The Five Main Developments in the History of Computing
1. Introduction
Computers have come a long way since they were first invented. The early computers were large and expensive, and they could only be used by highly trained experts. Today, computers are small and inexpensive, and anyone can use them. In this essay, we will look at the five main developments in the history of computing.
2. The first development of the computers: The Vacuum Tube
The first computers used vacuum tubes. Vacuum tubes are like light bulbs, but they can control the flow of electricity. They are used to turn electrical signals on and off very quickly. This makes them ideal for use in computers, because computers need to be able to process information very quickly.
The first computers were very large, because they had to contain all of the vacuum tubes. They also used a lot of electricity, so they needed their own power supply.
3. The second development of the computers: The Transistor
In the 1950s, scientists invented a new type of electronic device called a transistor. Transistors are smaller and more efficient than vacuum tubes, so they soon replaced vacuum tubes in computers. Transistors are still used in today’s computers.
The first transistorized computer was built in 1953. It was called the IBM 701, and it was twice as fast as the fastest vacuum tube computer.
4. The third development of the computers: Integrated Circuit
In the 1960s, scientists invented a new type of transistor called an integrated circuit (IC). ICs are transistors that are connected together on a small piece of silicon. This made it possible to put more transistors on a single chip, and it also made chips cheaper to produce.
The first IC-based computer was the IBM 360/91, which was introduced in 1964. It could perform up to 1 million instructions per second!
5. The fourth development of the computer: Microprocessor
In 1971, Intel introduced the world’s first microprocessor, the Intel 4004. A microprocessor is a single IC that contains all the electronic components of a central processing unit (CPU). This made it possible to put the entire CPU on one chip!
The first microprocessor-based computer was the Xerox Alto, which was introduced in 1973. It had a resolution of 1024×768 pixels—which was much higher than any other computer at that time!
6. The fifth development of the computer: The Cloud
In recent years, there has been a new development in computing: the cloud. Cloud computing is a way of using remote servers to store data and run applications. This means that you do not need to have a local copy of the data or applications on your own computer—you can access them from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection!
One example of a cloud-based application is Google Docs, which is a word processor that runs entirely in your web browser (such as Safari or Chrome). Another example is iCloud, which is a service that stores your photos and videos online so that you can access them from any device (such as your iPhone or iPad).
The five main developments in the history of computing are:
-The Vacuum Tube
-The Transistor
-The Integrated Circuit
-The Microprocessor
-The Cloud