Computers have evolved from mechanical calculators to modern high-performance computers. From vacuum tubes, transistors, and integrated circuits to artificial intelligence, they’ve come a long way, and the pace of progress is accelerating as they’re used in a variety of fields. Let’s take a look at the functions, components, and types of computers, and explore the possibilities of expanding the field of artificial intelligence in the future.
The dictionary definition of a computer is a machine that uses electronic circuits to automatically calculate or process data. However, this definition encompasses a wide range of machines, not just the ones we typically think of in the modern world, and the lines between computers and other machines are increasingly blurred. In this article, we’ll look at the definition of a computer, focusing on the history and components of computers, and the different types of computers that are categorized according to their purpose.
The predecessor of the computer, the mechanical calculator, was created by Blaise Pascal in the 1600s. Pascal’s calculator could only do addition and subtraction, but Leibniz later designed a machine that could do multiplication. In 1822, Charles Babbage designed a differential machine that could calculate polynomial, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions. It wasn’t until 1936 that Alan Turing’s Turing machine appeared, applying the mathematical concepts of modern computers. German engineer Konrad Zuse then developed a mechanical computer based on perforated cards, and in 1946, the first electronic computer using vacuum tubes, the ENIAC, was created. In 1949, John von Neumann’s EDSAC appeared in the UK, and it was the first computer to use embedded programs and binary. This was followed by the EDVAC in the United States in 1952. In 1951, the first commercial computer, the UNIVAC-I, was produced, marking the commercialization of computers.
With the success of commercialization, the development of computers accelerated dramatically. Early computers, like the ENIAC, were large and heavy, using vacuum tubes, and slow to compute, making them difficult for the masses to use. However, the transistor, invented at Bell Labs in 1947, led to the electronic revolution, and computers evolved into the second generation of computers using transistors.
The integrated circuit (IC), invented in 1959, was used in the third generation of computers, and this is when the operating system (OS) appeared. In the 1970s, LSIs (high-density integrated circuits) were invented, which led to the development of microprocessors. Computers using microprocessors as central processing units are classified as fourth-generation computers, and this is when IBM started using the term personal computer (PC). Computers continued to improve dramatically, with the data capacity of microchips doubling every 18 months according to Gordon Moore’s “Moore’s Law”.
Fifth-generation computers further improved performance by using ultra-high-density integrated circuits. And according to the “memory new growth theory,” the doubling of semiconductor density has been reduced to one year, surpassing Moore’s Law. As a result, semiconductors and computers are getting better every year.
Since the fifth generation, computers have been advancing into the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Currently, the development of AI computers is in its early stages, but considering that it took 70 years for the ENIAC to be built, it is expected that AI computers will develop rapidly.
As computers have evolved, their performance and capabilities have changed in many ways. While early computers had minimal input and output and computational capabilities for calculations, modern computers have a much wider range of functions and characteristics, and will continue to change in the future.
There are five basic functions of a computer. The components associated with each function are described below.
The first function is input. In order to use a computer, the user’s commands must be relayed to the computer, which requires an input device. Keyboards, mice, scanners, etc. are typical input devices, and digitizers that convert analog information into digital information, microphones that convert sound into digital information, optical mark readers (OMRs), optical character readers, and barcode readers are also used as input devices. Recently, biometric readers and touchscreens that recognize fingerprints, irises, veins, etc. are also widely used as input devices.
The second function is memory. In the past, magnetic cores were used as the main storage device, but with the development of semiconductors, RAM (volatile memory) and ROM (non-volatile memory) are now used as main storage devices. In addition, hard disks are widely used as secondary memory devices.
The third is the computation and control function. The CPU (central processing unit) is responsible for performing operations using the program or data input to the cyclic storage devices and controlling each device.
Finally, there is an output function that displays the processed results through an output device. Early monitors were large and heavy, using cathode ray tubes (CRTs), but the development of LCDs, PDPs, and LEDs has led to thin and light monitors. In addition, touch screens can perform both input and output functions simultaneously, blurring the boundaries between them.
As you can see, computers have certain functions, but their characteristics change slightly depending on the purpose of use. The most widely recognized computer is the personal computer (PC), which is used in homes, businesses, and schools. These include desktop computers, laptops, and tablet computers. Workstations are also high-performance personal computers used in specialized fields such as engineering, architecture, and design.
Supercomputers are used for scientific computation, weather forecasting, military purposes, and more, and are characterized by ultra-fast computation and massive data processing capabilities. A supercomputer is not defined by any specific criteria, but rather by the fastest processing speed of any computer currently in use.
Mainframes, which are also large computers, are used to process large amounts of data, such as census, statistics, and finance, and are often used by government research organizations and large corporations.
In the modern world, computers are used in almost every field of endeavor, and they’re getting better every day. One day, we may even have computers that are more intelligent than humans.
