Pioneers Of The Computer Age From Charles Babbage To Steve Jobs

This book is intended to provide an introduction to, and an overview of, the computer industry - or the "Computer Age" - as well as the key people who created the computerised world we live in... without too many technical details. The idea is to offer a snapshot of the industry at this point in time and find out how it got where it is today, highlighting its most notable inventions and innovations and the pioneering people who are responsible for them.Extract: The original human computers used tools to help them calculate. The most well known calculating tool from antiquity is the abacus, which was usually made from wood and featured a frame containing sticks along which beads could be moved. It is believed that the abacus was invented some time between 2700-2300 BC, in Sumeria, and its forerunner was probably a system whereby stones or beads were moved along grooves in the sand or ground, or tablets of wood, stone or metal.

This book is intended to provide an introduction to, and an overview of, the computer industry - or the "Computer Age" - as well as the key people who created the computerised world we live in... without too many technical details. The idea is to offer a snapshot of the industry at this point in time and find out how it got where it is today, highlighting its most notable inventions and innovations and the pioneering people who are responsible for them. It is not really meant to be an exhaustive record of anything, although it does feature some lists.

This volume is an exciting exploration into the life of American computer pioneer Steve Jobs, cofounder of Apple, Inc., and one of the leaders of the personal computer revolution. This book covers Jobs’ early life as well as his work as CEO of Apple, including his amazing computer inventions. Compelling text is paired with color photographs to give readers a dynamic reading experience. Readers will also enjoy additional information in the form of sidebars and timelines. Steve Jobs exemplified STEM, a major curriculum focus, and students are sure to walk away with a deep understanding of career-based STEM.

A biography of inventor and mathematician Charles Babbage.

This book takes a look at the life of Apple Co-Founder and personal computer pioneer, Steve Jobs. The book is complete with photographs from Jobs' early life, simple text, and a timeline. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Abdo Kids Jumbo is an imprint of Abdo Kids, a division of ABDO.

*Includes pictures *Includes excerpts of contemporary accounts *Includes a bibliography for further reading "If unwarned by my example, any man shall undertake and shall succeed in really constructing an engine...upon difference principles or by simpler means, I have no fear of leaving my reputation in his charge, for he alone will be fully able to appreciate the nature of my efforts and the value of their results..." - Charles Babbage In the last 50 years, life has been simplified by the awe-inspiring advancements that have been achieved in the world of computer science and technology. In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak unveiled the Apple I, the first-ever computer that operated on a single-circuit board, just five years after a team of IBM engineers introduced the "floppy disk," which revolutionized data-sharing. In 1981, the first personal computer - IBM's Acorn - equipped with an optional color monitor, two floppy disks, and an intel chip was rolled out to the masses, and the dynamic evolution of the World Wide Web soon followed. Today, the world is in the midst of the transformative and ever-developing Digital Age, otherwise referred to as the "Age of Information." It has been an unprecedented, remarkable, and explosive era marked by social media and computer-generated imagery (and with it, deep fakes), among other novel, previously unimaginable concepts. The bulky monitors and blocky towers of personal computers and laptops, which were once upon a time considered fashionable, futuristic contraptions, have since been replaced with a sleek and stylish array - both multi-functional and specialized - of aerodynamic, minimalistic devices, ranging from smartphones and tablets to lightweight laptops and full-fledged gaming set-ups packed with powerhouse processors. While many are familiar with those facts, and a recent movie revived interest in Alan Turing's achievements with computing during World War II, it was Charles Babbage who was the first to conceive the notion of a programmable and automatic universal computer, which, on top of its ability to calculate any mathematical equation at an unmatched speed, could also be used for a seemingly infinite number of other applications. In other words, he envisioned the precursor to the modern computer. At first blush, Babbage hardly seemed the type, because in many ways, Babbage was the antithesis of the debonair, silver-tongued, and effortlessly charismatic CEOs of present-day tech giants. Babbage was a quirky individual to say the least. He was highly observant, but was in the same breath a habitual daydreamer, often caught in a trance of deep thought. He spoke with a stutter, cared little about his appearance, often sporting stained collars and rumpled coats, and in his later years became something of an agoraphobe, developing a disdain for crowds and music. Indeed, his unquenchable thirst for knowledge and his brilliant mind were unparalleled, but this was paired with his restless, addictive, and extreme nature, as well as his obsession with precision and factual accuracy. This was the same man who once reached out to celebrated poet Alfred Tennyson and requested the wordsmith to correct the wording of his poem, "The Vision of Sin." A letter to England's legendary poet read, "In your otherwise beautiful poem, one verse reads: 'Every moment dies a man, every moment one is born'...If this were true, the population of the world would be at a standstill. In truth, the rate of birth is slightly in excess of that of death. I would suggest that the next version...should read: 'Every moment dies a man, Every moment 1 1/16 is born.'" Of course, it is precisely the eccentricity of his character and the unconventionality of his ideas and beliefs that made his life and career all the more riveting.

Explores the rise of computer technology, and tells the stories of the scientists, engineers, visionaries, and others whose efforts developed the complex machines.

Ada’s Legacy illustrates the depth and diversity of writers, thinkers, and makers who have been inspired by Ada Lovelace, the English mathematician and writer. The volume, which commemorates the bicentennial of Ada’s birth in December 1815, celebrates Lovelace’s many achievements as well as the impact of her life and work, which reverberated widely since the late nineteenth century. In the 21st century we have seen a resurgence in Lovelace scholarship, thanks to the growth of interdisciplinary thinking and the expanding influence of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Ada’s Legacy is a unique contribution to this scholarship, thanks to its combination of papers on Ada’s collaboration with Charles Babbage, Ada’s position in the Victorian and Steampunk literary genres, Ada’s representation in and inspiration of contemporary art and comics, and Ada’s continued relevance in discussions around gender and technology in the digital age. With the 200th anniversary of Ada Lovelace’s birth on December 10, 2015, we believe that the timing is perfect to publish this collection of papers. Because of its broad focus on subjects that reach far beyond the life and work of Ada herself, Ada’s Legacy will appeal to readers who are curious about Ada’s enduring importance in computing and the wider world.