Question 1

……………..is a digital computer system that is controlled by a stored program that uses a microprocessor, a programmable read-only memory (ROM) and a random-access memory (RAM).
A)Minicomputers
B)The microcomputer
C)Medium-size computers
D)Large computers

Accepted Answer

The microcomputer fits the description as it is a digital computer system controlled by a stored program, utilizing a microprocessor, and incorporates both ROM and RAM for its operations.

Question 2

The …………..defines the instructions to be executed by the computer while RAM is the functional equivalent of computer memory.
A)ARPANET
B)ROM
C)Silicon chips
D)Metals

Accepted Answer

ROM (Read-Only Memory) defines the instructions to be executed by the computer, as it stores firmware that is closely linked with the hardware and often contains the basic instructions for booting up the computer and performing hardware initialization. RAM (Random Access Memory), on the other hand, is used by the computer to store data temporarily for quick access while tasks are being executed, making it the computer's main memory in use during operation.

Question 3

The Apple IIe, the Radio Shack TRS-80, and the Genie III are examples of microcomputers and are essentially …………..generation devices.
A)First
B)second
C)third
D)fourth

Accepted Answer

The Apple IIe, Radio Shack TRS-80, and Genie III are examples of fourth-generation microcomputers, characterized by the use of microprocessors.

Question 4

……………..have from 4k to 64k storage location and are capable of handling small, single-business application such as sales analysis, inventory, billing and payroll.
A)Microcomputers
B)Minicomputers
C)Medium-size computers
D)Large computers

Accepted Answer

Microcomputers, also known as personal computers, typically have storage capacities ranging from 4k to 64k and are suitable for handling small, single-business applications like sales analysis, inventory, billing, and payroll.

Question 5

In the……………, the growing demand for a smaller stand-alone machine brought about the manufacture of the minicomputer, to handle tasks that large computers could not perform economically.
A)1960s
B)1970s.
C)1970s
D)1980s

Accepted Answer

The minicomputer revolution began in the 1960s, driven by the demand for smaller, more affordable computers that could perform tasks without the need for the large, expensive mainframe computers of the time.

Question 6

……………were well known in the 1940s although they are now uncommon.
A)Analog computers
B)Digital computers
C)Hybrid computers
D)Minicomputers

Accepted Answer

Analog computers were well known in the 1940s for their ability to perform calculations by measuring and using continuous changes in physical phenomena such as electrical voltage or mechanical motion. They are now uncommon due to the rise of digital computers, which are more versatile and powerful.

Question 7

………………., Blaise Pascal, and Gottfried Leibnitz were among mathematicians who designed and implemented calculators that were capable of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division included.
A)Wilhelm Schickhard
B)Clifford Berry
C)Ray Tomlinson
D)Burton Stein

Accepted Answer

Wilhelm Schickard is credited with creating one of the first mechanical calculators in the early 17th century, which could perform basic arithmetic operations. Blaise Pascal and Gottfried Leibniz also made significant contributions to the development of mechanical calculators during the same period. Clifford Berry, Ray Tomlinson, and Burton Stein were not involved in the early development of calculators.

Question 8

The first multi-purpose or programmable computing device was probably Charles Babbage's Difference Engine, which was begun in …………….but never completed.
A)1823
B)1827
C)1832
D)1865

Accepted Answer

Charles Babbage began work on the Difference Engine, which is considered the first automatic computing machine, in 1823. However, it was never completed in his lifetime.

Question 9

In…………., Babbage designed a more ambitious machine, called the Analytical Engine but unfortunately it also was only partially completed.
A)1842
B)1852
C)1862
D)1872

Accepted Answer

In 1842, Charles Babbage designed the Analytical Engine, which was a more advanced and ambitious design compared to his earlier Difference Engine. However, like the Difference Engine, the Analytical Engine was never completed in his lifetime.

Question 10

………………, together with Ada Lovelace recognized several important programming techniques, including conditional branches, iterative loops and index variables.
A)Herman Hollerith
B)George Scheutz
C)Babbage
D)J.V.Atanasoff

Accepted Answer

Charles Babbage, along with Ada Lovelace, is recognized for identifying fundamental programming concepts such as conditional branches, iterative loops, and index variables in their work on the Analytical Engine.

Question 11

A second early electronic machine was Colossus, designed by ……………….for the British military in 1943.
A)Alan Turing
B)Eckert
C)Mauchly
D)John von Neumann

Accepted Answer

Alan Turing was a key figure in the development of the Colossus, which was an early electronic machine designed for the British military during World War II. However, it's important to correct that while Turing contributed significantly to the code-breaking efforts at Bletchley Park and developed theoretical foundations for computing, the primary designer of Colossus was Tommy Flowers. Turing's work was more directly related to the development of the Bombe machine, another crucial device used for code-breaking during the war.

