Expository Essay

Imagine the world without iPads! Even though modern computers have been around for a long period of time, there were multitude of different , interesting, and unique “magic machines” that lead to today’s Macs and PCs. The ENIAC, Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, is usually the answer one will receive when asking, “What was the first computer?”. Think about the ENIAC masterminds at work, fixing it’s 19,000 vacum tubes. From 6,000 switches to the ability to comput 5,000 numbers in 1 second, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer was indeed the spotlight of it’ time. In 1946, the ENIAC was as imperative to humans as the iPad is important to us modern people. ENIAC was the first ever functional electronic computer; however, many other inventors were trying to beat the main creators of ENIAC, John Mauchly and J. Presper Echert, to go down in history, so the “first computer” may not have actually been the first computer.
The Abacus has played a majorly significant role in today’s computers. Travel back a few centuries, and watch as a buisness man calculates his taxes by dragging bead by bead of his abacus. To use an abacus, one has to be an abacist. Abaci were mostly used in Asia; although, in different countries, even around the world, the abacus was designed with different materials. Made up of a basic design of a frame with horizontal wires with beads able to slide comfortably, this counting frame was really an early computer. “Computer” is a descendant of “calculator”, and the abacus is a calculating tool, therefore the abacus the computer of it’s time!
Z1 may be old school, but, like the abacus and ENIAC, was essential to the evolution of computers. Imagine Korad Zuse constructing the “first electro-mechanical binary programmable computer”. Being constructed in 1936, however, Z1 was programmed so one had to use punch tape. The punch tape system works so the user inserts the punch tape onto the punch tape reader, which will read the tape. Alternatively, Z1 may not compare to other “magic machines” which may store more than 64 words, or have a time of more than 1 hertz, but the Z1 has a very imperative role in todays computers.
From calculators to modern computers, the first “electronic brains” were essential to the evolution of these very important equipment. Computers are practically the heat and soul of humans whom can afford them, so it is imperative to acknowledge the descendants of them.