Past Present and Future of Computers - Essay Example

Topic: Past present and future of computers Introduction Studying and writing on how computers were createdis a satisfying and exciting task that makes a person understand the efforts provided by the scientists who lead the way to the technology as well as the advanced research associated with the scientists of the present times. Studying about the past, present and future of computers helps in knowing the effects of investions in regard to improvement in the human race. Studying the evolution of computers creates a higher awareness for the need to understand, develop and make improvements to the technology that exist in regard to computing. Students who study science and engineering are supposed to have more interest in the history of their main subject of study. In terms of the evolution of computers, the same capital has always been used but fresh and creative ideas over the years have allowed the technology to become better than the ones which were already being used. This paper will consider the development and improvement of computers over the years all the way to the present and will continue to predict what the computers are likely to do in the in the coming years. This paper should give a proper description of the improvement of computers together with the progress that have been seen it their technology. It is obvious that computers have become important in all the countries of the world even though the success they have achieved did not come overnight. The capabilities and abilities of computers have undergone a lot of improvement since they were invented with numerous advancements on a regular basis (Thyagarajan, Chelvi & Rangaswamy, 2000). This essay will study the progress that has been made in terms of computers, the way that they exist today as well as try to try to predict what they will be and the abilities they might have in the days to come. Ethymeme Statement: Computers are machines, they make complicated work easier Description: The computer is a machine. Machines are supposed to make work easier. The past of computer technology The initial function associated with computers, which was computing, was also important in coming up with their name as computing involves accepting inputs and creating outputs. During the Second World War, computing assisted physicists to develop the first ever atomic bomb as well as intelligence officers to understand the message in communications that were being sent by enemy soldiers. Regardless of the fact that these activities could have been done without the help of computers, they made the entire processes easy therefore decreasing the chances of human errors simply through provision of instruction making the activities undertaken efficient and effective. Even though the first computer had huge capabilities and was relatively powerful, the programs associated with the computers had limited storing capabilities. If they needed to perform an addition problem, they had to explicitly identify both numbers together with the operations which represented behavior and data respectively. The second progress for computers was recognized in better abilities to store that separated behavior and data so that programs were able to work together. This meant that one program would read data while the other examined it, which was an important separation of responsibilities that was the beginning of more complicated functions. As a result, databases were established and this provided businesses and firms the ability to analyze large amounts of information which was something that had never been experienced before. Better methods of storing were developed, making the computers more dependable, capable and faster. To make sure that various programs were able to understand similar data, various set-ups such as gif and mpg were therefore made standard. In no time, entire encyclopedias, films as well as maps among other things were converted to digital form and became accessible through the computer. The establishment of standards together with the more reliable methods of storing information allowed data to be handles more securely for a very long time. As programs and the data they dealt with became more complicated, computers had to get inventive means interacting with the people using them. The computers that were only able to display text were switched with those that were capable of producing and displaying more complicated graphical images. As a result, drawing lines developed the management of pixels which created arcade games that existed in the 1970 and 1980s while other images made games in 1980s and 1990s possible (Wolf, 2012). The games that were invented in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as well as special effects in films were made possible through execution of three dimensional graphics. The ability to share three dimensional graphics assisted in the development of the current video games as well as enhancement of special effects in movies and films. Even though the technological progress of computers can be traced through the progress of video games and films, the graphics channel remains important in all the computers through the display of data, windows, webpages as well as photos among others. Since the execution of graphics is very different from the functions of the CPU, present day computers have a GPU. These are more limited compared to the CPU but when fed with the correct problem, they are much faster than the CPU, thus their application in artificial intelligence and other more complicated disciplines. The present computers currently, the quickness at which computers function have remained at a particular speed while the hard-drives that