Chapter 1

• What is the first known device for calculations?

  Abacus
• How was the abacus used for calculations?

  It used sliding beads for addition/subtraction
• Who invented the Pascaline and when?

  Blaise Pascal in 1642
• What operations could the Pascaline perform?

  Only add and subtract
• What could Leibniz's calculator do?

  Add, subtract, multiply, and divide
• What was the significance of the Jacquard loom?

  It used punched cards to control weaving patterns
• What did Charles Babbage design in the 1800s?

  The Difference Engine and Analytical Engine
• Why is Ada Lovelace considered significant in computing history?

  She is considered the first programmer
• Who invented the electric tabulating machine?

  Herman Hollerith
• What was the purpose of Hollerith's machine?

  Used punched cards for the U.S. Census
• What was the Mark I and when was it built?

  First computer-like machine, built in 1944
• What was unique about the ENIAC?

  It was the first electronic computer
• Who designed the modern computer architecture?

  John von Neumann
• What are the main components of the modern computer architecture?

  Arithmetic logic unit, control unit, memory, I/O
• What was UNIVAC sold to?

  The U.S. Census Bureau
• What did the transistor do for computers?

  Made them smaller, faster, and more reliable
• What are the early programming languages mentioned?

  FORTRAN and COBOL
• What are integrated circuits also known as?

  Chips
• What is a microprocessor?

  Entire CPU on one chip
• What year was Apple Computer designed?

  1977
• What popularized the personal computer?

  IBM PC in 1981
• By when did PCs become widely accessible?

  By the mid-1990s
• What are modern computers characterized by?

  Fast, reliable, and easy to use
• What features do modern computers have?

  Voice instructions, AI, expert systems
• What do mobile computing devices use for deliveries?

  GPS
• What basic elements do all computers share?

  Mainframe, midsize, micro elements
• What are the basic functions of a computer?

  Input, output, storage, arithmetic/logical operations
• What is the most expensive part of a computer?

  CPU (Central Processing Unit)
• What is the role of main memory (RAM)?

  Stores programs and data before use
• What happens to RAM contents when power is off?

  Contents are lost
• How is data stored in main memory?

  As 0s and 1s in ordered memory cells
• What is the purpose of secondary storage?

  Stores data long-term
• What do input devices do?

  Feed data and programs into computer
• What is software made up of?

  Programs that perform tasks
• What does the OS do?

  Manages memory and I/O, organizes storage
• What do application programs do?

  Perform specific tasks for the user
• How are characters stored in a computer?

  As a code made of 0s and 1s
• What is machine language?

  Instructions in bits (0s and 1s)
• What is a bit?

  One binary digit (0 or 1)
• What is a byte?

  A sequence of 8 bits