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EVOLUTION OF

COMPUTERS

EARLY COUNTING TOOLS

Since ancient times, people have invented tools for calculations. Early man tied knots in

a rope and carved marks on clay to keep the records. They also used to count with the
help of fingers, toes, pebbles, stones, sticks, bones, etc.

ABACUS—FIRST CALCULATING DEVICE

The first step towards computing was the invention of Abacus

around 3000 years ago, in China. It is a wooden frame with beads
on parallel wires which can do simple calculations like addition and

subtraction.
Abacus
PASCALINE ADDING MACHINE

In 1642, a mathematician, Blaise Pascal

invented the calculating machine called the

Pascaline adding machine. This device
is believed to be the first mechanical
calculator of the world. This machine was

capable of performing only addition and Pascaline Blaise Pascal

subtraction.

CHARLES BABBAGE’S ANALYTICAL ENGINE

In 1822, Charles Babbage, a mathematician, developed a
steam-driven calculating machine, which was the size of a room,
which he called the Difference Engine. But even after working on

this project for 10 years, this machine never became a reality.

Charles Babbage

Evolution of Computers
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