Historical Survey of Computing Quiz

Answer: abacus

It's somewhat difficult to pinpoint the exact date of the invention of the abacus, but it certainly dates back to the second century B.C. It is worth noting that the abacus still thrives today in some cultures. It is purported that a skilled abacist can make calculations faster than someone using a modern electronic calculator.

Answer: Liang Lingzan

Lingzan was an extraordinary "renaissance man" of his period. Combining his knowledge of mathematics, astronomy and and engineering, he constructed a superbly accurate water clock. The famous water clock is also known as a "clepsydra."

Answer: Charles Babbage

Babbage exemplified the concept of "how could we do it better?" His exquisite knowledge of mathematics and engineering resulted in several pioneering inventions. He is generally credited with the invention of the "difference engine" and the "analytical engine."

Answer: Spacewar

Spacewar is arguably the very first interactive computer game. It was developed by Steve (Slug) Russell while at MIT. Russell enjoyed the power exhibited by being able to control a "universe." Even so, it became a huge success, even though Russell never profited from the development of the game.

Answer: Gordon Moore (Moore's Law)

Gordon Moore was a co-founder of Intel. He predicted that the number of transistors on circuit boards would increase by a power of two. This principle is largely applied to memory capacity. Moore's theory was revised to predict memory capacity to double every 1.5 years.

Answer: Altair 8800

Based on the 8080 processor, the Altair was a project for electronics enthusiasts. It was a truly "do-it-yourself" electronics project. However, later a budding genius developed a relatively user-friendly operating system which boosted sales.

Answer: Bill Gates

Gates, like many of his predecessors, Gates was intrigued with programming and solving problems. He was recognized as a budding genius and many of his early childhood antics were excused.

Answer: DOS - Disk Operating System

DOS was really a family of operating systems. MS-DOS eventually dominated the market for the x86 chips. Apple had its own version of DOS for its own processors. Many versions of the Windows O/S allow access to a command line version of DOS.

Answer: ENIAC

Other computers were developed during the same era, but were relegated to solving specific tasks. ENIAC could be programmed for a variety of general tasks. Even though this computer could be used for other tasks, it was initially used for military purposes.

Answer: Deep Blue

In one of the most dramatic confrontations between man and machine, Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov in a close match held in 1997. Kasparov lost the final game of the match in less than 20 moves. It was a stunning defeat for the former FIDE world chess champion.