1.1 Discuss the history and evolution of computers and ICT.
Computers have been around a lot longer than
many people might imagine. The
original definition of the word "computer" was a person who made
calculations. This definition goes back to the 1600s and extends midway through
the 20th century, when the term "computer" began to refer to a
machine. The computer is based on the same concept as the abacus, which goes
back many centuries. Technology
made a giant leap with punched cards, introduced by Joseph-Marie Masquard in
1801. It's interesting that an early use of this system involved music, in
which piano rolls assigned actions to notes on a piano, leading to the
"player piano" in the 1870s. In 1835, Charles Babbage combined
punched cards with a steam engine to invent what he called an "analytical
engine.''
The company IBM grew out of the invention of
the tabulator, crafted by Herman Hollerith in the late 1880s. This was the
first use of punched cards representing data as opposed to punched cards automating
a mechanical function like a player piano. The information processing world
through the 1950s was based on a combination of punched cards, the tabulator
and key punch machines. The first calculators appeared in the 1930s. Analog
machines began to get replaced by the digital concept of zeroes and ones
throughout the World War II era. The first computer made for the masses was
UNIVAC, made by Remington Rand in 1951. IBM introduced its mainframe computer
the following year.
Early Remington computers sold at over a
million dollars per machine, but IBM made smaller, more affordable machines
that became popular. In 1954 IBM developed Fortran, one of the original
computer programming languages, based heavily on mathematics. During the same
decade, the developments of the transistor, integrated circuits and
microprogramming led the way for reducing computer size. Meanwhile, CPUs
increased computer processing speed and memory improved data storage. The
arrival of microprocessors introduced by Texas Instruments and Intel in the
early 1970s paved the way for miniaturized yet more powerful computers.
Up until the 1970s computers were mainly used
by business, government and universities. Personal computers first appeared on
the market in the late 1970s. Apple introduced the Apple I in 1976 and the
Apple II the following year, ushering in an era for the masses using computers
at home. From this point on, the software industry began to develop, with
Microsoft and Apple as the primary companies. Microsoft became a software giant
by marketing its DOS operating system with IBM computers beginning in 1984.
Apple introduced the Macintosh in 1984, marking the beginning of graphics and
text, replacing systems that only displayed text. Ever since, Apple has called
its computer system "Mac" to differentiate itself from the rest of
the PC market.
During the 1990s, the computer surged in popularity and became a
common household item. Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system accelerated the
mass use of computers while the growth of the World Wide Web throughout the
1990s also helped attract interest in computers. Soon, nearly every profession
needed software to improve its product or service. By the first decade of the
2000s, Microsoft had introduced the XP and Vista operating systems while Apple
offered the OS X series through Leopard. These developments, along with other
popular software applications, meant that the average person now had access to
robust multimedia tools.
Personal
computing became truly portable in the late 1990s and 2000s with the
development of advanced PDAs, the touchscreen smartphone and tablet PCs. Apple
changed the game with the launch of the iPhone in June 2007, but other
manufacturers, including Samsung and Nokia, soon developed their own
touchscreen smartphones and mobile devices. This new generation of devices took
advantage of several technological breakthroughs--including processor
miniaturization, flash memory, high-speed Wi-Fi wireless Internet and 3G mobile
data networks--to put the power of the personal computer in the purse and
pocket.
In next 20 or 30 years, students will expect more of a
mentoring relationship from their teachers, which is not the norm in schools
today. Since more students will be learning and gathering information without
attending school in person, future teachers will have to embrace various ways
of staying connected and engaging with their students via social media, online
communities, Google Hangouts, Twitter chats and more to stay connected with
students. Many schools now have one-to-one devices or are heading in that
direction. Besides, schools will have advanced technology in the classroom to
complement teachers’ lessons. For example, a science class may cover 3D
printing and how it can be used to replicate prosthetic limbs to change
someone’s life.
Health information technologies that we can expect to see
implemented over the next two or three decades include the; electronic lifetime
health records will store data from many sources. For example, text and voice notes,
medical images, and laboratory values. A picture archiving and communication system will
capture, store and provide access to diagnostic images (x-ray films, magnetic
resonance images, computed tomography scans) from any location. Radio frequency
identification systems will use radio waves to wirelessly track hospital
patients, and microchips to carry information on medications, laboratory tests,
imaging studies and medical devices. Automated systems will track and manage
inventories of pharmaceuticals and other medical and general hospital supplies.
Decision support systems will give healthcare providers real-time advice on
diagnosis and treatment options based on continuously updated information.
In next 20 or 30 years, digital money might be created.
Digital money means you’ll no longer need to carry a wad of bills in your
pocket or fumble for exact change. Instead, you might carry a
credit-card-size piece of plastic with an embedded microchip. Or, you might
store your digital coins and dollars–downloaded over phone lines from your
bank. 
