Computer science is a fascinating field, with all its ups and downs. It’s not an easy subject and it requires learning new things every time. But the more you learn about it, the more you begin to see how everything comes together.
The first computers were large and required a lot of electricity, but they were much more simple and were just logic gates. In the following paragraphs, we will go through the evolution of computers and see how things got more complicated and advanced over time.
In this blog post, we will look at how computers evolved from logic gates to CRUD apps – those built with some of the most common programming languages today.
The modern computer seems like magic, but it’s really just a collection of logical components. If you’re interested in learning more about the basics of computer science and how it affects your daily life, then read on!
Logic Gates and Boolean Algebra
Back in the day, computers used switches to simulate Boolean logic. Boolean algebra is a field of mathematics that enables us to do this. You can think of Boolean logic as an “if then” statement: “if this happens, then that.” We will take an example to understand this better. Let’s say we want to know if the door is open or closed.
We can use “if then” statements to find out the information. If the door is closed, then the state is closed. If the door is open, then the state is open. These are the logic gates that we can use in Boolean algebra: AND, OR, and NOT. The AND gate is used to combine two states to produce a new state.
If both the inputs are “ON” then the output is “ON”. If either of the inputs are “OFF”, then the output is “OFF”. The OR gate is used to combine two states to produce a new state.
If only one input is “ON”, then the output is “ON”. If both inputs are “OFF”, the output is “OFF”. The NOT gate is used to invert the state of a Boolean variable. If the variable is “ON”, then the variable becomes “OFF”. If the variable is “OFF”, then the variable becomes “ON”.
The First Electronic Computers
The very first electronic computers used vacuum tubes to perform Boolean operations. Around the turn of the 20th century, these computers were massive and required huge amounts of electricity to run. They were also very slow. Since then, computing power has become much more portable and much faster – but the basic idea has not changed.
The first computers could only perform very simple operations. They required programming in binary code, which meant that the computer could only understand numbers from 0 to 1. Programmers had to use a code that was understandable to the computer, and this led to the invention of programming languages.
Binary Code
Around the same time, engineers started to experiment with semiconductors, a new way of storing data that could be turned on and off with current. This was used to create the first “transistors”. Transistors replaced the vacuum tubes used in the first computers, and this led to a revolution in computing. The first computers used bulky and bulky components, which were very heavy to carry around and run on.
With the invention of transistors, engineers were able to use smaller electronic components that were lighter and more powerful. They also invented new ways to store data and run programs that led to the invention of smaller and more powerful computers. The first computers used bulky and bulky components, which were very heavy to carry around and run on.
With the invention of transistors, engineers were able to use smaller electronic components that were lighter and more powerful. They also invented new ways to store data and run programs that led to the invention of smaller and more powerful computers.
Calculators, Addition machines and Numeric Computers
In the 1960s and 70s, computers started to be used for “mainstream” activities. This was thanks to the development of calculators and other simple programs. More and more people began to use computers as calculators, accountants, and even as games. Later on, programmers started to create “high-level” programs for computers to understand.
These programs made it possible to write computer programs that can understand and perform advanced tasks like calculations, scheduling, sorting, and even data analysis. Programmers also started to create abstract computer languages, which enabled them to create new languages and give computers more advanced tasks. Some of these languages are used today, like COBOL and BASIC.
Getting to High-Level Programs
Programs got more and more complex over the decades. Thanks to the development of programming languages, computers were able to understand and perform complex tasks. Now, programmers have to write very complicated programs to run on computers. This is because computers no longer work with switches and transistors – they work with electronic signals and “microchips”.
This means that computers are very complex and need very complicated programmers to create and run programs. One of the keys to understanding computers better is to understand what happens at the “lowest level”. This is where all computers start.
When people create new computers, they always start with logic gates and then move up to more complex things.