EECS 1520 Test 1 Questions and Answers Already Passed Latest Update 2025-2026
computing systems - Answers dynamic entities used to solve problems and interact with their
environment
computing systems consist of (3) - Answers hardware, software, and data
layers of computing system - Answers information - hardware - programming - operating
system - application - communication
abstraction - Answers mental model which removes complex details making things easier to
deal with (driving a car)
abacus - Answers early device record numeric values
Pascal - Answers created mechanical device to add and subtract
Leibniz - Answers created mechanical device capable of performing all four whole number
operations (+,-,/,*)
Jacquard - Answers Jacquards Loom - punched card - used for weaving clothes, loom used
series of cards with holes punched in them to specify use of specific colours in thread -> not a
computing device but first form of input via punched card
Babbage - Answers analytical engine - first machine to include a memory so intermediate
numbers do not have to be re-entred - also used punched cards
difference engine
Ada Lovelace - Answers Babbage's assistant - first programmer in the world - invented concept
of the loop
Burroughs - Answers produced and sold mechanical adding device
Hollerith - Answers first electro-magnetic Tabulator (used for census) -> tabulation by means of
punched card -> later founded IBM
Alan Turing - Answers Turing machine - abstract mathematical model - artificial intelligence
testing
ENIAC - Answers Electronic Numerical Integrator and calculator
EDVAC - Answers Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer - first machine with a stored
program
UNIVAC - Answers UNIVersal Automatic Computer
, First generation hardware - Answers vacuum tubes, magnetic drums, and magnetic tape drives
vacuum tubes - Answers first generation. commercial computers used vacuum tubes to store
information - large, unreliable, created lots of heat
magnetic drums - Answers first generation. primary memory device - rotates under a read/write
head
magnetic tape drives - Answers first generation. linear sequential auxillary storage devices
second generation hardware - Answers transistor, magnetic core, magnetic disk
transistor - Answers second generation. replaced the vacuum tube - fast, small, cheap, and
durable
magnetic core - Answers second generation. replaced magnetic drums -> information is
available instantly
magnetic disk - Answers second generation. replaced magnetic tape -> in magnetic tape, data
had to be accessed in linear sequence as it was written, but with magnetic disk data could be
accessed immediately at a particular address.
Third Generation Hardware - Answers integrated circuits, terminal,.
integrated circuits (ICs) - Answers third generation. in second generation, transistors and other
componenets were installed by hand onto circuit board. in third gen, ready made integrated
circuits came ready with transisters other components and their connectors -> smaller, cheaper,
more reliable
terminal - Answers third generation. an input/output device with keyboard and screen. keyboard
give user direct access to computer and screen provides immediate response.
Fourth generation Hardware (current) - Answers large scale integration, PCs/workstations.
Large scale integration - Answers Fourth Generation. chips integrated from several thousand
transistors on a silicon chip to a whole microcomputer on a chip
PCs and workstations - Answers Fourth generation. personal computers were developed by new
companies like Apple and Atari. Workstations (for offices) emerged.
Parallel Computing - Answers computers rely on interconneced CPUs that increase processing
speed. one class of parallel machiens uses central memory (several CPUs linked to central
memory). Another class uses individuals CPUs with their own individual memory hardware.
networking - Answers using ethernet protocol, small computers can connect to share printers,
software, data, etc
computing systems - Answers dynamic entities used to solve problems and interact with their
environment
computing systems consist of (3) - Answers hardware, software, and data
layers of computing system - Answers information - hardware - programming - operating
system - application - communication
abstraction - Answers mental model which removes complex details making things easier to
deal with (driving a car)
abacus - Answers early device record numeric values
Pascal - Answers created mechanical device to add and subtract
Leibniz - Answers created mechanical device capable of performing all four whole number
operations (+,-,/,*)
Jacquard - Answers Jacquards Loom - punched card - used for weaving clothes, loom used
series of cards with holes punched in them to specify use of specific colours in thread -> not a
computing device but first form of input via punched card
Babbage - Answers analytical engine - first machine to include a memory so intermediate
numbers do not have to be re-entred - also used punched cards
difference engine
Ada Lovelace - Answers Babbage's assistant - first programmer in the world - invented concept
of the loop
Burroughs - Answers produced and sold mechanical adding device
Hollerith - Answers first electro-magnetic Tabulator (used for census) -> tabulation by means of
punched card -> later founded IBM
Alan Turing - Answers Turing machine - abstract mathematical model - artificial intelligence
testing
ENIAC - Answers Electronic Numerical Integrator and calculator
EDVAC - Answers Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer - first machine with a stored
program
UNIVAC - Answers UNIVersal Automatic Computer
, First generation hardware - Answers vacuum tubes, magnetic drums, and magnetic tape drives
vacuum tubes - Answers first generation. commercial computers used vacuum tubes to store
information - large, unreliable, created lots of heat
magnetic drums - Answers first generation. primary memory device - rotates under a read/write
head
magnetic tape drives - Answers first generation. linear sequential auxillary storage devices
second generation hardware - Answers transistor, magnetic core, magnetic disk
transistor - Answers second generation. replaced the vacuum tube - fast, small, cheap, and
durable
magnetic core - Answers second generation. replaced magnetic drums -> information is
available instantly
magnetic disk - Answers second generation. replaced magnetic tape -> in magnetic tape, data
had to be accessed in linear sequence as it was written, but with magnetic disk data could be
accessed immediately at a particular address.
Third Generation Hardware - Answers integrated circuits, terminal,.
integrated circuits (ICs) - Answers third generation. in second generation, transistors and other
componenets were installed by hand onto circuit board. in third gen, ready made integrated
circuits came ready with transisters other components and their connectors -> smaller, cheaper,
more reliable
terminal - Answers third generation. an input/output device with keyboard and screen. keyboard
give user direct access to computer and screen provides immediate response.
Fourth generation Hardware (current) - Answers large scale integration, PCs/workstations.
Large scale integration - Answers Fourth Generation. chips integrated from several thousand
transistors on a silicon chip to a whole microcomputer on a chip
PCs and workstations - Answers Fourth generation. personal computers were developed by new
companies like Apple and Atari. Workstations (for offices) emerged.
Parallel Computing - Answers computers rely on interconneced CPUs that increase processing
speed. one class of parallel machiens uses central memory (several CPUs linked to central
memory). Another class uses individuals CPUs with their own individual memory hardware.
networking - Answers using ethernet protocol, small computers can connect to share printers,
software, data, etc
