Introduction to Computer Programming with Python
H.Y. Wang · Athabasca University Press eBooks · 2023
Learning ObjectivesAfter completing this chapter, you should be able to • talk about the history of computers.• describe the basic components of modern computers and their roles.• explain the basic principles of modern computers.• discuss the basics of computability and computational complexity.• explain how the construction of modern computers has evolved.• explain what computer systems are made of.• discuss computer programming languages.• describe Python and discuss its development, features, and advantages.• install Python and required Python IDEs on the computer.• get Python and Python IDEs running for the learning activities included in this textbook. A Brief History of ComputersThe history of human tools, devices, or instruments to help us count, compute, and think can be traced back to the Stone Age, when our ancestors used knots on ropes, marks on bark, stones, and balls of clay.One of the most well-known Both hardware and software play important roles in computers.On the hardware front, in the first generation of modern computers, magnetic tapes and disks were developed and used for storage, and printers appeared and were used for output.On the software side, simple operating systems (OSs) were developed and used, and over 100 high-level programming languages were developed.During the second generation of computers, the Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC I), the first computer for commercial use, was introduced to the public (1951).The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) also brought their IBM650 and IBM700 series computers to the computer world (1953).Since 1963, the beginning of the third generation of modern computers, advances in hardware have made computers smaller and smaller but much more powerful, with a higher speed of CPU and a bigger memory with faster throughput.In 1980, Microsoft developed MS-DOS, short for Microsoft Disk Operating System, and in 1981, IBM introduced the first personal computer (PC) for home and office use.In 1984, Apple brought its Macintosh computer with its icondriven interface to the world, and in the 1990s, Microsoft brought the world the Windows operating system.Billions of computer users around the world have enjoyed both Microsoft Windows and Apple's macOS.