Summary of the History of World Computing. From the abacus to modern Digital computing. (only the most important points)
This article also serves as a basis for studying and following our Hardware class, taught at the ESIJMJG computer school. We post here only the main points of the history of global computing, focusing on personal and corporate computers, without addressing portable devices and peripherals. For much more detailed and complete information, wait for our documentary video, which will be produced in the near future.
Man's need to calculate
Since the earliest peoples (Babylonians, Egyptians and Greeks and Chinese) existed, man has always had the need to calculate. Numbers and mathematics were the most practiced sciences and would completely change the domain of science, magnitudes and the world.
The fingers and toes were used as a method of calculation (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division), however, to calculate enormous magnitudes, it was not the fastest method and suitable.
The abacus was the first, most advanced calculating tool that was invented in ancient times (approximately 2400 BC). To the surprise of many, the abacus is still used today as a calculating machine, and is considered even faster than a person manually operating modern digital machines!
The term "computer" was attributed to people who handled calculating tools in general.
With the discovery of complex mathematical formulas, the need to master astronomy, ancient people built mechanized calculating machines. Thus it was possible to determine the position of celestial bodies, predict natural phenomena such as tides, weather, etc.
In mid-1642, when many other inventors tried to produce their mechanized calculators, Baise Pascal invented the "Pascalina", which is attributed as the first mechanized calculator in the world to be produced on a small scale.
This "brilliant" calculator was entirely mechanized, containing wheels and gears, capable of performing fundamental operations (except division) without the help of the abacus! It had the famous "go one"!
In 1820, Thomas Charles de Colmar would launch the First Mechanized Calculator to be mass-produced in the world! Nicknamed the "Arithmometer" this machine could perform the 4 fundamental operations and with the "go one"!
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| Colmar Arithmometer. Mechanical calculator manufactured in large scale. |
In 1833, Charles Babbage (mechanical engineer) introduced the concept of the "programmable computer" a universal machine that could be "programmed" to perform sequential calculations. The concept of his analytical engine, was the basis for computers! Years later, his engine was built, it was programmed by punched cards, and the result was calculated by turning a lever. Babbage can be considered the "father of computing".
This machine was an analog computer, containing: arithmetic logic unit (ALU), memory, logic and loops. A Turing complete machine!
In 1880, Herman Hollerith improved the punched card programming technique, which had already been used in looms (making fabrics) since 1800! His company would later become nothing more and nothing less than the giant IBM!
Hollerith built a machine operated by a programmed card, which could make an "election prediction" for the US president in 1890.
In the mid-1920s (early 20th century) many mechanical calculating machines were produced. With incredible improvements, they could now even be used in offices!
Analog computers were used for tide calculations, and even ballistic calculations for the army and navy in World War I!
Electronics and Digital evolution!
It was only at the end of the 19th century that Electronics (engineering and technique) was officially created. Specialty created due to the evolution of the Radio, Telegraph and Telephony industry. With this, many inventions and research with semiconductors were being carried out. Until then, many common components (resistors, valve-shaped diodes, amplifier valves, wires, etc.) already existed.
All amplifier circuits were based on valves. Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, among others, began the study of lamps that would later give rise to thermionic valves.
These components would give rise to diodes (Fleming valve), triodes, and other fundamental components in the construction of hundreds of other products.
Radio equipment, televisions, amplifiers, in the 19th century, were made using this component. Its only problem was its extremely short lifespan, high heating, and enormous consumption of electrical energy.
1948 - Studies with semiconductor materials technology allowed the invention of the Transistor, which would revolutionize the world of digital computing! Research with semiconductors carried out in the BELL laboratories allowed the discovery of the electronic transistor. Replacing valves in all their applications, allowing for more compact, faster circuits, lower heating, less energy consumption and a longer useful life. The basis of modern processors would be millions and even billions of transistors!
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| Integrated Circuits-Solid State Electronics |
1960- The invention of the Integrated Circuit would allow the construction of CHIPS or microchips, integrating many circuits in just one component. The Future of Microprocessors is starting here! The famous Solid State Electronics begins, abolishing valves (gas).
Without Electronics, Modern Digital Computers would not exist!
In 1854 George Boole would publish the concept of "boolean logic" which would serve as the basis for the creation of digital logic circuits (logic gates) common base of any digital machine!
Early Modern Computers
1936- Alan Turing, developed the theory of the "Universal Turing Machine", a basic concept studied in the theory of computation. This theory states that any machine can be capable of calculating or computing data, which are written by programs (algorithms) on tapes or punched cards.
1939- Konrad Suze based on all the knowledge acquired by humanity, built the world's first fully automatic electromechanical DIGITAL computer! There were versions called Z1, Z2 and Z3 which were the most the most modern version. Z3 had 2000 relays (electromechanical switches) and an operating frequency of 5/10Hz (hertz)
The Literal Technological War (World War II)
The Second World War was undoubtedly the technological war! Computers were used as true calculating machines, where every second was a huge advantage, winning or losing was a matter of calculations!
Allies X Axis used truly useful computing machines. Brilliant minds built machines never dreamed of by humanity. Too bad they were used for evil!
