Page 15 - Viva ICSE Computer Studies 5 : E-book

Jacquard Loom

In 1801, J. M. Jacquard invented a powered loom that used punched wooden cards to

automatically weave incredibly detailed patterns including pictures and text. This can
be taken as the fi rst ‘read only memory’ device.

Babbage’s Engines

Charles Babbage, a mathematics professor, designed an automatic calculating machine

in 1822. He called it Diff erence Engine. In 1823, he thought of a mechanical construction
which was known as mechanical-digital computer.

Babbage called this Analytical Engine. This provided a base for the development of
modern computer. Charles Babbage is rightly called the Father of Computers.

Learn More

Think and Discuss
Boolean Logic
George Boole designed the Boolean Logic,
which became the fundamental principle Which device is the fi rst ‘read
for designing computer circuits. only device’?

Electronic Counting Device

In 1889, an American named Herman Hollerith invented a counting machine to count

the population of USA. It was one of the main electronic counting devices. It was based
on punch-cards. Herman Hollerith was the founder of the company that became famous
as IBM.

Learn More

International Business Machines (IBM) is the world’s largest computer company.

Modern Calculating Devices or Computers

Major developments took place in the calculating devices in the 20th and early 21st
centuries. Following are some important devices of these periods.

The First Digital Electronic Computer—ABC

The fi rst computer prototype was built by John V. Atanasoff and Cliff ord E. Berry. It had

vacuum tubes instead of mechanical switches. It was called Atanasoff –Berry Computer
(ABC). It used the binary number system like a modern computer.

3