The Importance of Computers Computers have been around for thousands of years. When you think of computers you probably only think of the one at your house or at the library. You usually don't think about the computers that were used long ago. They were simple, but they were the beginning to what we have today. Through the years computers progressed and we were able to accomplish more and more. Our lives have been impacted greatly because of what we can do with computers today. There is so much more that the future holds in the advancement in computers. We probably can't even imagine some of the stuff that we will be able to do. I think that computers are one of the greatest inventions because they have enhanced our lives so much and they have helped us accomplish things that we would have never thought could have been accomplished. Let's start of by talking about the history of computers and how they came about. About two thousand years ago, originating in Egypt, the abacus was invented. This is considered to be the first computer ever made. This device was made up of a wooden rack that held two wires. Beads were placed on the wires where they could slide up and down. This machine could only do simple math problems, but it was a start and the beginning of one of the greatest inventions. Nothing else regarding the advancement of these type devices was invented until almost twelve centuries later. In 1642, Blaise Pascal invented a machine that would help his father, a tax collector, to keep track of his work. This machine consisted of eight dials which would do addition and count numbers. This is how it worked: Once you turned the first dial all the way around once it would then turn the second dial one place. Once the second dial made it around one time the third dial would then move one place.
The “Blaise Pascaline,” as referred to in [3] would be considered today as an early version of a calculator. This project derived in part from helping out his father who had been promoted as a tax clerk, a job which required him to perform long calculations at work. Only one other mechanical device was known to add up figures before the Pascaline and that was known as the Schickard's calculating clock, created by German professor Wilhelm Schickard. Unlike Schickard device, Pascal’s calculator had a larger number of production and use despite the somewhat unreliability of the device. The device consisted of a wheel with eight movable parts for dialing and each part corresponding to a particular digit in a number. It worked by using gears and pins to add integers; addends were entered by hand and carriers from one column to the next were broadcast internally by falling weights lifted and dropped by the pins attached to the gears. It could even be manipulated to subtract, multiply and divide if one knew their way around the Pascaline. Subtraction was done by adding the nines complement version of the number being subtracted. Multiplication; accomplished by repeating additions and division performed by repeating subtractions. Balise Pascals went on to inspire directly inspired further work on calculating machines by other inventors such as Gottfried Leibniz and Samuel
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.
Overall it is fairly apparent on why many people consider computers one of the greatest inventions. Many people would agree with this due to their many uses and advancements. Their numbers grew from 250 to nearly 30 million in just fifty years! Granted this was made possible with the commercializing of the internet but it is still a remarkable feat. While I doubt anyone would really feel dumb for making a prediction it is hilarious that someone would think that computers would never be popular considering that they did so much even when they were first created. Computers in my opinion are the greatest invention since 1898. I have many people that would agree with me and I will always stand by this as the greatest invention.
Computer engineering started about 5,000 years ago in China when they invented the abacus. The abacus is a manual calculator in which you move beads back and forth on rods to add or subtract. Other inventors of simple computers include Blaise Pascal who came up with the arithmetic machine for his father’s work. Also Charles Babbage produced the Analytical Engine, which combined math calculations from one problem and applied it to solve other complex problems. The Analytical Engine is similar to today’s computers.
A man wakes up in the morning to the sound of his digital alarm clock and immediately checks his e-mail. He turns on the television, which has a V-chip to keep his children from watching what may be violent. He gets dressed, gets in his car, and drives to work where he works as the network administrator at a local steel company. It is amazing all of the things this man uses in the morning alone that would not be possible if it were not for computer technology. From his alarm clock to his e-mail even to the job that pays his bills it has all been made possible by computer related technologies. This is the same situation with many people in American society today. Everything has to do with computers. The very first things that we consider "computers" were nothing more than adding machines. "Perhaps the first example of this is the abacus, known in the Orient at least as early as 600 B.C."(Nunz 517). The abacus consists of a frame with rods that hold beads which depending on their position represent a different number. It is usually made of wood and the rods that were thought to one time have been made of bamboo. Users can add, subtract, multiply, and divide just like modern calculator (Fernandes). It all started with calculating machines and has advanced to the fast microprocessors we have today. People use computers everyday in many forms from the computer that's in a car to a home PC. Computers have changed everyday life in the way society drives, communicates, and relaxes. Society has changed because of computer technology and it will probably never go back. One thing that is very important to most people, especially in this area, which in most cases involves a computer, is the car. This is due mostly to the lack of effective public transportation in the area. Cars get people where they need to go from the mall to work and back home again. For those fortunate enough to have year 2000 model cars there are some pretty amazing almost futuristic features. One of these is "adaptive cruise control" which monitors the car in front of the driver and brakes accordingly.
In the past years technology has revolutionized the world. Computers have changed the world in many good ways but they have some negative side effects. There are many different kinds of computers and they all have their benefits and problems. Tablets are good for interactive things but they cannot compute as much as a larger computer. Smart phones are even weaker than tablets but they are special because they can be used for phone calls and texting without using a program like Skype. Laptops are more powerful than both smart phones and tablets but they still don't match the stats of a desktop computer. Desktops are they strongest and most customizable but they can't be moved very easily. All of these computers have changed the world in their own ways along with computers in general changing the world.
