Historical development of computer IV

Computer Science JSS1 First Term

WEEK 4

Historical development of computer IV

Performance Objectives

The student should be able to:

      1. Compare electronic counting device with modern computers.    

Content

John Von Neumann's Machine

In 1945, mathematician John von Neumann undertook a study of computation that demonstrated that a computer could have a simple, fixed structure, yet be able to execute any kind of computation given properly programmed control without the need for hardware modification. John Von Neumann contributed a new understanding of how practical fast computers should be organized and built; these ideas, often referred to as the stored-program technique, became fundamental for future generations of high-speed digital computers and were universally adopted. The primary advance was the provision of a…