generation is based on parallel processing hardware and AI (Artificial Intelligence) software. AI is an emerging branch in computer science, which interprets the means and method of making computers think like human beings. All the high-level languages like C and C++, Java, .Net etc., are used in this generation. AI includes −
Robotics Neural Networks Game Playing Development of expert systems to make decisions in real-life situations Natural language understanding and generation The main features of fifth generation are − ULSI technology Development of true artificial intelligence Development of Natural language processing Advancement in Parallel Processing Advancement in Superconductor technology More user-friendly interfaces with multimedia features Availability of very powerful and compact computers at cheaper rates Some computer types of this generation are − Desktop Laptop NoteBook UltraBook ChromeBook
