Реферат: Development Of Computers And Technology Essay Research

named Charles Babbage came along, who made a machine called the difference

engine. It is for this, that Babbage is known as the ?Father of the Computer.”

Born in England in 1791, Babbage was a mathematician, and an inventor.

He decided a machine could be built to solve polynomial equations more easily

and accurately by calculating the differences between them. The model of this

was named the Difference Engine. The model was so well received that he began

to build a full scale working version, with money that he received from the

British Government as a grant.

Babbage soon found that the tightest design specifications could not

produce an accurate machine. The smallest imperfection was enough to throw the

tons of mechanical rods and gears, and threw the entire machine out of whack.

After spending 17,000 pounds, the British Government withdrew financial support.

Even though this was a major setback, Babbage was not discouraged. He came up

with another machine of wheels and cogs, which he would call the analytical

engine, which he hoped would carry out many different kinds of calculations.

This was also never built, at least by Babbage (although a model was put

together by his son, later), but the main thing about this was it manifested

five key concepts of modern computers –

? Input device ? Processor or Number calculator ? Storage unit to hold number

waiting to be processed ? Control unit to direct the task waiting to be

performed and the sequence of calculations ? Output device

Parts of Babbage’s inventions were similar to an invention built by

Joseph Jacquard. Jacquard, noting the repeating task of weavers working on

looms, came up with a stiff card with a series of holes in it, to block certain

threads from entering the loom and blocked others from completing the weave.

Babbage saw that the punched card system could be used to control the

calculations of the analytical engine, and brought it into his machine.

Ada Lovelace was known as the first computer programmer. Daughter of an

English poet (Lord Byron), went to work with Babbage and helped develop