Past, Present, And Future Of Computers

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could figure out values of almost any algebraic equation. Soon, a
silk weaver wanted to make very intricate designs. The designs were stored on
punch-cards which could be fed into the loom in order to produce the designs
requested. This is an odd beginning for the most powerful invention in the
world.
In the 1930's, a man named Konrad Zuse started to make his own type of
computer. Out of his works, he made several good advances in the world of
computing. First, he developed the binary coding system. This was a base two
system which allowed computers to read information with either a 1 or a 0. This
is the same as an on or and off. The on or off functions could be created
through switches. These switches were utilized with vacuum tubes. The
functions could then be relayed as fast as electrons jumping between plates.
This was all during the time of the Second World War and further advancements
were made in the area of cryptology. Computer advancements were needed in ...

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could
store simple ³programs² into it's memory for call later. The Electronic
Discrete Variable Computer was the next in line. A young man named John von
Neumann had the original plan for memory. His only problem was where and how
could the instructions be stored for later use. Several ideas were pursued, but
the one found most effective at the time was magnetic tape. Sets of
instructions could be stored on the tapes and could be used to input the
information instead of hand feeding the machine every time. If you have ever
heard of a ³tape backup² for a computer, this is exactly what this is. All the
information on your computer can be stored on the magnetic tape and could ...

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