Steps in the development of computers Portable Computers

The first digital computer was built in 1946 at the University of Pennsylvania. It weighed 30 tons and filled a large room. It was called ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator). In its early days it required 18,500 vacuum tubes to store information. Obviously, a 30-ton computer had its limitations. Scientists and engineers worked to make it better. The use of transistors as small amplifiers in place of the large vacuum tubes reduced the size and cost of computers. Smaller was better.

In the early 1960's, the first minicomputers were made commercially. They were the size of a two-drawer file cabinet. The revolution was on. Less than a decade later, the microcomputer was invented. The basic unit of the microcomputer is a tiny silicon chip less than 1 cm on a side. Each chip is a miniature electronic circuit that serves the different computer functions. Amazingly, each circuit contains thousands of elements.

The great advances in microelectronics have helped achieve the moon landing, satellites, digital watches, computer games, and even computer-controlled automobile engines. Still the computer continues to evolve. One of the latest developments is bubble memory. In bubble memory, the information is stored in tiny magnetic spots or islands that look like bubbles floating on the chip. One great advantage of bubble memory is that it does not lose stored information when the power is turned off.

Portable computers, ranging from briefcase size down to hand-helds, are the latest innovation. In the smallest of the portables, the cathode ray tube has been replaced by a flat electro-luminescent display and the disk drives by bubble memory chips. In these computers, information is stored on the road, in the classroom, at conferences, at the library, or elsewhere, and then transferred to print or conventional disk drive memory later.

Hand-held computers are very light in weight and sit in the palm of one's hand. These miniature computers will prove useful for some situations, but there are drawbacks. The displays are rarely more than a single short line in length, and the keyboard is so small the user has to peck rather than type.

The computer revolution moves on. In the future, look for tiny chips controlling the functions of stereos, typewriters, telephones, and other appliances, as well as additional advances in the computing industry itself.

Exercises

• Read the text and find the following words and word-combinations.

Цифровой компьютер; компьютерная …; вычислительная индустрия; вакуумные трубки; хранить информацию; электролюминесцентный экран; размером с чемоданчик; машины, контролируемые компьютером; выглядеть как пузыри; электронная цепь; различные функции; маленькие усилители уменьшенные в размере; иметь ограничения.

• Fill in the gaps with one of the following words:

digital, silicon chip, innovation, to move on, hand-held.

• The computer revolution … .

• The first … computer was built in 1946 at the University of Pennsylvania.

• The basic unit of the microcomputer is a tiny … .

• … computers are very light in weight and sit in the palm of one’s hand.

• Portable computers, ranging from the brief-case size down to hand-held are the latest.

• Read aloud and translate the paragraphs where the following things are described.

• Hand-held computers.

• The first digital computer.

• Babble memory.

• Read the 2^nd and the 4^th paragraphs and point out the words that tell you about a) the minicomputer, b) the portable computer.

• Answer the questions.

• What computer was called ENIAC?

• What was its weight and size?

• Why did scientists and engineers want to make it better?

• What was it that reduced the size and cost of computers?

• When were the first minicomputers made commercially?

• What is the basic unit of the microcomputer?

• What was it that helped achieve the moon loading?

• What is bubble memory?

• What computers may be called the latest innovation?

• What are the drawbacks of hand-held computers?

• Write a short story about the history of development from the middle of the 20^th century to the present day.