So study it I shall.
Part one: The miracle of computers
Here I shall give my rendition of the 130 year development of space invaders and also computers in general.
Lets us begin in 1805...1805: the jacquard loom is build and the first program is running, although a simple weaving system, the idea of a system has been invented. The system is in place and the programs are sure to follow.
1849: Charles Babbage and the difference engine.
The desire to have perfect sums, untainted by human error becomes the driving force for the difference engine. The engine itself merely works out complex sums but mechanically. The idea and the plans are entirely feasible and the engine does in fact work perfectly creating a hard and ink copy of an answer. But the passion and creation fall upon two minds… one I feel ignored from the history books sometimes, one Ada Lovelace. Lovelace was Britain’s first true programmer, a young Victorian lady and the only legitimate child of Lord Bryon. However most importantly the second brain behind the engine, Lovelace would spend a lot of time with Babbage working with and coding complex sums into the engine many of her mathematical inputs would have made the machine work. Truly a noteworthy woman.
1939: The Audio oscillator is born into the world with Hewlett Packard as the metaphorical womb. However I believe this massive gap in development is Due to lack of financial need and lack of conflict. Without war and money there’s no room for progress in an industrial world, life becomes about working and physical growth rather than technology and advancements
1939: The world is at war and computers are seen as a potential weapon, technology is reinvested in.
1941: Zuse is created in Germany and z3 becomes the world’s first programmable computer.
1943: With the help of Polish Intel to Bletchy Park, a few British women finally crack enigma code after months of hard methodical labour using a total of 10 of the UK’s Colossus mark II machines.
1946: Finance takes over as the driving force for computers and programmable machines, up until at least 1965. Finance and business application are almost the sole investors in the technology of computers. In a way we know this, we know who started to make tech for profit so who else was on the playing field?
well thats for the next post...
1849: Charles Babbage and the difference engine.
The desire to have perfect sums, untainted by human error becomes the driving force for the difference engine. The engine itself merely works out complex sums but mechanically. The idea and the plans are entirely feasible and the engine does in fact work perfectly creating a hard and ink copy of an answer. But the passion and creation fall upon two minds… one I feel ignored from the history books sometimes, one Ada Lovelace. Lovelace was Britain’s first true programmer, a young Victorian lady and the only legitimate child of Lord Bryon. However most importantly the second brain behind the engine, Lovelace would spend a lot of time with Babbage working with and coding complex sums into the engine many of her mathematical inputs would have made the machine work. Truly a noteworthy woman.
Demo of a working Difference engine:
1939: The Audio oscillator is born into the world with Hewlett Packard as the metaphorical womb. However I believe this massive gap in development is Due to lack of financial need and lack of conflict. Without war and money there’s no room for progress in an industrial world, life becomes about working and physical growth rather than technology and advancements
1939: The world is at war and computers are seen as a potential weapon, technology is reinvested in.
1941: Zuse is created in Germany and z3 becomes the world’s first programmable computer.
1943: With the help of Polish Intel to Bletchy Park, a few British women finally crack enigma code after months of hard methodical labour using a total of 10 of the UK’s Colossus mark II machines.
1946: Finance takes over as the driving force for computers and programmable machines, up until at least 1965. Finance and business application are almost the sole investors in the technology of computers. In a way we know this, we know who started to make tech for profit so who else was on the playing field?
well thats for the next post...
No comments:
Post a Comment