A Breif Introduction Of Computing History: Part 1

Computers in 2013 have now become the primary source of practically everything and anything we do in our everyday lives. Or at least they are capable of such feats. The management of huge amounts of money has become increasingly easier and user-friendly thanks to computers, along with data collecting, media distributing, social interactivity, education and of course: entertainment.

Although a more recent use for these marvels we call computers, entertainment has become an increasingly popular use of our modern day technology, making machines that are capable of such feats as exact 3D replicas of actual biological structures piece by piece, and all in the small clasp of wires and circuit boards. 

Now an individual like myself cannot fathom how this all comes into place but I do have a great respect for the scientists and engineers that are responsible for advancing our technology so unbelievably quickly and bringing to light the true potential of the modern day computer. And it all began before we even knew what a directional pad was.

Joseph Marie Jacquard is a French man in the early 1800's responsible for creating a machine named the Jacquard Loom. This loom was built to manufacture complex patterning through machine power alone onto fabrics and linens, which otherwise would be a tedious a nigh impossible task for a human mind to fathom. The machine ran on a series of cards which when exchanged and rearranged, the output of  pattern would alter to the user's desire. This is one of the early signs of creation using a computing-based input creating a user-desired output, akin to the modern programs we use on modern computers to create electronic music, art, and video gaming.

Although this is considered primitive by modern day standards, the invention of this input to output machine is considered a milestone in technological and computer engineering history, and acted as a very important starting point for the IBM company much later when it came to designing and structuring coding within the new age of technological wonder.  This machine is often considered and labelled the "World's first computer program".

It's thanks to engineers like Jacquard that we have the abilities we possess today in terms of creation using computers, however back in these times of old the idea of computerized creation was primarily considered a tool for work and business, which shows in future creations such as the ENIAC, an incredibly powerful 1940's calculator used in the United States military as a means of programming information of such things as weaponry, artillery and vehicles all of which would take much longer on the job had a lone individual been tasked to do so.

Although this somewhat of a different take on how we process information like Jacquard's creation, this system was designed to work automatically and do a job it was given, rather than one it is being "used" for like creating patterned linens on the Jacquard Loom. Rather this system was used to make the lives of the surrounding workers easier in saving time and money.  

Computers have been around for a very long time but only until recently did we become so dependant on them. And why is that? Because we made them to "be" dependant on. They do more for us now than ever in the past and they will just keep advancing from here. Whether this is a Succubus-like curse of having our needs fulfilled automatically by machines, or whether we're advancing our own species in our technological skills is still unclear yet. Time will tell in that regard. 

But on the subject of entertainment, thanks to great engineers of the past we now have the skills to create our own worlds. Our own physical beings. Our own fictional universe all through a few buttons connected to some circuit boards. And just like our advancement of the power of computers, we will continue to advance.