BUS 237 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Altair 8800, Wide Area Network, Computer Hardware

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Business Administration
• Course: BUS 237
• Professor: Kamal Masri

Document Summary

Knowledge of software and hardware makes us more knowledgeable about the consumers of technology. First computer patented by eckert and mauchly on june 26, 1947. Eniac computer could only run one program at a time. Mainframes: 1952- present: mainframes large room sized devices used by businesses and government. Also had central processing unit (one closet sized machine), short term memory (closet) and long term memory (several closets) Assumption was that companies would make their own software (none included) Multiprocessing allowed more than one person to interact with the computer by sharing the main processor: many companies still use mainframes because they are designed for past processing and massive storage. Intel and texas instruments developed the microprocessor incorporating cpu and short term memory into one silicon chip using integrated circuits. First microcomputers = mits altair 8800 and datapoint 2220. Microsoft wrote programming language basic and the os dos for microcomputers. 1981 the microcomputers (monitor, keyboard, programs, etc) came out.