a) Historical Development of computers
The first computing machine was known as Abacus.
It was used in ancient China and Japan thousands of years BC.
It was made up of rectangular frame and a crossbar at the middle.
In 17 Century, a Scottish Mathematician, John Napier developed a machine called
Napiers bones which helped in multiplication and division.
An English mathematician called Charles Babbage developed a machine called
Analytical engine. This machine is regarded as the forerunner of the modern
computers and thus Charles Babbage is referred to as the father of Modern
computers.
Charles Babbage died in 1871 and thereafter, there was little improvement on his work
until the 1930s.
NB: The Abacus, Napiers bones and the Analytical engine were all non-electronic tools
that would simplify arithmetic
Before 1900, most data processing was done manually. Abacus was a special counting
instrument / calculating tool used to calculate large figures developed by Asian
merchants.
Napiers Bornes was developed by John Napier a scotish mathematician to help in
multiplication and division. The first machine after the abacus was Analytical Engine
developed by Charles Babbage who was an English Mathematician in 1822 -1871. Mark
I was the first computer like machine designed by professor Howard Aken of Horrand
University in 1939. Mark I became operational in 1943. It weighed 5 tons and was 16
metres long. Since then rapid advancements in computing have been realized and can be
categorized into five generations.
