Early Calculating Devices

Early Calculating Devices

Abacus :

               Abacus was the first calculating machine invented to count large numbers. It was invented about 5000 years ago in china. It is a device consisting of frame of rods,with easily sliding beads on them.

Abacus

Simple calculations like addition and subtraction can be done on Abacus by sliding the beads along the rods. Abacus was also called a counting frame.

Napier's Bones :

                           Napier's Bones, also called Napier's rods were invented by scottish mathematician JOHN NAPIER in 1614.

Napier's Bones

It was made up of a set of rods. It was meant for simple calculations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of numbers, later on. It was improved to find the square root of number.
Pascaline Calculator :
                                       Blaise Pascal invented the first mechanical calculator in 1641 called Arithmatique or Pascaline. It had a box with eight movable wheels called dials. The number for calculations were entered in dials it could add, subtract, divide and multiply the numbers. Pascline could handle numbers up to 999999999.

Pascline Calculators

Difference Engine :

                                   In 1800s, Charles Babbage designed the automatic calculating engine, The difference Engine. It could perform complex mathematical calculations.

Difference Engine

( Charles Babbage is Known as Father of computer)

Analytical Engine :

                                   In 1833, the first mechanical computer was developed by Charles Babbage. this named as Analytical Engine. This machine laid the foundation of modern computer.

Analytical Engine

IBM MARK -1 :

                            IBM MARK-1 was the first electromechanical computer developed in 1943 by Grace Hopper. It was very large in size. This was considered as the first computer in real sense.

IBM MARK -1

introduction

INTRODUCTION

                          Computer is one of the greatest inventions of mankind. Computer plays on important role in our everyday life. In present day every person knows the Computer.

                        Computer is a product of many improvements over a period of time. Now a days computer are used in every field like Education, Science, Engineering, Security, Law, Business, Games, Entertainment and any others field.

HISTORY

                Computer has evolved over a period of time. The development of present day computer can be studied in different generations of computing devices. In each generation, technological improvements changed the way computers operated. The computer became cheaper, smaller, efficient, more powerful and reliable with each generation.

(Before learning about the various generation of computers, Let us learn about some of the early calculating machines that laid the foundation of present day computers)