come with the computers have enough space to store everything needed by most of the people. The functioning capabilities of the present computers are only limited by the abilities and skills of the people working with them. The computers that are being used in the present times are defined by improvements that have been experienced in technology associated with them. Between the sixties and the seventies, a network was created by the United States government, and became critical in determining how computers communicated with each other through a protocol. Prior to the use of this protocol, computers working together was a difficult task that needed a lot of attention. After the protocol was established all the computers were able to communicate with the rest of computers that had a connection through a network of cables, routers and switches. With a growth in the amount of computers that were connected through the protocol the world became ordinary by mid 1980s. Newer protocols that were based on the initial protocol such as email, chat-rooms as well as IM were developed. Also newer online services such as were created so that they could introduce the newer aspects of technology to the people who were not very knowledgeable about technology. Throughout the 1990s, internet traffic increased grew quickly but the need of wires to connect computers restricted the internet to the rich and highly populated areas until the adoption of wireless technology in relation to internet connection in the 2000s. Computers have also decreased in sizes as technology continues to get better. When the computers were first invented, they were big and needed a whole room. The current computer can be carried anywhere as it is smaller and lighter (Morley & Parker, 2008). This was the birth of the computer phones and its progress was increased with the development of Palm Pilots as well as BlackBerrys and was further supported by the creation of android technology and the iPhone. The future of computer technology All the developments and advancement in computers that have taken place in the last two decades have led to the connection of the personal computer to the rest of the computers in the globe and made them portable enough to be carried with ease. It has given birth to the communication age where everyone is constantly connected and in communication with other people from all over the globe. This form of communication supports the internet economy that is responsible for majority of the interests and investments associated with computers. Computers are critical in various processes and are used to gather, organize, transfer and analyze information at the global scale. Computers are already part of most of the items that are used by consumers in this age (Abowd & Mynatt, 2000). For instance, vehicles have computers that are designed to monitor the engine, provide links with the telephone, provide directions as well as track the vehicle through the use of technology such as Low-Jack. Even though some of the costs of integrating computer technology to everyday life such as in the home and at school are high, the prices are likely to drop when the associated hardware becomes more common and new methods are established. When the costs of networking drop to inexpensive levels, computers will be many and present to the point that everything will in life will be networked in one way or another. Regardless of the amount of convenience the computers that are part of everyday life are associated with, this use is not the newest technology associated with computers. Computers are increasingly developing an ability to recognize various factors of our world and the capabilities of computers connected to cameras and microphones have already started being acknowledged. Potential technologies of the future may be able identify objects, while Facebook is already recognizing faces in its platform, this means that airports and casinos will soon be able to recognize faces of the people in them (Gibbs, 2014). The feature of computers can be utilized past the advertising capabilities of companies as well as monitoring abilities of governments as it provides senses that are superhuman. In future, computers also have a chance to improve lives on a more intellectual level rather than communication as they are able to come up with knowledge of the world. Fast computers have the capacity to process an entire movie in mere seconds and Google goes through more of the internet in a single day than a human being may ever read in their whole life as computers are not restricted by human beings sense of time, but their own rate of computing. Computers are also gaining ability to mimic numerous experiments as they become faster and improve in their processing capacities (Graham-Rowe, 2009). Soon they will be able to customize treatments for particular forms of diseases as well as discovering newer forms of biotechnology such as ultra-productive wheat. Conclusion The advancement along with improvement of computer technology has considerably enhanced since the 40s. On the other hand, the future associated with computer technology heavily depends on the present day’s communication age which has made sharing of ideas and programs among other things relatively easier. Nevertheless, it has created a situation where inventive minds are stuck with data organization and monitoring of page views, consequently not utilizing their abilities. The companies that embrace inventions are dominated by the already established ones that have more likelihood to produce better technology since their emphasis is on restricted growth, iterative enhancements as well as carefully measured risks. Nonetheless, the computers of the future will bring changes