Evolution of Modern Computer: From a War Machine to The Most Influential Inventions in The World
Humans have been doing data processing for a long time ago. To get faster results, we have created tools in the form of mechanical devices (such as the abacus) and electronics. Computers that we encounter today are a long evolution of human inventions in the form of mechanical and electronic devices. Although computers seem like a relatively modern invention, computing has been around since the early 1800s. However, the history of modern computers can be traced back to the 1930s.
First Generation: The Beginning of Modern Computer
The first generation of computers is usually recognized by the use of vacuum tubes and magnetic cylinders to store data. In addition, computers in this generation can only perform specific instructions for a particular task.
In 1936 a German engineer named Konrad Zuse succeeded in making the first programmable computer called the Z1. This computer is made of metal plates, pins, and punched tape. This computer is capable of performing simple computations in the form of addition and subtraction. Unfortunately, this early computer model was destroyed when the second world war took place. Zuse then reconstructed the Z1 computer in 1980 and completed it in 1989. The results of this reconstruction were later enshrined in the German Museum of Technology in Berlin.
Furthermore, in the 1940s John Mauchly and John Presper Eckert designed the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) under the auspices of the US Army to calculate weapon fire tables. The ENIAC is a very large engine that consumes 160 kW of power. This machine consists of 18,000 vacuum tubes, 70,000 resistors, and 5 million solder points (Sudirman & Wahono, 2003). ENIAC is capable of performing thousands of operations every second.
Second Generation: Transistor Introduced
The invention of the transistor in 1948 greatly influenced the development of computers. The use of transistors as a substitute for vacuum tubes and the use of magnetic core storage technology have made computers in this generation smaller, faster, energy-efficient, and have larger memory than previous generations. In addition, computers in this generation have the ability to process in real-time, support removable disks in the form of magnetic disks/magnetic tape, and can be programmed using high-level languages such as COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language).
One example of a second-generation computer is a supercomputer called LARC which was created by Sprery — Rand. The LARC computer has the ability to process large amounts of data because this computer is used for atomic research (Sulthon, 2021). This computer is less popular because the price is too expensive and the size is still too big for business size. Only two companies have ever used this computer, Lawrence Radiation Labs in California and the US Navy Research and Development Center in Washington D.C.
In addition to LARC, there is a computer that is quite popular in this generation, namely the IBM 1401. Almost all large companies use this computer to process financial information including printing purchase invoices, calculating payroll, and executing product designs.
Third Generation: Silicon Chip is a GameChanger!
In the third generation, there is an increase in transistor technology into an integrated circuit/chip. This technological advancement was due to the invention of the silicon chip by Jack Kilby. Jack Kilby discovered that every part of the circuit, including the transistor, could be replaced by using silicon. This discovery led to the formation of integrated circuits made of silicon. This integrated circuit became the forerunner of the microprocessor used in today’s computers.
In 2004, CNN called the invention of the silicon chip the “Most Influential Invention” developed over the last 50 years. This is based on a poll of more than 119,000 CNN.com users. In addition, the discovery of silicon chips was also used as the inspiration for the name of an area in San Francisco, namely Silicon Valley. This region is the center of various global technology companies. In the 1970s, the region was named after the word silicon because the invention of the silicon chip underpins business success in this region.
Fourth Generation: Getting Smaller and Cheaper
After the integrated circuit was discovered, the main focus of computer development was to reduce the size of the circuit and electrical components. There are several new terms such as Large Scale Integration (LSI) which contains hundreds of components on a chip, Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) which contains thousands of components, and Ultra-Large Scale Integration (ULSI) which contains millions of components. In addition, there is the Intel 4004 Chip which was released in 1971. This chip is very small and manages to contain all the components of a computer (CPU, memory, and I/O control).
At this time, microprocessors can be produced and then programmed to meet all the desired needs. Computers are no longer expensive machines that are only owned by big companies but have begun to be used by the public. Computers are usually sold bundled with word processing and spreadsheet software. In addition, there are also video games such as the Atari 2600 that attract consumers’ attention to home computers.
In 1981, IBM introduced the use of the Personal Computer (PC). These computers are commonly found in homes, offices, and schools. The number of PCs in use jumped from 2 million units in 1981 to 5.5 million units in 1982. Ten years later, 65 million PCs were in use. The IBM PC competed with the Apple Macintosh in the computer market. The Apple Macintosh became famous for popularizing the graphics system on its computers while its competitors were still using text-based computers. The Macintosh also popularized the use of “mouse” hardware.
Fifth Generation: Today’s Computer
The period of the fifth generation of computers began in 1980-present. In this generation, computers can do parallel processing and recognize the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Parallel processing allows computers to complete large amounts of processing more quickly. Computers use several processors that can work simultaneously in parallel. For AI, this fifth-generation computer is still at a low level. AI can be used for various things such as facial recognition, personal assistant, etc. In addition, this fifth-generation computer already uses high-level programming languages such as python and java.
Fifth-generation computers also come in various forms. In the early 2000s, laptops became very popular when Apple successfully launched their first Macbook Air. Apple managed to make a revolutionary laptop that is very thin (about 0.76 inches thick). Apple got rid of the CD drive and only included a USB port and headphone jack. At the time, the device was priced at $1,799. In addition, today’s computers are also available in the form of tablets (only using touchscreens without a mouse and keyboard).
The Future of Computer: Quantum Computer?
Computers have grown exponentially and are about to reach their physical limits. Currently, the size of the electronic components in computers has approached the size of an atom. For example, the typical scale of a transistor is 14 nanometers. This size is 8 times smaller than the diameter of the HIV and 500 times smaller than the diameter of a red blood cell. Computers need electricity (the flow of electrons) to operate. When the transistor reaches a certain size, electrons will still be able to flow through the quantum tunneling process so that this destroys the way computers work. Therefore, we need a computer with a new mechanism, namely a quantum computer.
A quantum computer is a computer that utilizes the principles of quantum mechanics. This computation has different properties from classical computing. Classic computer processors use silicon-based chips. As for quantum computers, using quantum systems such as atoms, ions, photons, or electrons. The quantum computer material behaves according to the laws of quantum mechanics, using the concepts of superposition, probabilistic measurements, and quantum interrelationships. In general, quantum computers take advantage of superposition to outperform classical computers. Superposition makes quantum computers perform much faster and are capable of storing much larger amounts of data (data can be stored in parallel). However, at this time the idea of a quantum computer is still in the research stage and has not been realized. (Editorial Marketing/Arik)
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· https://www.domainesia.com/berita/komputer-generasi-kedua/
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· https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/siliconvalley.asp
· https://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/12/27/explorers.silicon/index.html
· https://www.tutorialspoint.com/computer_fundamentals/computer_fifth_generation.htm
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https://www.ibm.com/quantum-computing/what-is-quantum-computing/
