Introduction to the History of Computing

By: Gerard O'Regan

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Synopsis: Tracing the story of computing from Babyloniancounting boards to smartphones, this inspiring textbook provides a conciseoverview of the key events in the history of computing, together withdiscussion exercises to stimulate deeper investigation into this fascinatingarea. Features: provides chapter introductions, summaries, key topics, and reviewquestions; includes an introduction to analogue and digital computers, and to thefoundations of computing; examines the contributions of ancient civilisationsto the field of computing; covers the first digital computers, and the earliestcommercial computers, mainframes and minicomputers; describes the earlydevelopment of the integrated circuit and the microprocessor; reviews theemergence of home computers; discusses the creation of the Internet, theinvention of the smartphone, and the rise of social media; presents a shorthistory of telecommunications, programming languages, operating systems,software engineering, artificial intelligence, and databases.