Who is the father of computer?
This is a question that many people ask since the computer was invented, and it's a very important one when talking about who is the father of computing. A computer is a piece or device used for storing data in a way that a human can use, but it is more than just any other type of computer.
It has its own processor, and it contains a large number of transistors that help determine what information will be stored on each new program entered into the system. When someone asks you for your opinion on this matter, there are four very clear answers to choose from: the inventor of the invention, Apple founder Steve Wozniak, John McCarthy, Charles Babbage, and Alan Turing.
In my view, Alan Turing is the most correct answer, but that didn't make sense at the time I read those words. (I was actually writing an article based on his name.) So let's take a look at a few facts about each of them and their contributions to the field of computers.
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Apple
Apple started off as IBM's rival computer company in 1965, and with no funding, they had an innovative concept for a computer. Since then, they have become the world leader for both software and hardware, including the iPhone and iPad. They now run the desktop and mobile computers, which are the only computers still powered by IBM and not Microsoft or Amazon.
Their main focus has always been with user-experience, giving consumers a high level of power that allows anyone to create any kind of application or game. With Apple, they've taken a huge market share from Microsoft, providing a great chance for innovation.
John McCarthy
John McCarthy is considered as the first American programmer, who created the electronic digital signal processor, introduced in 1976. He created DSPs because he wanted an easy way to differentiate between different types of processors, so they could make computers with different needs, faster or slower.
For example, if we need a CPU with twice as much memory and four times more cores, with his technology, we have to add all these parts with new programs to get that performance. He invented RAMC, which stands for "relational multiple core." That was basically the brain of the era.
But then he also invented the PC. Many people thought he should invent something else and try to make the computers smaller, but he didn't want to do that. So after building DSPs for the IBM, he made the PCs with his technology, but instead of trying to fit bigger processors, he focused on making things cheaper and faster.
He created a big range of computer models in terms of price, size, speed, and memory. Also, he worked out other features for the Mac and PC and developed many other peripheral products, such as the mouse. He is a pioneer in the PC world, having patented it in 1981. He created the Macintosh in 1984, which is a multi-platform computer that comes with many components, it was very expensive at the time and only available in Asia or Europe. Then, he decided to change direction, creating the iMac, which costs less than $500.
Since then, iMac has become the standard of entry-level computers as well. (I'm talking specifically about mid-range iMac right here.) We still call him as the father of computing, but that doesn't mean he has never produced good products, he did develop some applications during his career.
John McCarthy left Apple in 2002 after several years of working for him and left the company for General Electric. His daughter Cara said in 2013 after her mother’s death that she had no idea what he actually does with all the money he got after leaving the company.
He continued developing his technology until 1997, as he became tired and stressed, and he was hired by AT&T in 1998 to work in telecommunications. His role is simple; his job was monitoring customer calls and waiting in line for customers to check into a call center. To do so, McCarthy needed to install a lot of software and data processing. During that time, he also created the EDSAC in 1992, a nonprofit organization that aims to protect the environment.
In 2012, he retired from telecommunications and works at Stanford University. From his experience, he thinks that companies do what they choose to do. Companies like Microsoft work because they have a particular interest in consumer electronics. As long as you think they do good for society and humanity, they're going to be around.
Alan Turing
Alan Turing was born in 1949 to two teachers, Mary Anne and Frank Turing. He studied mathematics and physics before getting accepted by Oxford, where he earned his degree. While studying at Oxford, he met Stephen Hawking, who was doing research on artificial intelligence, and they ended up joining forces. Together, Turing, Hawking, and Hawking created the Dartmouth conference in 1956, and their objective was to discover the secret of how brains worked and the meaning behind human consciousness.
After decades of hard work, Turing finally completed it. However, at that time, nobody really knew what its purpose was, but later they discovered that it was a group of researchers with no commercial value. Nowadays, their objective is to find ways to enhance life without human involvement.
There was a lot of controversy surrounding their project, including a famous debate known as the “Turing test.” Basically the test required someone with mental disabilities to pass a conversation by thinking aloud, while they think their thoughts, and the person actually hearing the question and reading the words is able to reply.
Unfortunately, after years of unsuccessful attempts, it was given up in 1980 as another step toward artificial general intelligence. In 1996, Alan Turing published an essay called “Computing Machinery And Intelligence,” in which he expressed his doubt about AI and told us that there is nothing intelligent about Artificial Intelligence.
Then, he came back on in 2001 with another post of the same post, “Computing Machinery & Intelligence: An Essay.” Now, the term “computing” is still commonly associated with being a part of the future, whereas the word “intelligence” is more of the past.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, we got the answers to our questions, and thanks to each one of them we have learned new things. Especially, Alan Turing was the father of computing; his contribution had huge impacts in bringing computers to the current stage, and he is regarded as the most accurate answer. Thanks again to everyone researching on this topic, and thank you to Google for giving me another interesting topic to mention in my next blog. Until then!
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