History and Impact of Computing - Assignment Example

History and impact of computing History and impact of computing Create your own timeline to help you organize a conceptual picture of the evolution of digital processors. Since there invention, computers have transformed human life in that they are what people utilize as symbolic signification of the modern or contemporary world. They have been around for a long time. The history and evolution of processors is fascinating with early computing technology inventions stringed to defense contracts in that data was stored secretly from the public for years. The meaning of the word computer has transformed over the years, however, the electronic processors or computers that people think of in contemporary time developed in the late 20th century. The popularity of computer as a household item surged in early 1980s after the emergence of Microsoft and Apple operating system that blended text and graphics substituting the text-only system common in the 1970s (Black, 2001). Early 1930s mechanical computers In the 1930s, the processors used vacuum tubes and relays, which could be utilized as switches. Some computers of this time had differential analyzers that utilized mechanical internals but applied electric motors to drive or power them. It is significant to note that the computers of the 1930s were either digital or analog such as the intricate number calculator and Model K. It was also during this time that the first access remote computing was developed. This system required a person to take problems presented by audience and then insert these problems on the computers’ keypad of the teleprinter that outputted the feedback afterwards. The computing and technological ideas developed during this time are still applied today. For instance, the Z3 applied floating-point numbers in calculations and was the first programmed digital processor or computer to be developed. Electronic computers of 1940s During the Second World War, the first electronic computer was created. The earliest one was the colossus that was created to decrypt or intercept German secret codes during the war. It utilized paper tape and vacuum tubes and could do several Boolean logical operations. Some of the 1940 electronic computers such as the Harvard Mark 1 and ENIAC utilized the decimal numerical system while others such as Colossus Mark 2 utilized binary systems (Black, 2001). The 1950s commercial computers Early computers focused on mathematical, defense and scientific capabilities, the computers that were developed in 1950s were designed for business operations such as accounting and banking. During this time, transistors were developed to substitute the vacuum tubes, which led to manufacture of small computers. These transistors played a significant role in the evolution of digital processors in that it led to the establishment of computer peripherals. The microprocessor and microchip of the 1960s The discovery of the microchip is the most significant advances in computing. The invention of microchip spurred the manufacture of microcomputers and minicomputers that were small and less expensive for people and businesses to purchase. The microchip led to the invention of microprocessors that was very vital in the establishment of the personal computer. This was great change in computing technology in that it was easy for individuals and businesspersons to acquire. The advent of personal computers in 1970s During the 1970s, the first personal computers were produced. These computers functioned on microchip and small scale integrated circuits. For instance, the Alter 8800 utilized a single-chip processor. The clones of these computers rapidly cropped up, and there was a strong market based architecture and design of the Altair 8800. These computers had a RAM of between 5kb and 45kb. Apple II had more features including the ability to display graphics, and colored (Black, 2001). The early laptops and notebooks of the 1980s and 1990s In the 1980s, there was development of portable processors. For instance, the Osborne 1 was big, with tiny monitor and heavy than contemporary laptops. Portable computers continued to evolve in that they became small thus making them easily portable as they are currently. Early laptops were developed with monochrome displays however; in 1984, there were color displays. As laptops became lighter and smaller, there displays reached VGA resolution in that by early 1990, they have 256-color screens. The 256-color color screens set the stage for the improvement of the laptop resolutions and colors. Further, during the period from 1990 and early 2000, other features such as optical drives and high-capacity hard drives were included in the hard drive. The emergence of mobile computing in 2000s and today Advancement on initial computers led to mobile computing in that there are many Smartphones with enhanced memory and high speed as compared to earlier computers. Phones such as Motorola droid and iPhone have made it possible to do work that was previously preserved for desktop computers. Mobile computing has changed the field of computing in that with the advent of Smartphones, it is easy to perform certain functions such as uploading videos, photos, sending emails, and browsing. In addition, the development of notebook has marked an important progression in computing. For instance, notebooks are lighter, smaller, and easily portable than standard laptops. Some notebooks are fitted with WiFi technology and mobile broadband software (Black, 2001). In sum, from 1930s to today, has brought technological advancement in computing technology, which has greatly changed lives. 2. Different kinds of "computers" that people built and used When the word computer is uttered, people usually think of personal computer like laptop or desktop. However, computers were manufactures in many sizes and shapes, and they do many distinct function. Some of the different kinds of computer that people built and used include desktops, laptops, servers, televisions, mobile phones, tablet computers, and game consoles. Analog and digital Computers Most of analog computers are extinct nowadays. These computers used electrical and mechanical energy. They were developed to conduct mathematical operations. Digital computers were built to perform intricate computation and have increased processing capacity. The desktop Most people utilize desktop at home, school, and library or at work. They can be large or small, and usually placed on a desk. When a keyboard, mouse, and monitor are installed, it forms a desktop computer. Desktop are useful in that they help to store important data (Isaacson, 2011). Servers Servers are computers designed to serve data or information to other computer-using network. Most people, organizations, and institutions have file servers that respective people utilize to share and store file. Servers played a significant role in making the internet function in that web pages are stored in these servers so that when a person click on a web page, the web server provides the page that a person requested. Laptops Laptops are AC or battery powered computers that are light, more portable, and small than desktops permitting a person to utilize them anywhere. Mobile Phones and tablet computers With the invention of mobile phones, computing technology has changed in that it is possible to use mobile phones in performing many functions such as playing games, sharing data/file, and browsing using phones such as iPhone5. Tablet computers on the other hand utilize a sensitive touch screen for navigation and typing. They are easily portable than personal laptops. Game consoles and television Game console computers are designed for playing video games. Some game console computers like Nintendo Wii permits an individual to do other work such as browsing and sending text messages. Television has been revolutionized in that it has been fitted with applications that enable a person to access different kind of online information (Isaacson, 2011). For instance, a person can watch films on Netflix or view his or her feeds on a social media like Facebook. 3. How did the Whole Earth Catalog and the WELL influence what we think of as "computing" today? Look at the stories of the two magazines Mondo 2000 and Wired. What happened around the year 2000 that created the hype and brought about the crash? Steward Brand’s writing about the Whole Earth Catalog. He also founded the “WELL” which greatly influenced computing. The Whole Earth Catalog stated that several things were helpful tools gardens, books, welding equipment, clothing, personal journals, tents, and personal computers (Turner, 2006). Publication by Brand held that these things could be brought or located. Further, the whole earth catalog coincided with the rise of counterculture movement. The WELL was an online social community for informed, brilliant, and intelligent participants throughout the world. The whole Earth Catalog and the WELL revolutionized the internet and personal computer because of counterculture in that people could easily share ideas (Turner, 2006). According to Mondo 2000 and wired, there was hazardous hacking in the new technologies, and the new media, energized them with overdoses hypersex and hallucinogenic drugs. All these events brought about hype, new electronic dance culture, anarchism, and surrealism. Unfortunately, the events that were adopted from the 20th counterculture were vague and outrageous in that they led to computer hacking and eventually the crush in the sense that there was craziness on the printed pages which could be transferred to the cover of Time newspaper. References Black, E. (2001). IBM and the Holocaust: The strategic alliance between Nazi Germany and 
 Americas most powerful corporation. Boston: Prentice Hall. Isaacson, W. (2011). Steve Jobs. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. Turner, F. (2006). From counterculture to cyber-culture: Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the rise of digital utopianism. New York, NY: Kindle Books. Read More