Lesson 1: Introduction to Computer History

In this section of the course, we explore how computers came about and what their impact has been on society.

For years, humans have been using machines and computers to assist with and automate simple tasks. From the use of stones (yes, stones) to keep a record of equipment or items bartered, to the creation of the abacus over 4,000 years ago, to the invention of the Hollerith punch card system in the 1800s, and to having technology at our fingertips today, computers are indispensable in our lives.

We will also consider how computers have affected our lives and shaped our future.

As far back as the 17th century, before the physical computer came to be invented, the word “computer” referred to a person who performed calculations. Today, the Oxford dictionary defines a computer as an electronic machine that can store, organize, and find information.

A computer is an electronic device that uses information (also known as data) to perform tasks. By virtue of its hard drive, a computer can store and process large amounts of data.

Today, computers are everywhere. From your basic pocket calculator to more advanced and programmable machines, computers come in many different shapes and sizes. The personal computer (PC) is used in offices across the globe to send emails, store data, and more. Laptops, tablets, and phones are also types of computer, but they are smaller, sometimes cheaper, and, most importantly, portable.

Supercomputers are the most expensive and most powerful type of computer. They are used in predicting weather forecasts and climate change. In a second, they can complete quadrillions of operations.

The first computer was designed by Charles Babbage in 1843. It was described as a “general purpose machine” that could perform simple calculations. The first computer programmer was a woman named Ada Lovelace. Lovelace realised that Babbage’s machine could be programmed to understand much more than simple calculations and could even manipulate data. Lovelace went on to create the first computer algorithm.

In short, computers were created to make life simpler by automating basic tasks such as performing calculations and using punch card systems, but they have evolved to do much more than that.

The physicist James Maxwell proposed the existence of radio waves when he published his theory of electromagnetic fields in 1865. This discovery helped to set the stage for today's advances in computers and technology.

When people think of computers now, many think of the 1980s to the 2000s, but as we have seen, computer technology and its development began well over a century ago.

Babbage’s “difference engine” and his “analytical engine”, which included a memory and central processing unit (CPU), lead us into our next section, when technology took another leap forward with Alan Turing.

In 1936, Alan Turing created a mathematical model of a “universal machine”. This machine became known as the Turing machine. Turing was intrigued by the so-called “decision problem” and whether an abstract mathematical object could be computable. The Turing machine had an infinite tape, which used 0’s and 1’s to display inputs and outputs. Despite its simplicity, the Turing machine could decode and perform any set of instructions.