History and Future of Computers

Today I will be examining the history and future of computers and relating this topic to the lessons I have learned throughout INT100. A survey of history will reveal several precursors to what we now call a computer, from the Pascalina mechanical calculator to the Jacquard weaving machine, which used punched cards as a form of mechanical memory containing pattern instructions for a loom. Perhaps most ubiquitous with early computing is the Difference Engine developed by Charles Babbage in the early 1800s. The Difference Engine was an assembly of mechanical movements which was designed to allow automatic production of mathematical tables through digital computation (Copeland, 2000). Computing machines were limited to mechanical movements to facilitate their functions until researchers in the 1940s developed a device using electronic vacuum tubes instead to decrypt secret messages (Copeland, 2000). However, these machines were limited to specialized functions and were not readily adaptable to more general-purpose tasks. The development of more sophisticated memory arrangements involving magnetism further propelled computing into the modern age.

Vacuum tubes require significantly high voltages to operate and occupy significant physical space, so it is natural that a smaller and more efficient mechanism would be preferred if it could perform the same functions. This mechanism came in the form of the transistor, which further revolutionized the development of computing machines and allowed significantly reduced form factor, which we can observe today, as computers have become increasingly small, and the density of transistors that can occupy a silicon substrate has increased exponentially. For much of history, computers were generally so large that they occupied entire rooms. The 1970s saw the introduction of personal computers such as the Altair 8800 and the Apple II, which sparked the industries we see today that have made computers accessible to an unprecedented number of people (Ceruzzi, 2010).

Computers certainly did not stop developing in the 1970s, and we have seen a continuation and acceleration of the development of smaller, more powerful, and cheaper machines since then. Partly due to the ever-increasing density of transistors that can occupy a silicon wafer, processors have continued to become faster and more capable of performing increasingly complex tasks every year. The development of other hardware components, such as solid-state drives, has recently increased the speed at which a computer can access data.

Although the future is unpredictable in computer technology, recent developments in computer networking and hardware hint at some possible trends we might see growing in the future. Cloud computing uses the advanced state of computer networks to transfer data storage from local hardware to massive offsite servers. Cloud computing provides convenient access and portability to users working across multiple devices, often at the cost of a subscription fee. We see an increasing philosophy of software as a service rather than as a product. In the past, most software products were purchased through a one-time transaction for an unlimited license to use the software. More recently, software companies have instead charged recurring subscription fees for a time-limited license to use their software. When the time limit expires, the user will need to renew their subscription or forfeit their license to use the software. This trend appears only to be increasing, and I would expect it to continue to expand into the future.

Recently, the term “quantum computing” has increasingly come up in speculation of the future of computing. Quantum computing stems from the well-known but difficult-to-understand field of quantum physics (Bova et al., 2021). Currently, computer algorithms are rooted in classical physics, whereby an object can occupy only one point in space and time. Thinking of binary logic: a switch can be either on or off, which is the fundamental property on which all computing is currently based. The advantage of quantum computing would be that the information does not need to exist in either an on or off state. It could exist in both or somewhere in between, which is an exciting prospect in the field of computing because it would mean that a computer would not have to cycle through many iterations of on’s and off’s to perform its functions as it currently does. Quantum computing promises much faster computing speeds because of this prospect. This means that any functions presently limited by the serial nature of digital logic could potentially be made possible or much easier with the advent of quantum computing.

I will more directly relate some aspects of the history of computers with the lessons I learned in INT100 below.

Fundamentals and History

The history and future of computers relate directly to the fundamentals of information technology. By observing the historical developments in hardware, software, and philosophy that have taken us to our current situation in information technology, we can identify the patterns that can inform our predictions for the future and inspire us to seek the future we would like to see actively. The history and future of computers show us how the concepts of information technology and computer science have developed over the years and how the development of major hardware components has directly influenced the usage and availability of computers. Since their introduction, computers have operated on digital logic, which has taken us from simple punch cards to the incredible computing power that we see today. Quantum computing is the first prospect that has challenged this fundamental means by which computers work and offers exciting possibilities for the future of computing.

Hardware, Programming Languages, and Software

Throughout the history of computing, we have seen the development of programming languages alongside advances in hardware components to take advantage of the possible applications for which we can use computers. Machine language in the most primitive early computer interfaces has developed into complex and adaptable high-level languages that abstract the granular instructions needed to direct a machine into coherent languages that humans can use to direct a computer’s functions easily. 

Databases, Networks, and Security

Application software has historically been developed to provide user-friendly interfaces with which people can control specific aspects of a computer’s functions. Individual computers and computer networks continue to develop to allow accessing and processing information in databases across multiple platforms. An application like Microsoft Excel might allow a user to process information in a database, while increasing access to the internet and computer networks has made this information more easily shared with others. 

As computer networks have expanded throughout history, they have become more vulnerable to security breaches. Indeed, computers have a long history with security, as some of the earliest computers were developed to breach enemy security by decrypting secret codes. Today, security threats come in the form of malware, DDoS attacks, and various other malicious activities designed to compromise computing systems. As security measures become more robust, so do the methods that malicious actors use in their attacks. Therefore, it has been necessary for network security to evolve throughout history, as it will continue to be so in the future.

 

References

Bova, F., Goldfarb, A., and Melko, R. (2021, July 16). Quantum computing is coming. What can it do? Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/07/quantum-computing-is-coming-what-can-it-do

Ceruzzi, P. (2010, July). "Ready or not, computers are coming to the people": Inventing the PC. OAH Magazine of History. 24(3):25-28. https://www-jstor-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/stable/25701418

Copeland, B. Jack. (2000, December 18). The modern mistory of computing. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2020/entries/computing-history/