The History And Future Of Computers

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Term Paper Title	The History And Future Of Computers
# of Words	941
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.76

The History and Future of Computers

The History and Future of Computers

Tim Gash
CRS-07
Mr. Drohan
January 31, 1997

     With the advances in computer technology it is now possible for more and
more Canadians to have personal computers in their homes.  With breakthroughs in
computer processing speeds and with computer storage capacity, the combination
of this with the reduced size of the computer have allowed for even the smallest
apartment to hold a computer.  In the past the only places to have computers
were military institutes and some universities; this was because of their
immense size and price.  Today with falling computer prices and the opportunity
to access larger networks, the amount of computers has grown from just 10% in
1986 to 25% in 1994.  Also, of the 25%, 34% of them were equipped with modems,
which allow for connection to on line services via telephone lines.
     The primitive start of the computer came about around 4000 BC; with the
invention of the abacus, by the Chinese.  It was a rack with beads strung on
wires that could be moved to make calculations.  The first digital computer is
usually accredited to Blaise Pascal.  In 1642 he made the device to aid his
father, who was a tax collector.  In 1694 Gottfried Leibniz improved the machine
so that with the rearrangement of a few parts it could be used to multiply.  The
next logical advance came from Thomas of Colmar in 1890, who produced a machine
that could perform all of the four basic operations, addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division.  With the added versatility this device was in
operation up until the First World War.
     Thomas of Colmar made the common calculator, but the real start of
computers as they are known today comes from Charles Babbage.  Babbage designed
a machine that he called a Difference Engine.  It was designed to make many long
calculations automatically and print out the results.  A working model was built
in 1822 and fabrication began in 1823.  Babbage works on his invention for 10
years when he lost interest in it. His loss of interest was caused by a new idea
he thought up.  The Difference Engine was limited in adaptability as well as
applicability.  The new idea would be a general purpose, automatic mechanical
digital computer that would be fully program controlled.  He called this the
Analytical Engine.  It would have Conditional Control Transfer Capability so
that commands could be inputted in any order, not just the way that it had been...

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