A brief history of computers with computer inventor Charles Babbage

Hello friends, you may listen to the name of Charles Babbage if you have read about the history of computers. We all know that today in the situation of COVID-19 the thing which connects us is computers. This is only the computer which is helping people to possible social distance and communicate with each other.

Computers not only help us in communication also in many sectors where without computers nothing will be started or completed. If we talk about computer's advantages or uses of computers then there will be a lot to read.

computers now become the business for many companies like GoDaddy, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc. These companies are nothing without computers and are considered as one of the biggest companies. Not only this, but almost every company also uses computer programs in machines for manufacturing, accounting, communicating, and selling online. People are using smartphones whose applications are programmed in computers. This is a computer which helps scientists to communicate with satellites. 

To make 3d animations and play games or to give online exams or to learn through online lectures this is only the computers that make it possible.

But do you know who invented the computer or something about the history of computers? Today we are going to read about the history of computers and going to know the journey from simple calculations to complex computers are made.

Beginning of the story

Computer invention

The story of computers starts in London with Charles Babbage. At that time people didn't know about the technique invented by Charles Babbage. He has had an interest in maths from his childhood which resulted in the invention of computers. He invented the computer on 14 June 1822. Which can only do simple math calculations. It works when the shaft is rotated and it can calculate a set of numbers and make their hard copies. But this has not been completed due to funding issues.

Which was named ‘Difference engine‘. But at the time it was not able to tell the true or false of any given condition.

After that people find it interesting and useful. Sometime later it got a good popularity and many people from different countries talked about this invention. During this time(1936-1938)) Konrad Zuse(1910-1995) in german invented the computer. Konrad named it Z1. This invention started a new generation which is known today as the computer world.

Starting of computer Generations

After the invention, computers can do the work fast and accurately. As time passed new upgrades with technologies of computers also started coming into the market. 

Digital computer (First generation)

After that j Presper Eckert invented the first digital computer in the history of computers. After the invention of the digital computer, most of the electronic products were converted into digital. Analog watches have now been replaced with digital clocks and many more examples we can see around us. This is only the result of inventing the digital computer. This digital computer was made in 1946 by Konrad Zuse with his professor John makhani. They named it ENIAC (Electrical Numerical Integrator And Computers).

ENIVAC has started a new world of computers and ECC (Electronic Control Company) was the first to produce ENIAC in the history of computers. In 1968, This company got the award of National Awards of Science. At the time some other computers also invented like EDSAC(Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator), EDVAC(Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Calculator), UNIVAC(Universal Automatic Calculator), IBM-701, IBM-650

The second generation of computers

In the second generation of computers, transistors are used. The transistor is a semiconductor device which can be used as a switch which turns on when electricity is provided to its base. So it is used to control, amplify, and switch electricity. This generation has some advantages over the first generation of computers. 

Size of second-generation computers was comparatively small from first the first generation computers. These computers were fast and reliable over the first generation and also consume less electricity than first-generation computers.

But still, the second generation of computers was costly and was not for commercial use. Also, these computers generate heat.

Computers which was invented in second generation computers

IBM 1620,IBM 7094,CDC 1604,CDC 3600,UNIVAC 1108

The third generation of computers 

In third-generation computers, IC(integrated circuits) made up of thousands or millions of tiny transistors, capacitors, and resistors. There can be two types of IC:-

SSI(Small Scale Integration): These types of IC can have 10-100 transistors or 3-30 gates. (logic gates, flip flops)

MSI(Medium Scale Integration): These types of IC can have 100-1000 transistors and 30-300 logic gates. (counters, a microprocessor)

In the history of computers the third generation of computers was first to use commercially as these were small in size and were cheaper as compared to second and first-generation computers, these were fast and reliable and consumed less electricity and produced less heat. 

Computers which was invented in third generation computers

IBM-360 series,Honeywell-6000 series,PDP(Personal Data Processor),IBM-370/168,TDC 361

Fourth Generation computers

Here the entry of LSI(Large Scale Integration) and VLSI(Very Large Scale Integration) technology started the fourth generation of computers. LSI can have 1000-10000 transistors or 300-3000 gates/chip(8-bit processors) and VLSI can have 10,000-1,00,000 transistors or more than 3000 gates/chip(16 bit and 32-bit processors)

These generations of computers were very small in size and portable also these were very fast and much more reliable and cheap. These generation computers need very little maintenance and produce very little heat.

Computers which was invented in fourth-generation computers

DEC 10,STAR 1000,PDP 11,CRAY-1(supercomputer),CRAY-X-MP(supercomputer)

Fifth Generation of computers

Started in 1989 and is the latest generation in the history of computers. The entry of ULSI(Ultra Large Scale Integration) and GSI(Giant Scale Integration) technology started the fifth generation of computers.

ULSI 10,00,000-100,00,000 transistors/chip (smart sensors,VR(virtual reality) modules) and GSI can have more than 100,00,000 transistors/chip.

These generations of computers were very fast and reliable and available at a very cheap cost. These make possible more user-friendly interface features and advancement in superconductor technology and advancement in parallel processing and possibly artificial intelligence.

Computers which was invented in fifth generation computers

Desktop,laptop,notebook,ultrabook,chromebook

As we have seen a brief history of computers started from Charles Babbage ‘s simple math calculation computer to artificial intelligence. Today we can’t live properly a single day without computers.