The History of Computers

1. The History of Computers Hardware, Software, Programs, Computers Safety Tips, and Computer Ethics.

2. Hardware • Hardware is a general term for the physical artifacts of a technology. • The Motherboard is the main component located inside of the computer. It connects all of the different pieces of the computer to one another. • The Sound Card lets the computer produce sound in any way needed. It is also located inside of the computer. • The Power Supply of a computer is the computers source of power. This piece of hardware converts electricity to low-voltage power for the computer components.

3. Software • Software is the collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions telling a computer what to do. • Most software has software documentation so that the end user can understand the program, what it does, and how to use it. • Software libraries include collections of functions and functionality that may be embedded in other applications. • The software's license gives the user the right to use the software in the licensed environment.

4. Programs • A program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task for a computer. • Historical computer programs were manually input to the central processor via switches. This is an example of Manual Programming. • Some computer programs are embedded into hardware. This is an example of Embedded Programming. • Computer programs can be categorized by the programming language paradigm used to produce them. Two of the main paradigms are imperative and declarative.

5. Computer Safety Tips • Website information - Limit the personal and financial data you send to websites. Do not give out information unless you'll get something worthwhile in return. • Antivirus Software - Use it! Download and install the updates every week or two. Find some great deals on anti-virus software by shopping the computer department of Free World Mall. • Passwords - Use long, random passwords and write them down. Don't store your passwords on your computer, use a notebook or place them in your wallet or file system. • E-mail - Delete spam without opening or reading it. Some nasty viruses will attack your computer when you simply open a message or attachment. • Surfing The Web - Browse the web with cookies disabled. Only allow cookies from web site you will revisit. Consider using a web browser other than Microsoft Internet Explorer. Explorer is a prime target of hackers. • Shut Down - Be sure to turn off your computer when you are not using it.

6. The Ten Commandments for Computer Ethics • Computer Ethicsis a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct. • 1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people. • 2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work. • 3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's files. • 4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal. • 5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness. • 6. Thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not paid. • 7. Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization. • 8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output. • 9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you write. • 10. Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect.

7. Computer History • The first computers were people! • The abacus was an early aid for mathematical computations. • In 1617, an eccentric Scotsman named John Napier invented logarithms,which are a technology that allows multiplication to be performed via addition. • Napier's invention led directly to the slide rule, first built in England in 1632 and still in use in the 1960's by the NASA engineers of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs which landed men on the moon. • Leonardo da Vinci made drawings of gear-driven calculating machines from 1452-1519, but apparently never built any. • The first gear-driven calculating machine to actually be built was probably the calculating clock, so named by its inventor, the German professor Wilhelm Schickard in 1623. • By 1822 the English mathematician Charles Babbage was proposing a steam driven calculating machine the size of a room, which he called the Difference Engine. This machine would be able to compute tables of numbers, such as logarithm tables. • Another candidate for granddaddy of the modern computer was Colossus.