Blake Baca
Wiki Entry #1: Charles Babbage's Difference Engine
The Difference Engine is not likely to come to mind when thinking about the origin of computers. Charles Babbage, professor of mathematics at Cambridge University and developer of the Difference Engine, realized that all mathematical equations did not have to be done by hand, and that there had to be a faster way to arrive at a solution (Modern History). Babbage never constructed a working prototype of the Difference Engine, yet his ideas contributed to the development of the field of computing machines. The Difference Engine has an intriguing history, and even though it never actually materialized, the progressive ideas of its developer, Charles Babbage, made an important impact on the history of computing.
The early 19th century ushered in a time of unprecedented advancements in a wide range of fields. In the shadow of advancements in engineering, communication, transportation, and many other fields, lie mathematics. During this time, “Engineers, architects, mathematicians, astronomers, bankers, actuaries, journeymen, insurance brokers, statisticians, navigators - anyone with a need for calculation - relied on printed numerical tables for anything more than trivial calculations” (Babbage Engine). This being noted, printed numerical tables often had flaws because they were calculated by hand, and humans are inherently fallible. Babbage became frustrated by encountering these mistakes on printed numerical tables, and in 1821 exclaimed to his friend, “I wish to God these calculations had been executed by steam” (Babbage Engine). It was at this point in Babbage’s life that he set out to create a calculation machine that would eliminate human error. This was Babbage’s intention, but it would never be fully realized with a working prototype.
Charles Babbage’s first machine, the Difference Engine No. 1, “was designed to automatically calculate and tabulate mathematical functions called polynomials which have powerful general applications in mathematics and engineering” (Babbage Engine). Babbage worked on constructing this project with engineer Joseph Clement. Plans for this first machine detailed an enormous structure weighing nearly fifteen tons. In 1833, construction was stopped because Babbage argued with Clement about moving the workshop closer to his house (Babbage Engine). This first attempt to construct a calculation machine almost bankrupted Babbage, if it were not for the scrap value of the unused parts.
In 1834, Babbage devised plans for an even more advanced machine called the Analytical Engine, a programmable computing machine. This project was way ahead of Babbage’s time. His ideas surpassed the level of engineering and mechanics available to him at the time, therefore, an actual working prototype was never built.
It was not until 1837 that Babbage used the mechanisms involved in the Analytical Engine to start working on the Difference Engine No. 2. This new design would require three times less parts than the Difference Engine No. 1, weigh five tons and measure eleven feet long by seven feet high (Babbage Engine). Babbage never attempted to build this machine because it was again impossible with the mechanics available to him at the time.
The number one reason why Babbage failed to construct a working prototype of his calculation machine can be attributed to his ideas not aligning with the level of engineering and mechanics available at the time. Babbage had all the necessary ideas and plans to accomplish his objective, he just did not have the tools to bring his ideas to fruition. According to the Computer History Museum, “Babbage was a prickly character, highly principled, easily offended and given to virulent public criticism of those he took to be his enemies. Runaway costs, high precision, a disastrous dispute with his engineer, fitful financing, political instability, accusations of personal vendettas, delays, failing credibility and the cultural divide between pure and applied science, were all factors” (Babbage Engine). All of these factors, combined with Babbage’s ideas being so far ahead of his time, are the reasons why he is not widely recognized in the development of computing machines.
Overall, Charles Babbage may not be credited with it, but his ideas for a computing machine that would eliminate human error laid the foundation for the development of computing machines. For his time, the idea of the Difference Engine may not have been that practical, but in years to come its benefit would have been realized. Over 150 years later, “in 1990, Babbage's Difference Engine No. 2 was finally built from Babbage's designs and is also on display at the London Science Museum” (Modern History). Babbage inspired people to think about computing mathematical equations in a way that eliminated the human error found in basic hand calculated tables. This inspiration moved engineers closer toward actually creating computing machines.
References
The Babbage Engine | Computer History Museum. (n.d.). Computer History Museum. Retrieved May 27, 2010, from http://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/
The Modern History of Computing (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved May 30, 2010, from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/computing-history/
Wiki Entry #2: Bill Gates
William H. Gates III is undoubtedly one of the most famous men in the history of computers. He is more commonly known as Bill Gates, chairman of the Microsoft Corporation. As Bill Gates’ name has become synonymous with the computer industry, one might wonder how he arrived at this auspicious position. Gates’ fascination with computers can be traced all the way back to his adolescence.
