Warning: Use of undefined constant referer - assumed 'referer' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 102

Warning: Use of undefined constant host - assumed 'host' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 105

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 106

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 109
History Of The Computer Industry In America - College Essay

History Of The Computer Industry In America



Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every
aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play
is a special one, indeed. A machine that has done all this and more now exists
in nearly every business in the U.S. and one out of every two households (Hall,
156). This incredible invention is the computer. The electronic computer has
been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000
years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society.
From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, the
computer has changed nearly every aspect of peoples lives for the ...

Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers

only add numbers and they had to be entered by
turning dials. It was designed to help Pascal's father who was a tax collector
(Soma, 32).
In the early 1800, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage
designed an automatic calculation machine. It was steam powered and could store
up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Built into his machine were operations that
included everything a modern general-purpose computer would need. It was
programmed by and stored data on cards with holes punched in them, appropriately
called punch cards. His inventions were failures for the most part because of
the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the lack of
demand for such a device (Soma, 46).
After Babbage, people began to lose interest in computers. However,
between 1850 and 1900 there were great advances in mathematics and physics that
began to rekindle the interest (Osborne, 45). Many of these new advances
involved complex calculations and formulas that were ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.


Already a member? Login

undertook construction of a large automatic digital computer
based on standard IBM electromechanical parts. Aiken's machine, called the
Harvard Mark I, handled 23-digit numbers and could perform all four arithmetic
operations. Also, it had special built-in programs to handle logarithms and
trigonometric functions. The Mark I was controlled from prepunched paper tape.
Output was by card punch and electric typewriter. It was slow, requiring 3 to 5
seconds for a multiplication, but it was fully automatic and could complete long
computations without human intervention (Chposky, 103).
The outbreak of World War II produced a desperate need for computing
capability, especially for ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library.
Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports,
and research papers in 2 minutes or less.


CITE THIS PAGE:

History Of The Computer Industry In America. (2007, March 27). Retrieved March 29, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/History-Of-The-Computer-Industry-America/62448
"History Of The Computer Industry In America." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 27 Mar. 2007. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/History-Of-The-Computer-Industry-America/62448>
"History Of The Computer Industry In America." Essayworld.com. March 27, 2007. Accessed March 29, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/History-Of-The-Computer-Industry-America/62448.
"History Of The Computer Industry In America." Essayworld.com. March 27, 2007. Accessed March 29, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/History-Of-The-Computer-Industry-America/62448.
JOIN NOW
Join today and get instant access to this and 50,000+ other essays


PAPER DETAILS
Added: 3/27/2007 08:55:54 PM
Category: Computers
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 2604
Pages: 10

Save | Report

SHARE THIS PAPER

SAVED ESSAYS
Save and find your favorite essays easier

SIMILAR ESSAYS
» History Of The Computer Industr...
» History Of The Computer Industr...
» America And The Computer Indust...
» The Evolution Of The Computer
» America And The Computer Indust...
» History Of The Computer Indust
» History Of Computers
» The History Of General Motors
» History Of Telecommunications
» Propaganda In The Online Free S...
Copyright | Cancel | Contact Us

Copyright © 2024 Essayworld. All rights reserved