AE Lab 1.3    6-6-99   Daniel R. Works



1. http://www.cbi.umn.edu/charles.htm


Charles Babbage, the inventor of the difference engine and the analytical 
engine worked in many different fields.  Among his published works are:
Reflections on the Decline of Science in England (1830), On the Economy
of Machinery and Manufactures (1832), Ninth Bridgewater Treatise (1837),
and the autobiographical Passages from the Life of a Philosopher (1864). 


2. http://www.cbi.umn.edu/burros/burhist.htm


The Burroughs Corporation began in 1886 as the American Arithmometer
Company.  It was formed with the intent of selling the adding machine
invented by William Seward Burroughs.  Eventually they became the 
number 2 or 3 producer of main frame computers, behind the IBM
Corporation.



3. http://www.maxmon.com/history.htm


Pascal is usually credited with inventing the adding machine, but it 
may actually have been invented ten to fifteen years earlier by 
Wilhelm Schickard, A German astronomer.  No machine has been found,
but one was built from his plans.  Schickards device was able to add,
subtract, divide and multiply.



4. http://www.maxmon.com/history.htm


In 1658, Pascal was responsible for creating a scandal when he created
a contest for mathematicians and then awarded the prize to himself.



5. http://www.maxmon.com/history.htm


Leonardo da Vinci, probably better known as a painter, artist and
sculptor also contributed to the design of the mechanical calculator. 
It appears that Da Vinci had conceived the calculator nearly one
hundred and fifty years before Pascal's machine. 


6. http://www.maxmon.com/history.htm


In 1837, Charles Wheatsone, best known for the Wheatstone bridge concept
named after him, also contributed to the invention of the electric
Telegraph.  In addition to this, he also invented the accordian and the
Stereoscope photograph.


7. http://www.maxmon.com/history.htm


In the first example of remote computing George Robert Stibitz of Bell 
labs conducted a meeting in New Hampshire and used a teleprinter to
connect to his remote computer, which was located in New York City. 
This occurred in 1940.
 

8. http://www.maxmon.com/history.htm


In the early seventies Ted Hoff of the Intel Corp lead a team that built 
the first microprocessor.  It was called the 4004, the 4's were used to
indicate that the device had a 4 bit data path.  It was developed for a 
calculator manufacturer who actually had asked for 12 different devices.
Mr. Hoff developed a programable device instead of the dedicated units
that had been used in this application previously.


9.

In 1972, Intel introduced the 8008 which was an 8 bit version of the 4004. 
This was also the first microprocessor to be supported by the compiler
called PL/M.


10.

Over the years computer bugs have caused many problems.  One famous example
of this is the Mariner 1 space probe which was launched on July 28th, 1962.
Four minutes into the flight the rocket reversed course and plunged into 
the ocean.  The subsequent investigation showed that a missing line of code
caused the malfunction.  This rocket program cost approximately 10 million 
dollars.


Note:  Items 9 and 10 are from:
History of Computers, and abstracted from the book Bebop BYTES Back
(An Unconventional Guide to Computers)