HardwareVacuum Tube Work on the transistor began, fuelled by the Cold war and the space program The end of the era saw the development of the integrated circuit. 1955 IBM 705 series introduced |
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Software evolved through 1st, 2nd and 3rd Generations;
Instructions as the computer works with them, as binary (0's and 1's)
Abbreviations are used to write the language, which must then be translated into machine language - the translator is called an "Assembler"
Instructions directed to solve the problem rather than the machine. 1954, a group of IBM scientists led by John Backus began work on a High-level language called FORTRAN ( Formula Translation ).
A compiler is used to translate the code into machine language
By end of 1950's over 200 other high level languages had been developed.
Entered using punched cards and paper tape.
Magnetic tape became main form of secondary storage
Computer users were End-users where they developed their own systems. Increasing complexity slowly gave way to the computer scientists in the second generation.
Companies
1952 UNIVAC 1 used to predict Presidential elections by Colombia Broadcasting Corporation (CBS)
1956 AT&T barred by US Department of Justice from competing in the computer industry, since it had a monopoly in the telecommunications field.
| 1951 | The UNIVAC 1 is delivered to the U.S. Census Bureau |
| 1952 | Thomas Watson, Jr., becomes president of IBM |
| 1953 | J. Lyons & Sons, a chain of British corner tea shops, builds its own electronic computer |
| 1954 | General Electric Company becomes the first private firm in
the US to take delivery of a computer, a UNIVAC 1 John Backus of IBM begins designing FORTRAN, the first high level language. |
| 1955 | IBM begins delivery of its 705 business computer. The SAGE air defence system is installed |
| 1956 | Grace Hopper develops a business-oriented programming
language, FLOW-MATIC John McCarthy at MIT begins to design LISP, the first programming language aimed at artificial intelligence applications AT&T is barred from competing in the computer industry |
| 1958 | Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments builds the first integrated circuit. |
[Rev 14/10/97] 31/7/97 © 1996-97 V/2-Com (Verhaart), P O Box 8415, Havelock North, New Zealand.
