Like most inventions, the creation of computers made things easier. People are always looking for a less complicated way to do things. Why would someone do something manually when one can create it mechanically and then have that machine do the work for them?
In Computers: The Life Story of a Technology, Eric Swedin and David Ferro give readers an in depth review of the history of computers. Computers tells the stories of the key inventors in which society can hold responsible for, for the great advances in the technology that we have today. By focusing on these many pioneers, readers gain insight to not only how these inventions came to be, but why and how they actually work. It allows the reader to recognize and appreciate the significance of the computer and the impact it has today.
Society has come a long way. Before there were computers, or any form of technology for that matter, people relied on sticks and knots to help them with mathematics. Around the world, different cultures created different methods for assisting them in completing calculations. Because no one likes to do complicated computations without assistance, computers were invented.
A common factor between all of inventors and their creations was that much of the process required trial and error. Some inventor’s plans were never even implemented, but their designs still had an effect on what society has today. Another frequent pattern seen throughout the timeline of computers is that each inventor seemed to take something from its predecessor and build upon it. For the most part, many of the people in the book started off toying around with ideas and expanding the work that others previously created before them. Each invention was able to give something to society to help make a specific task easier. One of the earliest forms of machinery, Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine, was able to complete basic math equations. This machine made its contributions to the world of technology by giving researchers a basic structure for future computers.
In 1890, the census was looking for a way to collect and sort the data gathered about each citizen in a faster and more efficient way. Herman Hollerith came to the rescue and created a machine that used punch cards to record information. His Tabulating Machine Company which began as a way to promote his machines is now what we know today as IBM.
When WWII began, so did our reliance on computers. The war played a pivotal role in the advancement of technology. The U.S. Navy worked with IBM to design and construct a computer that would be programmable and able to calculate intricate tables. The development of computers such as Mark I and Colossus are owed much recognition for helping end the war sooner. Computers proved to be essential as the Mark I operated very quickly executing numerical results and Colossus helped crack the secret code the Germans had been using throughout the war.
The emergence of the transistor drastically changed computers. Instead of the vacuum tubes that not only took up a lot of space but also caused so much heat that it made working conditions unbearable, transistors were smaller, cooler and much more resourceful. They also were rather cheaper which caused commercialism of computers to quickly follow, turning computers into a profitable market.
Countless years have gone into the making of the computer. Thousands of intellectual ideas and numerous amounts research are to thank for what society has today. Computers are evolving faster than any other modern technology. We are seeing breakthroughs every few years as people are building upon what they are given. What began as a tool for math is now used for entertainment, business, and research and so on.
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