Question

"Why is it important to understand the history of computers? Provide examples of each of the following mechanical computers, electromechanical computers, and early electronic computers"

Answer 1

Understanding the history of computers helps us appreciate advancements and how technology has evolved. Examples of mechanical computers, electromechanical computers, and early electronic computers include Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine, the Harvard Mark I, and the ENIAC.

Step-by-step explanation:

It is important to understand the history of computers because it helps us appreciate the advancements that have taken place and how they have shaped our lives today. Understanding the history of computers allows us to understand how far we have come and how technology continues to evolve.

Mechanical Computers:

One example of a mechanical computer is Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine, designed in the 1830s. It was the first general-purpose computer that used punched cards to input data and perform calculations. Despite not being built during Babbage's lifetime, the design of the Analytical Engine laid the foundation for future computer developments.

Electromechanical Computers:

A popular example of an electromechanical computer is the Harvard Mark I, developed during the 1930s. It used switches, relays, and rotating shafts for computations and was primarily used for military calculations during World War II. The Mark I was a significant step forward in computer technology and paved the way for faster and more reliable computing.

Early Electronic Computers:

One of the early electronic computers is the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), built in the 1940s. It used vacuum tubes to perform calculations and was used for tasks such as calculating artillery shell trajectories. The ENIAC was colossal in size and required a great amount of power, but it marked an important shift towards more efficient and powerful electronic computing.

Answer 2

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding the history of computers means understanding several important aspects that have been incorporated into our current life, our ways of working, communicating, shopping, etc. It is a way of understanding how technology has revolutionized and made life easier for the whole society.

The history of computing makes it possible to understand the developments of devices that are simple to calculate, even the technological advances that made the creation of modern computers possible.

Mechanical computers (1642-1945) were the first devices created to aid calculation, such as Pascaline, the first mechanical calculator developed in the world.

The first electromechanical computer, the Mark I, which was built in 1944, was 17 meters long by 2.5 meters high and had a mass of 5 tons. It performed calculations without human intervention but it took about 3 to 5 seconds to perform a multiplication.

The first electronic computer was the ENIAC, inaugurated on February 14, 1946. This computer was a thousand times faster than any previous computer and solved up to 5 thousand calculations of addition and subtraction, 350 multiplications or 50 divisions per second. It was a huge computer that weighed 27 tons and measured 5.50 x 24.40 m and consumed 150 kW. This computer was developed in the second world war, and its main objective was to perform ballistic calculations. Its "operating system" was through punched cards.