Historical Development of Computers – JSS1 Computer Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

The historical development of computers is the story of how calculating devices changed over time. It is grouped into three stages: mechanical devices, electro-mechanical devices, and electronic devices and modern computers. Early devices such as the abacus used physical force, while modern computers use electric current to power and operate.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• state the three stages in the historical development of computers;
• list examples of mechanical devices in the order they were invented;
• name the inventors of the slide rule, the Pascaline and the Leibniz calculator;
• describe the contributions of Joseph Jacquard and Charles Babbage;
• identify Philip Emeagwali and Herman Hollerith and say what each is known for.

What are the stages in the historical development of computers?

The historical development of computers can be divided into three categories:

1. Mechanical devices
2. Electro-mechanical devices
3. Electronic devices and modern computers

What are mechanical devices?

These are devices that use physical force to operate. The following are examples of mechanical devices, in the order they were invented and used.

1. Abacus: The abacus is known to be the first mechanical calculating device. It was used to perform arithmetic calculations such as addition and subtraction easily and speedily. It was first developed by the Egyptians and improved upon by Chinese educationists. The Chinese were the first to use the abacus.
2. Astrolabe: This mechanical calculating instrument came into use about 2000 years ago for finding direction and for astronomy. It consists of two flat circular discs, usually made of brass, and ranges from about 7.5 cm to 25 cm in diameter.
3. Slide rule: Engineers and scientists used this mechanical device to simplify multiplication, division and finding the roots of numbers. The slide rule is an analog device and was invented by William Oughtred. It consists of a ruler designed with scales and a sliding central strip.
4. Pascaline: This mechanical device was developed by Blaise Pascal, a French scientist, in 1642. It was a numerical wheel calculator that carried out computations.
5. Reckoner or Leibniz calculator: In 1671, a German mathematician, Gottfried Leibniz, modified the Pascal calculator. His machine could also perform multiplication and division.

What are electro-mechanical devices?

These are machines that were developed to make counting and calculations easier and faster. The following are examples of electro-mechanical devices.

1. John Napier’s Bones (1550-1617): John Napier of Scotland invented a calculating device in 1617, called Napier’s Bones or Napier’s rods. The rods were mainly multiplication tables written on sticks of wood or bone. They were also used for taking square roots and cube roots.
2. Blaise Pascal’s machine (1623-1662): Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician who invented an electro-mechanical device, called Pascal’s machine, that was used for calculation. It was the first digital calculating machine, built in 1642.
3. Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz’s machine (1646-1716): Gottfried Wilhelm was a German philosopher and mathematician who developed the fundamental principles of calculus. He also invented a calculating machine capable of multiplying, dividing and calculating square roots.
4. Joseph Marie Jacquard’s loom (1752-1834): Joseph Jacquard was a French silk weaver and inventor. He invented the Jacquard automatic loom, which used punched cards to control the weaving of cloth, so that any design pattern could be obtained automatically.
5. Charles Babbage’s machine (1792-1871): Charles Babbage was a British mathematician and inventor. He invented a machine that is considered the forerunner of the modern computer. He built a machine called the difference engine and another called the analytical engine. He is regarded as the father of the modern computer.
6. Philip Emeagwali: Philip Emeagwali was born in Akure, Nigeria, in August 1954. He is a computer scientist who contributed greatly to internet technology. He is regarded as the father of the internet.

What are electronic devices and modern computers?

These are the devices that form the modern computer. They are electronic devices that use electric current to power and operate. They include the following:

1. Herman Hollerith’s punched card (1860-1929): Hollerith was an American statistician who developed a mechanical tabulator that used punched cards. He also developed a modern computer.
2. John von Neumann’s machine (1903-1957): John von Neumann was a Hungarian-born mathematician.

Evaluation

1. Name the three stages in the historical development of computers.
2. List the five mechanical devices in the order they were invented and used.
3. Who invented the slide rule?
4. What did Joseph Jacquard’s loom use to control the weaving of cloth?
5. Who is regarded as the father of the modern computer?

Assignment

Write short notes on the Pascaline and the Leibniz calculator. In each case, state the inventor, the year and what the machine could do.