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Abacus—First Calculating Device
The first step towards computing was the invention of the 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. This device is used to calculate numbers at a fast speed.
Abacus
Info Byte
Abacus is also used in schools as an aid in teaching the number system.
Pascaline Adding Machine
In 1642, a mathematician, Blaise Pascal
invented the calculating machine called
the Pascaline adding machine. The
numbers were fed into the machine by
dialling them on the wheels. This device
is believed to be the first mechanical
calculator in the world. This machine was
capable of performing only addition and Pascaline Blaise Pascal
subtraction.
Leibniz Step Reckoner
In 1672, a mathematician, Gottfried Wilhelm
Leibniz invented the digital mechanical
calculator called ‘Step Reckoner’. It was the
first calculator that could perform all four
arithmetic operations, i.e., addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division. Leibniz Step Reckoner
Difference Engine and Analytical Engine
In 1822, Charles Babbage, a mathematician, developed a
steam-driven calculating machine called the Difference
Engine. It was so enormous that it was the size of a room. But
even after working on this project for 10 years, this machine
never became a reality.
Charles Babbage
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