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History and development of computers
History and development of computers
The history of computer development
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Preface
The demand for computing devices derived from the need to efficiently do calculations and process data. There have been many different factors that have impacted the history of computing but none so importantly as the U.S. Census. The U.S. Census required efficient data processing because of the large numbers and various types of data it dealt with. The U.S. Census was the catalyst for the boom of computing technology. Its effects are still felt till this day.
History of the United States Census
The U.S. Census was initially established as a mandate by the Constitution to determine representation of each state in the House of Representatives in Congress. The first U.S. Census taken was in 1790. A tally system was used to enumerate the population until 1890. This form of manual data processing was far too slow and cumbersome to account for the United States' exploding population. After 1880 the U.S. Census was dealing with a lot more data than earlier censuses because of an influx in immigration and the expansion of the United State's borders. From 1790 to 1880 the census count went from 3.9 to 50.2 million people, respectively. The 1880 census took 9 years to complete. The tally system was inefficacious and took far too long; there were fears the next census would not be completed in less than 10 years(Shelburne). In 1888, the U.S. Census Bureau held a competition to procure a more effective and faster manner of processing census data. Three competitors submitted their designs (Census History Staff). A young engineer by the name of Herman Hollerith swept the competition. His machine, called the Hollerith Electric Tabulating System won the competition by a landslide in terms of the time it took to tabulate all the ...
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Computers are a magnificent feat of technology. They have grown from simple calculators to machines with many functions and abilities. Computers have become so common that almost every home has at least one computer, and schools find them a good source for information and education for their students (Hafner, Katie, unknown). Computers have created new careers and eliminated others and have left a huge impact on our society. The invention of the computer has greatly affected the arts, the business world, and society and history in many different areas, but to understand how great these changes are, it is necessary to take a look at the origins of the computer.
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The computer evolution has been an amazing one. There have been astonishing achievements in the computer industry, which dates back almost 2000 years. The earliest existence of the computer dates back to the first century, but the electronic computer has only been around for over a half-century. Throughout the last 40 years computers have changed drastically. They have greatly impacted the American lifestyle. A computer can be found in nearly every business and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). Our Society relies critically on computers for almost all of their daily operations and processes. Only once in a lifetime will a new invention like the computer come about.
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computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society. From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, the computer has changed nearly every aspect of people’s lives for the