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Period: to 200
History
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John Napier
Scottish Mathematician, John Napier invented a set of rods, which have become known as the "Napier Bones" that could be used to perform complex calculations. -
Joseph Marie Jacquard
He developed a weaving loom that used punch cards to replicate designs. -
Charles Babbage
Input execution output system was thought of by Babbage, aka the "difference engine" His son completed the central component of his fathers Analytical engine. -
Herman Hollerith
Punch card calculator to count the U.S Census, was invented by him, he also went on to form the Tabulating Machine Company soon to be the IBM -
Lee D Forest
Invented the electronic tube. -
Howard H Aiken
Computer developed at Harvard University, was the first programmed controlled calculator. Also in 1943 a computer called Colossus was completed in Great Britian. -
Transistor
The development of the transistor, this was developed at Bell Laboratories by engineers William B. Shockley, Walter H. Brattein, and John Bardeen. -
Grace Hooper
Served in the Navy for many years, developed a high level language compiler, She found the first computer bug, which was a moth preventing the computer from working properly -
Apple
Steve Wozniak and friend Steve Jobs completed work on a circuit board for the new microcomputer, and called their new computer Apple 1, many had sold and in 1977 Apple 2 came out -
Cray 1
The first supercomputer available for purchase, could do an amazing 150 million calculations per second. -
Commodore Computers
Commodore Business Machines introduced its first personal computer the PET, similar to apples. Their success came from good engineering and low prices -
Microsoft
Bill Gates and Paul Allen, worked on a company called Traf-O- Data which built systems to count traffic flow on busy streets. They wrote a BASIC interpreter for Altair. They were asked to write an operating system for the new PC. They modified QDOS to be the IBM PC. Soon they also released the new WORD program and EXCEL, they were Genius and wealthy!
