History of Computing

  • 2700 BCE

    Abacus

    Abacus
    The abacus was invented several times, but it's earliest invention was around 2700 in sumer. It's relatively simple, moving balls around to represent certain digits of a number.
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  • Napier's Bones.

    Napier's Bones.
    A Calculation device used to multiplication and logarithms via moving "bones" into certain positions to lattice table.
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  • Slide rule

    A ten inch long ruler like device which performs calculations by sliding numbers into place.
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  • Pascaline

    A calculator which uses wheels for calculating, was designed for tax collection.
  • Stepped Reckoner

    Invented in the late 1600s. It could never be used due to the lack of technology at the time to properly design the parts.
  • Jacquard Loom

    A programable loom that uses punchcards to design certain patterns into the fabric.
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  • Arithometer

    The Arithometer was a digital mechanical calculator, it's design being standardised for all the ones coming after it.
  • Difference and Analytical engines

    The difference engine was a device for calculating polynomials. The analytical engine was a device for logarithms and trigonomic functions. It was also the first ever turing complete machine.
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  • Augusta Ada Byron

    Augusta Ada Byron
    Cited as the first computer programmer for writing the first algorithm tailored to a computer (The difference engine)
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  • Sheutzian Calculation Machine

    An improved version of the difference engine.
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  • Tabulating Machine

    It was a calculator designed for making the U.S census easier to accomplish.
  • Harvard Mark 1

    Based of the arithmetic engine, and was also used for the Manhattan Project.