Unit 2 - Computer evolution

Efforts were made as early as the 1800s to develop an understanding of information and computation that would make "mechanical" computing possible. But it wasn't until electricity was understood and harnessed that practical components could be assembled to handle information in this way. The invention of the light bulb started this process and the addition of other elements to the bulb produced vacuum tubes, the first electronic components capable of acting as switches to store and manipulate binary digits (bits).

Using a timeline, you'll quickly gain a perspective of the early history of computers leading up to milestone conceptual and hardware developments of the 1930s and 1940s that resulted in commercial computers becoming a reality. We then explore how these machines and circuitry were refined and miniaturized leading to the powerful and relatively inexpensive computers we have today. You get a chance in this unit to map this evolution, experiment with digital image handling in an artistic way, explore various means of communication made possible by this technology, try out an entirely free software alternative to meet your word processing and presentation needs, and can explore the world using Google Earth and the web!

Assigned reading and viewing
Unit 2 course workbook. This chapter of the published course workbook is provided here in electronic form. See link B at the upper right to download the course workbook in .pdf form.

Work due
Repeatable online Exercise 2
Unit Summary Form 2 (USF 2)
These projects are required:
     2.2 Using Powerpoint as an easel (collage and .jpg file formation)
     2.3 Comparing Open Office to Microsoft Office
     2.5 Google Earth
Extra credit: You can do Project 2.1 Computer technology timeline or Project 2.4 (electronic communication survey) or for extra credit if you wish.