The Computer: an Invention That Changed the World

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The boom of the personal computer over the last couple decades has completely changed the world. Sporting the ability to share and receive information instantaneously, the computer has become a necessity for households and businesses alike. The impact this invention has had on our everyday lives is massive, allowing us to do things we never thought possible. Like with most good things, these changes in society are not without their negatives, but that should be expected with such a rapid advancement of a technology. With the main selling points of the computer being its ability to safely store huge amounts of data, perform advanced calculations, and allowing people to communicate without leaving their bedroom; it is no wonder that the computer has become as imbedded into society as it has. Since the history of computing dates back thousands of years, the inventor of the modern computer is widely disputed. However, most regard Charles Babbage as the “Father of the Computer, for building the first mechanical computer and designing the plans for a programmable one. (Hyman 162).” Born in London in 1791, Babbage grew up to be a passionate engineer and philosopher. While working for a company that required him to perform countless routine calculations, Babbage got the inspiration to create a machine that would do all the calculations for him. After several years of funding from the government, he had built the worlds first mechanical computer. Unfortunately this machine did not do much because technology at the time limited what Babbage could do, but it laid the foundations for programmable computers in the future. It was not until 1941, when the first programmable computer was built in Berlin, Germany by a man of the name Konrad Zuse. The Z3 he built was programed to speed up the production of missiles built during WWII, but was about the size of two classrooms.

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