Bill Gates was born on October 28th, 1955 in Seattle, Washington (Microsoft Corporation). Gates became interested in programming at a young age. He was lucky enough to attend Seattle’s Lakeside School, which is a highly exclusive private school (Encyclopedia of World Biography). It was at this school that Gates would meet his lifelong friend and future business partner, Paul Allen. Some of Gates early experiences with computers included, “debugging (eliminating errors from) programs for the Computer Center Corporation's PDP-10, helping to computerize electric power grids for the Bonneville Power Administration, and founding with Allen a firm called Traf-O-Data while still in high school” (Encyclopedia of World Biography).
After Gates graduated from Seattle’s Lakeside School, he went on to further his education at Harvard University. This is where Gates “teamed up with Paul [Allen] to write a new version of Basic programming language for the first personnel computer the Altair 8800” (Investing Value). Gates made the decision to leave Harvard, during his junior year, to pursue his dream of creating a world-class computer technology corporation. Ironically, thirty years later, in 2007, Harvard University presented Gates with an honorary law degree after his commencement address (Engadget).
In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen launched Microsoft. With the foresight of believing that “the computer would be a valuable tool on every office desktop and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers” (Microsoft Corporation). Microsoft would serve as the catalyst for the idea of every household owning a personal computer becoming reality.
During the beginning years of Microsoft, Gates and Allen actually wrote programs for the early Apple and Commodore machines (Encyclopedia of World Biography). The two men worked as a productive team and were very crafty with their business negotiations. This was evidenced when, “Bill Gates talked IBM into letting Microsoft retain the licensing rights to MS-DOS, an operating system that IBM needed for their new personal computer” (Inventors).
It was only a few years later that Microsoft burst on to the global scene. In November of 1983, “Microsoft Corporation formally announced Microsoft Windows, a next-generation operating system” (Inventors). It was actually two years later that the final product was released. The next five years involved Microsoft perfecting Windows 1.0 and releasing a new version called Windows 2.0. After this, Microsoft began releasing a new version of Windows every few years. In 1990, Microsoft released “a new version of Windows called Windows 3.0 with a much improved GUI and features which sold more than 10 million copies, quickly followed by Windows 3.1, 3.11 and workgroups which added networking support. Building on their success Microsoft developed Windows 95 followed by windows 98, 2000, Millennium Edition and … Windows XP” (Investing Value). Windows 7, the newest version, was released in the fall of 2009.
Bill Gates is more than just an incredibly successful businessman, he is also an incredibly generous philanthropist. This generosity was put into effect when Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, “endowed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with more than $28.8 billion (as of January 2005) to support philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning” (Inventors). In addition, some of his recent pledges include, “$1 billion over twenty years to fund college scholarships for about one thousand minority students; $750 million over five years to help launch the Global Fund for Children's Vaccines; $50 million to help the World Health Organization's efforts to eradicate polio, a crippling disease that usually attacks children; and $3 million to help prevent the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS; an incurable disease that destroys the body's immune system) among young people in South Africa” (Encyclopedia of World Biography).
When one considers the history of computers, Bill Gates is certainly one of the first names that comes to mind. Without his pioneering efforts, it is hard to say whether computer programming would be as advanced as it is today. It was Bill Gates’ fascination with programming that advanced computers from the Altair 8800, which had to be manually assembled, to the recent edition of Windows 7, which can be downloaded in minutes to any personal computer.
References
Bellis, M. (n.d.). Bill Gates - Biography and History of the Microsoft Chairman. Inventors. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from http://inventors.about.com/od/gstartinventors/a/Bill_Gates.htm
Bill Gates Biography. (n.d.). Investing Value - Business and Investment Portal. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from http://www.investingvalue.com/investment-leaders/bill-gates/index.htm
Bill Gates Biography - life, family, childhood, children, parents, name, story, history, wife, school, young, son, information, born, college, marriage, time, year, achievements, sister. (n.d.). Encyclopedia of World Biography. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Fi-Gi/Gates-Bill.html
Executive: Bill Gates. (n.d.). Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/bio.mspx
Miller, P. (n.d.). Bill Gates gets Harvard degree, not at all smug about it -- Engadget. Engadget. Retrieved June 11, 2010, from http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/08/bill-gates-gets-harvard-degree-not-at-all-smug-about-it/
