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When Computers Were People

10 important questions on When Computers Were People

What did the word computer mean in the second World War and in the Victorian era?

An occupation: someone that computes. The electronic computer is a combination of the human computer and the human clerk.

What were the human computers first used for?

For the production of the mathematical tables. Logarithmic tables speeded up the calculations, just like trigonometric tables. These were for general purpose.

In the late 18th century, there were a number of specialised tables. Which were there?

- Navigational tables for mariners.
- Star tables for astronomers.
- Life insurance tables for actuaries.
- Civil engineering tables for architects.
- etc.

For what did the British governments sanction the astronomer royal Nevil Maskelyne in 1766?

To produce a set of navigational tables each year, to be known as the Nautical Almanac. These provided a reliable navigation system and therefore was of great importance for the economy. The calculations were performed twice, independently, by two computers and checked by a third 'comparator'.

Who was Charles Babbage (1791-1871)?

He was engaged in the problem of table making and the elimination of errors in tables. He learned about the French-table making project of Gaspard de Prony, and found it very difficult and error prone to make tables.

What were Babbages thoughts for a replacement of the tables?

He invented the Difference Machine, a machine that had adding mechanisms to do the calculations and the printing part. Unfortunately, Babbage underestimated the financial and technical resources he would need to build his engine. Asking money for a machine called the Analytical Engine, what could do any calculation, was the end of Babbage.

The Victorian era (1837-1901) was the great age of the physical and financial infrastructure investments. What were important information structures of this era?

- Railway Clearing House: tables to check if passengers have paid.
- Telegraph: was invented to prevent that two trains were on the same track.

How was the telegraph doing by the mid-1860s?

In Britain, there were more over 120.000 km of telegraph lines. In 1870, they integrated separated systems to make it more efficient. In 1874 a central hub was established, the central telegraph office, so that every city of importance had a direct line.

What was the first data processing bureaucracy in the US?

The Bureau of the Census. It took about 7 years to process the data that was collected on the grid. To solve this problem Herman Hollerith developed a machine for census data processing, later to be known as the Tabulating Machine Company, foundation of IBM. For the first time female labour was used to make the punched cards.

At the end of the 19th century America had the most advanced office equipment. What are reasons for this?

- America's offices started late; they could start fresh and didn't have to renew the office.
- America was open for gadgets and glamour at the office, because they wanted to be modern.

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Computer: A history of the information machine

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When Computers Were People

10 important questions on When Computers Were People

What did the word computer mean in the second World War and in the Victorian era?

What were the human computers first used for?

In the late 18th century, there were a number of specialised tables. Which were there?

For what did the British governments sanction the astronomer royal Nevil Maskelyne in 1766?

Who was Charles Babbage (1791-1871)?

What were Babbages thoughts for a replacement of the tables?

The Victorian era (1837-1901) was the great age of the physical and financial infrastructure investments. What were important information structures of this era?

How was the telegraph doing by the mid-1860s?

What was the first data processing bureaucracy in the US?

At the end of the 19th century America had the most advanced office equipment. What are reasons for this?

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