A computer is defined as “A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or data. It has the ability to store, retrieve, and process data” (Computer Basics: What is a computer?, n.d.). Similar to a typewriter, it’s able to create documents; however, the difference between a typewriter and a computer is that a computer has more functions. A computer allows one to not only create documents, but “play games, and browse the Web. You can also use it to edit or create spreadsheets, presentations, and even videos” (Computer Basics: What is a computer?, n.d.). Most people only think of a desktop and a laptop as a computer; nevertheless, computers have different forms. Tablets, game consoles, smartphones, and more are all computers. The first ever computer happen in
Computer technology has had a great effect on society as a whole throughout history. It has modified our behavior greatly as we have become accustomed to the technological advancements of yesterday. We are so dependent sometimes we do not even have a concept of what life would be like without computers. When we are forced to live life without computers we are left hopeless and disillusioned and simple everyday tasks become major chores. Computers of the past were very primitive compared to the computers of today but extremely useful. One of the very first computers of major importance was the abacus that was developed by Chinese and later made more portable by the Greeks The Abacus was used for more than 2000 years and made life easier for many. It was used as a calculator, as today, to simplify computations of small or large figures. This gave many people increased free time while maintaining the current economic status within their society. Another important device of this time was the astrolabe. The astrolabe was used for the navigation of ships and allowed sailors to draw maps based on astrological calculation. This helped many sailors and explorers find many new and uncharted lands, which eventually led to the European colonization of North America. During the 1600's there was a surge of inventors conjuring up many new ideas. In 1642, Blaise Pascal was accredited for inventing the first digital calculating machine which could only add. This invention was not for himself, but for his father, who worked hard as a tax collector. The first digital calculator started a whole new line of calculating devices that could not only add but divide, multiply, and subtract. This task was not accomplished until 1820 by Charles Xavier Thomas. The introduction of punch cards, in the late 1800's, automated data entry resulting in many jobs lost that would have been available to the average worker. Punch cards were first used in the 1890 census. This not only reduced the amount of workers but also the amount of human error that could have occurred in previous census. The use of punch cards did not end there. Punch cards were greatly improved by IBM, that successfully provided mechanical automation of data entry. This was done by using spinning wheels to process 50 to 250 cards per a minute. This again sadly eliminated many jobs but continued the development of the computing industry.
According to research published by the Washington Post, “In 2011… only 24 percent of students in eighth and 12th grades were proficient in writing” (Wexler). This is most likely due to the recent advances in modern technology. Because of these advances, many elementary schools have begun to consider putting less emphasis on teaching the basic handwriting fundamentals in order to focus on teaching typing and computer skills. Many educators and analysts agree that there are many beneficial by-products of instructing young students to fully develop their handwriting. However, there are also many who believe that in order for students keep up with the constant changes and growth in technology, they must be taught computer skills from early ages.
The history of the computer dates back all the way to the prehistoric times. The first step towards the development of the computer, the abacus, was developed in Babylonia in 500 B.C. and functioned as a simple counting tool. It was not until thousands of years later that the first calculator was produced. In 1623, the first mechanical calculator was invented by Wilhelm Schikard, the “Calculating Clock,” as it was often referred to as, “performed it’s operations by wheels, which worked similar to a car’s odometer” (Evolution, 1). Still, there had not yet been anything invented that could even be characterized as a computer. Finally, in 1625 the slide rule was created becoming “the first analog computer of the modern ages” (Evolution, 1). One of the biggest breakthroughs came from by Blaise Pascal in 1642, who invented a mechanical calculator whose main function was adding and subtracting numbers. Years later, Gottfried Leibnez improved Pascal’s model by allowing it to also perform such operations as multiplying, dividing, taking the square root.
It has come to my concern as the manager of the Information Technology branch in our company, that our employees lack some important computer skills. I often receive requests to solve many trivial problems that show a lack of skill when operating a computer. Our employees work with computers every day to help our customers. They deal with sensitive data for both our own company and our customers. To combat this I propose we create mandatory computer skill classes covering some of the basics to assure no issues arise. These classes would be mainly aimed at people who work within our offices and deal with sensitive data. I will organize the classes and create a list of the skills our employees should have by the end of these classes. Employees
Computers have changed the way that the world works in many different ways. Some of these changes are positive and some of these changes have had negative effects on our lives. From an industrial standpoint most of these changes have been helpful to businesses and the economy. In the medical field computers have had an impact in many different areas, ranging from the way appointments are made to the carrying out of everyday tasks.
The fist computer, known as the abacus, was made of wood and parallel wires on which beads were strung. Arithmetic operations were performed when the beads were moved along the wire according to “programming” rules that had to be memorized by the user (Soma, 14). The second earliest computer, invented by Blaise Pascal in 1694, was a “digital calculating machine.” Pascal designed this first known digital computer to help his father, who was a tax collector. Pascal’s computer could only add numbers, and they had to be entered by turning dials (Soma, 32). It required a manual process like its ancestor, the abacus. Automation was introduced in the early 1800’s by a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage. He created an automatic calculation machine that was steam powered and stored up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Unlike its two earliest ancestors, Babbage’s invention was able to perform various operations. It relied on cards with holes punched in them, which are called “punch cards.” These cards carried out the programming and storing operations for the machine. Unluckily, Babbage’s creation flopped due to the lack of mechanical precision and the lack of demand for the product (Soma, 46). The machine could not operate efficiently because technology was t adequate to make the machine operate efficiently Computer interest dwindled for many years, and it wasn’t until the mid-1800’s that people became interested in them once again.
Computers play a huge part in many all of our lives in one way or another. They have many purposes and are used in various types of environments, such as medical facilities, government offices, and many households. They also are the reason we are able to surf the internet, watch animated television shows and see movies with special graphics. Computers have impacted our lives in many ways. You may not notice it but they did make life a lot easier. Without computers, the world would be a harder place to live in. Thanks to computers, everyday life is easier for us. Some people may disagree but most wouldn't. Computers have made the impossible possible.
The era of technology has affected human life. Computers, one of the most popular technologies, integrate into almost all human activities. It has been integrated into most school curriculums as a teaching aid; it is helpful to increase education quality. The significances of computers raise the demand of computers need in education every year. Fore example, it has been reported in 2008, the average number of computers in primary, secondary, and special schools in England increases annually.