German messages were "encrypted" using a machine called ENIGMA. It completely scrambled the message, using a password of the day. This way, enemy troops would not intercept the messages, ensuring total secrecy. There was a very sophisticated algorithm in this mechanical machine, and in this case the Allies (Brazil) had to try to decipher it in the shortest possible time.
In 1939, the English government, followed later by the American government, built the bombe, the most complex computing machine ever created, to decipher the ENIGMA messages. Thanks to the bombe, the allies were able to win the war!
After that, world governments realized the importance of computers and worked to equip their military bases with the best computing technology available. This would leverage the use of computers for humanity!
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| Colossus and its operators. Deciphering messages Enemies |
1944- Colossus was the first 100% programmable digital computing machine. This computer built by Tommy Flowers, Max Newman, Alan Turing, was used in World War II to break the encryptions of the new German Lorenz SZ machines.
Colossus processed more than 5 thousand words/second, was fed with punched tape (running at 12 meters per second). It was "programmed" with cables and electrical connections, similar to the old telephone exchanges. It was huge, almost occupying an entire building,
1946- ENIAC built in the USA, for army ballistic calculations (artillery tables and even the hydrogen bomb), it was a computer similar to the Colossus, but much more improved. Almost 18 thousand valves equipped the computer, which consumed 150Kw (almost a small city). Its average clock was 100Khz, it weighed more than 30 tons and occupied an entire building!
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| 1948 Baby Testing Early Memories RAM. |
1948 - Manchester Small Scale Experimental Machine (BABY). It was the world's first digital stored-program computer. It was built to test "Williams tubes" the world's first RAM memories! BABY had all the components of a modern digital computer.- Built based on the BABY, these computers were aimed at the corporate public. The world's first general-purpose digital computers to be sold commercially, and not just for military use.
Here appear for the first time in human history, the first digital music played by a computer (horn) as well as the first games (chess)
1949- EDSAC/EDVAC - EDSAC was a British computer that calculated the table of prime numbers, which would later inspire the LEO1, while EDVAC was a North American project to improve the ENIAC in memory and speed.
1951- LEO1 - It was the first digital computer in the world to be used in a company office. The curious thing is that it was built by a British tea trading company! Lyons&Company, LEO was built for administrative and financial calculations in order to improve the performance of this company.
1951 - UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer). Designed by the same people who made the ENIAC possible, but now with a commercial focus. 46 UNIVAC units were sold at an updated cost of US$9.1 million, considered the first mass-produced computer. Using 5,200 valves, consuming 125Kw, and here begins to appear the storage units in magnetic tapes (rolls). UNIVAC could also read and write on punched cards. As a marketing ploy, UNIVAC was used to predict the US elections in 1952 and correctly predicted the winner! Weighing 13 tons, clocked at 2.25 MHz, occupying more than 35m2. It was fully programmable and had memory. There are records of advertisements from the time, about UNIVAC on North American television.
Origin of the Term "BUG"
It is known that many nocturnal insects are guided by light, imagine a building full of well-lit valves, it is a full plate for many insects. Imagine if one of them falls into the circuits of huge computers, what would happen? A general failure! That's what happened in 1945, an insect got stuck in a part of the circuits of a huge computer, the Mark II. A similar event also happened in the ENIAC, where hundreds of insects were swept away every hour.
However, the term "BUG" may be older, from 1878, when Thomas Edison first had an insect trapped in the circuits of his phonograph!
To this day, we use the term BUG when referring to software problems and doing debug (another original term).
Second Generation. Transistorized Digital Computers
It was only in mid-1955 that the transistor effectively began to be used as a replacement for valves, giving rise to a new generation of computers, faster, smaller, more reliable, generating less heat and much more economical!
1955- Harwell CADET. Attributed as the world's first 100% transistorized computer, built in the USA, it had 64kb of magnetic cylindrical memory, 58Khz clock (lower, as it did not use valves to generate, the transistors of the time still did not allow fast switching). It was not commercial.
1956- Metrovick 950- World's First Commercial Transistorized Computer. Six of them were produced by the company Metropolitan-Vickers.
1960-1964: IBM 1401 manufactured by the giant company IBM, which produced more than 10 thousand units!
This Computer has a maximum magnetic memory of 16 Kb and was made in PCB tecnology and course a punched card reader!
Third Generation- Modern Computers
With the evolution of electronics, dominance of semiconductors and solid state, many components considered "impossible" until then were created.
With this, CPU Processors, magnetic disks, cassette readers, RAM memory chips, were able to begin taking their first big steps.
1964- IBM System 360. It already had magnetic tape reader units, CPU unit, the famous typewriter which was the primitive keyboard, punched card output.
A modular computer, each piece performed a specific function. The concept of architecture began to be defined at this time.
1971- Kenbak-1. The first Personal Computer to be sold in Kits (assemble it yourself). Only 40 units were sold, but the attempt to make the personal computer had begun!
However, the programming was all via keys and the output was via lamps.
1973- TV Typewriter: this device that looked like a "typewriter" was actually the first graphical interface for a text-based monitor. Until then, all computers used lamps to signal the output of data. This would be the first video card project with a keyboard.
