1st Generation Computers

1. Electricity 101

1.1. Measurements

1.1.1. Voltage (Volts, V)

1.1.2. Power (Watts, W)

1.1.3. Current (Amperes, Amps, A)

1.2. Definitions

1.2.1. Power = work done

1.2.2. Current = amount of flow of electrons

1.2.3. Voltage = how hard electrons are pushed

2. Programmable

2.1. Data

2.1.1. Input

2.1.2. Output

2.1.3. Datum = Singular

3. Technology

3.1. Electronic switches

3.1.1. Thermionic Valves (Vacuum Tubes)

3.1.2. Grouped Switches represent data

3.1.3. ON = 1

3.1.4. OFF = 0

4. Examples

4.1. ENIAC

4.1.1. "Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer"

4.2. Colossus

4.2.1. Used to break the German Lorenz codes (used by the ENIGMA machine

5. Uses

5.1. Military

5.1.1. Large, complicated computations

5.2. Big Business

5.2.1. Plethora of smaller, simpler calculations e.g. payroll