to the world through the disruption and creation of influences and power in the same way as the present day computers, but in a more efficient manner. Annotated bibliography Charting past, present, and future research in ubiquitous computing By Gregory Abowd and Elizabeth Mynatt This article addresses the prolification of computers into the physical world and how computing infrastructure has become more accessible all over the world. It also deals with the manner in which research informed by applications in regard to abiquitous computing has developed interaction themes in the larger computing industry. The authors go further to develop a review of the successes and challenges that have been realized in this field, while at the same time opointing out the challenges that still exist in the same field. Research in global computing needs to address some ideas of scale in the number of form of devices, the physical space or the number of users for the system. Therefore, the article hypothesizes a new area in regard to application research that is every day computing which scales interaction depending on time. Abowd, G., & Mynatt, E. (2000). Charting past, present, and future research in ubiquitous computing. ACM Transactions On Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI), 7(1), 29--58. Amazon Fire Phone review: setting nothing ablaze By Samuel Gibbs This article that aappeared on “the guardian” reports on the launch of the Amazon Fire Phone which the online retailer’s flagship phone. The article describes the previous successes in technology that Amazon has had and goes further to describe the new phone associated with the company that was launched recently. It gives the specifications of the new phone and compares it to ther smartphones that are already in the market. Gibbs, S. (2014). Amazon Fire Phone review: setting nothing ablaze. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/07/amazon-fire-phone-review-android-smartphone The Best Computer Interfaces: Past, Present, and Future | MIT Technology Review. MIT Technology Review By Duncan Graham-Rowe This article that appears on the “technology review” website addresses the changing technologies and the best computer interfaces that have existed in the past, and present and the interfaces that are likely to be seen in the future. The article outlines a number of technologies and explains how they have developed over time to the present as well as trying to foretell what they will become in the future when technology continues to advance and improvement sare made to the current ones. Graham-Rowe, D. (2009). The Best Computer Interfaces: Past, Present, and Future | MIT Technology Review. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 30 October 2014, from http://www.technologyreview.com/news/412880/the-best-computer-interfaces-past- present-and-future/page/3/ Understanding computers by Deborah Morley and Charles Parker The book introduces a contemporary reader to a comprehensive and classic introduction to the modern computer concepts. It also deals with the latest and increasingly relevant technologies to create an all-inclusive and up-to date awareness of computers and their concepts as well as issues that will make people successful in today’s technoecentric society. The material in the text that exists in the book touches on the top industry experts such as nokia and IBM to develop insights which put an emphasis on relevance of the technology addressed in the book. Its literature gives the readers a comprehensive appreciation of computer concepts which will be critical to the present and future reader. Morley, D., & Parker, C. (2008). Understanding computers. Boston: Course Technology. Engineering basics by T. Thyagarajan, K. P. Sendur Chelvi and T. R. Rangaswamy The book is addressed to entry level students of the engineering discipline and provides a comprehensive exposition of electrical, computer and communications engineering using basic, easy to understand language. The essential concepts addressed in the book have been systematically structured with chapters that deal with transmissionand distribution as well as communication services among other topics. The book also includes some examples that provide a more comprehensive understanding for the students who are reading the book. Thyagarajan, T., Chelvi, K., & Rangaswamy, T. (2000). Engineering basics. New Delhi, India: New Age International (P) Ltd. Before the crash by Mark Wolf The authors that have contributed to this book evaluate the origins of video gaming and its entire history prior to the crash that occurred in the industry in 1983 which ended the golden age that had been enjoyed by the video gaming. Wolf, M. (2012). Before the crash. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. References Abowd, G., & Mynatt, E. (2000). Charting past, present, and future research in ubiquitous computing. ACM Transactions On Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI), 7(1), 29--58. Gibbs, S. (2014). Amazon Fire Phone review: setting nothing ablaze. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/07/amazon-fire-phone-review- android-smartphone Graham-Rowe, D. (2009). The Best Computer Interfaces: Past, Present, and Future | MIT Technology Review. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 30 October 2014, from http://www.technologyreview.com/news/412880/the-best-computer-interfaces-past- present-and-future/page/3/ Morley, D., & Parker, C. (2008). Understanding computers. Boston: Course Technology. Thyagarajan, T., Chelvi, K., & Rangaswamy, T. (2000). Engineering basics. New Delhi, India: New Age International (P) Ltd. Wolf, M. (2012). Before the crash. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. Read More