👉 1974- Xerox Alto: First corporate computer, which introduced the concept of mouse and graphical operating system operated by icons and buttons. It would give rise to the Apple LISA, and the future Windows.
In Xerox Alto, we have the First Graphical User Interface (GUI) creation! The starts to Modern Operational Systems like Apple Lisa and Windows. Here Gates take the ideia of Jobs in Lisa Graphical System, to create the Windows in future. But, the Graphical Operational is a invention of XEROX not Apple or Microsoft!
1975- Altair 8800 : Computer sold in a build-it-yourself kit, based on Intel's 8080 processors. Another one sold under the term "Personal Computer" had already been manufactured by Mr. Gates' company. Many computer geniuses began their careers on this computer.
1976- Apple 1 - First computer from the 🍎Apple giant, selling 200 units to enthusiasts, in the style of a personal computer kit. A worldwide rarity, a valuable collector's item!
Important Notice: The Apple 1 dont' have a cabinet! Only the Board is design! In the picture above, a costumer made a wood case to put the boards inside them! The original Apple 1 don't have this apperance!
1980 ZX Spectrum- The most influential personal computer in Europe and Brazil (TK90/95).
Produced with Z80-Zilog processor (another one of many models to use this processor). This Computer must be connect direct into TV using RF Signals! Have a Color graphical.
👉1981- IBM PC - A milestone in our modern computer architecture. The term PC (personal computer) is still used today. It already had a keyboard, a common disk drive for 5 1/4 floppy disks and even an option for a 10Mb Winchester ( Nowaday know by Hard Disk)!
Despite the Old Design the IBM-PC has the base to other personal computers, like XT plataform and AT 286, computers that many people have using during years!
In the First Time in Personal Computers the Winchester (Hard Disk) can be a option to save digital data!
Also a 3 1/2 Floppy Disk Drive is optional!
Has a 16 Bits 8088 Intel Processor running D.O.S systems!
👉💫1983- Apple LISA- The World's First Personal Computer, featuring a graphical interface, operated by mouse, with a complete Office suite! It had no internal hard drive.
Important Notice: During the Apple LISA project, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs work together. Bill will invited by Jobs to help in software and Graphical Interface. Gates in this time already have the Microsoft, and your operational system basead in D.O.S text! But Gates break the law, and take confidencial informations to Create your Graphical System in DOS Mode. Today we Know about Windows!
Windows was a Graphical Interface for MS-DOS! Windows in the fact was created by the LISA Apple Project, when Gates help Jobs here!
Lisa was Steve Jobs' daughter, so this computer is named after her.
👉💫1983- MSX- Universal computer standard very famous in Europe, Japan and Brazil. Here in Brazil, the companies Gradiente and Sharp dominated the market with the Hotbit and Expert. Equipped with the famous Z80-Zilog processors. They had interfaces for everything, were colorful, with the option of expanding memory, disk drives and cassette recorders. They did not have hard drives.
It was on the MSX platform that JMJG began his career in computing! The MSX system had no operating system, only a command interpreter called BASIC, created in partnership with Microsoft!
The MSX required a special monochrome monitor, but it could also be connected to a television via the RF signal. It had 16 colors! Input and output for a standard cassette recorder, dot matrix printer, and two slots for game cartridges or programs!
The MSX was a very special platform in the world of computing for JMJG and many enthusiasts. To this day, its legacy lives on, with developers still active! MSX is a 16 Bit processor.
👉💫1984- Macintosh 1 - Project based on LISA, which consolidated Apple as a world leader in computer technology.
It had a mouse, graphical operating system, and a complete office suite, in addition to many famous programs. It did not have an internal hard drive. The Macintosh 1 has 128Kb of RAM Memory, and many Softwares do Edit Picture, Sound and other. A mark in Apple!
💫1984- XT/AT (80286) - Computer standard used to this day in modern platforms. The start of Modern Computers. XT/AT has the same visual like IBM-PC computers.
The XT plataform, was created by IBM. XT is a betther version of IBM-PC, XT comes with CGA Monitors (monocolor),a QWERTY Keyboard, and DOS Operational System, 8088 Intel Processor, Serial COM Port, Parallel Port. Winchester was optional. 5 1/4 Floppy Drive or 3 1/2 Floppy Drive.
The 80286 Intel/ 80286 AMD processors stand out, it is the beginning of the modern era of AT current computers.
AT Plataform replace the XT Standard! Comes with VGA Color Monitor, Internal hard disk (Winchester), Floppy Drives,Standard connectors like VGA, LPT1, Serial COM port, qwerty keyboard standard.
Here start the 32 Bits era of Computers!
For now, we'll leave it at that. I know there's a lot left to talk about. We still need to talk about laptops, inputs/outputs, peripherals, but we'll bring this content in a documentary video in the future.
This is my tribute to the equipments that is a big part of my professional life.
See you next time
Written by: JMJG 
The power supply will be responsible for transforming the 127/240V electrical energy into voltages appropriate for the board motherboard/peripherals. It is sold in various models and at various prices. It is up to the technician to know the right model, depending on the customer's needs. We will explain further in other classes how to choose a power supply correctly.
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