A History of Computers and Games: Part One - The Difference Engine

   The first time computers rocked up in history might surprise you. You can date rudimentary mechanisms with a thin but arguable definition as computers as early as the 1800's. Though some might be considered calculators which muddies the waters somewhat. For now though, it's these counting machines that I'm going to discuss. Why? Because mathematicians are an untrustworthy breed and a natural enemy of the creative. So my long term plan is to learn their knowledge gain their trust and destroy them from the inside, but for now I've got a blog post to write.

Babbage

 Charles Babbage, a maths hound of some renown is as good a place as any to start this little foray into a very brief history of computers and gaming. Turns out the man spent a great deal of his time getting wound up by errors of mathematics in various published works. Some of these on account of this particular brand of mathematics would eventually lead to an incredible array of inaccuracy when it came to the final result. He decided, as will our robot overlords of the future, that a machine could do a better job. The idea for Difference Engine was born. A lot of money and a lot of time got invested into this little do dad so it's a pity that the inherent complexity of the thing meant it never actually worked.

Most people would give up by this point but not Mr. Babbage, no, he went one better. Starting on the design of the Analytical engine which had it been completed would have been the first ever programmable computer, using punch cards believe it or not you would have been able to instruct the computer on what it was supposed to be doing. Most importantly though it actually had a degree of functions that made it very similar to the general build of a modern day computer. Part calculated numbers very similar to a processor does now. A way to input instructions which I previously mentioned. As well as a control unit to make sure the machine was tackling tasks in the correct order and a type of memory where it could contain numbers which were waiting for their turn to be dealt with. He also planned on using steam to power the engine which I don't really have to tell you is absolutely mental. Regardless of this though the man had a insatiable and ridiculous capacity for dreaming of these possibility’s. You don't whether pay him a compliment or give him a straight jacket.

Now I probably don't have to tell you on account of the already apparent impracticality of the Difference Engine that it's hypothetical big brother the Analytical was never actually built. I mention it anyway since from a purely intellectual stand point this is where it began. The concept of computers and this man dared to dream. Just a shame no one bar a few actually understood the significance of his insane idea. Well c'est la vie.  

The Analytical Engine

Sources

Evans, C. (1981.) The Making of the Micro - A History of the Computer. Victor Gollancz LTD.