The Most Important People in Making Computers Mainstream
The computer era began about five thousand years ago, when the inventor of the abacus laid the groundwork for those who would follow. Any journey begins with but a single step; this article will tell you about some of the most important people in the long history of the computer and how they helped to bring the machines into the mainstream.
Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine
Babbage is widely regarded as the father of the computer, due to his invention of the analytical engine in 1822. However, the engine was never actually built by him; rather, it was a theory written down on paper. He never finished his work on the theory; it was completed by other scientists in the 1930s. The concept of the analytical engine has many similarities to modern computing, such as input/output devices and subroutines. The analytical engine laid the foundation for much of modern computing.
The Turing Machine (Alan Turing)
Although he never designed a computer, Alan Turing has been one of the most important people in computer science. He was a computer scientist and mathematician and he provided a way to quantify the intelligence of a machine. Turing was a pioneer in the field of AI (artificial intelligence), and his work led to the creation of the Captcha code and other anti-bot measures.
The Z Series with Konrad Zuse
Konrad Zuse, a German engineer, invented the first binary programmable computer (the Z1) in 1936. He followed that with the Z2 and Z3 in 1939 and 1941, but his efforts were all destroyed during WWII. Zuse is one of the most influential people in the computer invention world, and his contributions laid the groundwork for modern machines.
Atanasoff and Berry
The Atanasoff-Berry Computer (or ABC) was invented in 1942, during WWII. It was the first electronic digital computer, and its inventors Atanasoff and Berry were an electronics engineer and a college student.
Eckert and Mauchly
This machine was bankrolled by the US Army and it was developed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert in 1946. ENIAC stood for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, and it is widely regarded as the first mainstream digital computer. The inventors of the ENIAC and the ABC fought a protracted legal battle over that distinction, until Atanasoff and Berry prevailed in 1973.
The Z Series with Konrad Zuse
Konrad Zuse, a German engineer, invented the first binary programmable computer (the Z1) in 1936. He followed that with the Z2 and Z3 in 1939 and 1941, but his efforts were all destroyed during WWII. Zuse is one of the most influential people in the computer invention world, and his contributions laid the groundwork for modern machines.
Atanasoff and Berry
The Atanasoff-Berry Computer (or ABC) was invented in 1942, during WWII. It was the first electronic digital computer, and its inventors Atanasoff and Berry were an electronics engineer and a college student.
Eckert and Mauchly
This machine was bankrolled by the US Army and it was developed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert in 1946. ENIAC stood for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, and it is widely regarded as the first mainstream digital computer. The inventors of the ENIAC and the ABC fought a protracted legal battle over that distinction, until Atanasoff and Berry prevailed in 1973.
Atanasoff and Berry
The Atanasoff-Berry Computer (or ABC) was invented in 1942, during WWII. It was the first electronic digital computer, and its inventors Atanasoff and Berry were an electronics engineer and a college student.
Eckert and Mauchly
This machine was bankrolled by the US Army and it was developed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert in 1946. ENIAC stood for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, and it is widely regarded as the first mainstream digital computer. The inventors of the ENIAC and the ABC fought a protracted legal battle over that distinction, until Atanasoff and Berry prevailed in 1973.
Eckert and Mauchly
This machine was bankrolled by the US Army and it was developed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert in 1946. ENIAC stood for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, and it is widely regarded as the first mainstream digital computer. The inventors of the ENIAC and the ABC fought a protracted legal battle over that distinction, until Atanasoff and Berry prevailed in 1973.
These are just some of the important people who helped make computers mainstream. As years went by, there were even more amazing developments in computer science. The transistor was invented in 1956, and Intel invented the microprocessor. Flash forward a few years, and Bill Gates and Steve Jobs changed the landscape even further.