Question 12

The first general purposes programmable electronic computer was the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), built by J. Presper Eckert and John V. Mauchly at the University of………………..
A)Pennsylvania
B)Cambridge
C)London
D)Harvard

Accepted Answer

The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was built by J. Presper Eckert and John V. Mauchly at the University of Pennsylvania, marking it as the first general-purpose programmable electronic computer.

Question 13

In 1964, …………….developed the CDC 6600, which was the first architecture to use functional parallelism.
A)Larry Augustin
B)George B.Selden
C)Seymour Cray
D)Bob Kahn

Accepted Answer

Seymour Cray developed the CDC 6600, which was the first architecture to use functional parallelism, marking a significant advancement in computer design and performance.

Question 14

……………….of Cambridge developed a subset of CPL called BCPL (Basic Computer Programming Language, 1967).
A)Martin Richards
B)George B.Selden
C)Todd Anderson
D)Larry Augustin

Accepted Answer

Martin Richards is the developer of BCPL (Basic Combined Programming Language), which was developed in 1967 at the University of Cambridge. BCPL was a precursor to C and influenced its development.

Question 15

In 1970 …………………of Bell Labs developed yet another simplification of CPL called simply B, in connection with an early implementation of the UNIX operating system.
A)Ken Thompson
B)George B.Selden
C)Larry Augustin
D)Lawrence Roberts

Accepted Answer

Ken Thompson of Bell Labs developed the programming language B as a simplification of CPL (Combined Programming Language) in the context of early work on the UNIX operating system. B was a precursor to the C programming language, which has become one of the most widely used programming languages in the world.

Question 16

………………….invented the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) which introduced electronic binary logic in the late 1930s.
A)Lawrence Roberts
B)Howard Aiken
C)George B.Selden
D)John Atanasoff

Accepted Answer

John Atanasoff, along with Clifford Berry, invented the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) in the late 1930s, which was the first electronic digital computing device to use binary logic.

Question 17

…………………first machine was known as Mark I and originally named the IBM ASCC and this was the first machine that could solve complicated mathematical problems by being programmed to execute a series of controlled operations in a specific sequence.
A)Bob Kahn's
B)George B.Selden's
C)Lawrence Roberts'
D)Howard Aiken's

Accepted Answer

Howard Aiken's Mark I, also known as the IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC), was the first machine that could solve complex mathematical problems by being programmed to execute a series of controlled operations in a specific sequence.

Question 18

The ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was displayed to the public on February 14, 1946, at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of…………………..
A)Georgia
B)Massachusetts
C)California
D)Pennsylvania

Accepted Answer

The ENIAC, one of the earliest electronic general-purpose computers, was unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electrical Engineering.

Question 19

The DEHOMAG D11 tabulator was invented in…………...
A)California
B)Harvard
C)Massachusetts
D)Germany

Accepted Answer

The DEHOMAG D11 tabulator was invented in Germany. DEHOMAG stands for Deutsche Hollerith-Maschinen Gesellschaft, which was a subsidiary of IBM and operated in Germany.

Question 20

…………….is popularly recognized in Germany as the father of the computer and his Z1, a programmable automaton built from 1936 to 1938, is said to be the world's 'first programmable calculating machine'.
A)Peter Scott
B)Lawrence Roberts
C)Ray Tomlinson
D)Korad Zuse

Accepted Answer

Konrad Zuse is recognized as the father of the computer in Germany, and his Z1, built from 1936 to 1938, is considered the world's first programmable calculating machine.

Quiz 4: A History of Computing Devices: From Calculators to Microcomputers

……………..is a digital computer system that is controlled by a stored program that uses a microprocessor, a programmable read-only memory (ROM) and a random-access memory (RAM) .

The …………..defines the instructions to be executed by the computer while RAM is the functional equivalent of computer memory.

The Apple IIe, the Radio Shack TRS-80, and the Genie III are examples of microcomputers and are essentially …………..generation devices.

……………..have from 4k to 64k storage location and are capable of handling small, single-business application such as sales analysis, inventory, billing and payroll.

In the……………, the growing demand for a smaller stand-alone machine brought about the manufacture of the minicomputer, to handle tasks that large computers could not perform economically.

……………were well known in the 1940s although they are now uncommon.

………………., Blaise Pascal, and Gottfried Leibnitz were among mathematicians who designed and implemented calculators that were capable of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division included.

The first multi-purpose or programmable computing device was probably Charles Babbage's Difference Engine, which was begun in …………….but never completed.

In…………., Babbage designed a more ambitious machine, called the Analytical Engine but unfortunately it also was only partially completed.

………………, together with Ada Lovelace recognized several important programming techniques, including conditional branches, iterative loops and index variables.

A second early electronic machine was Colossus, designed by ……………….for the British military in 1943.

The first general purposes programmable electronic computer was the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) , built by J. Presper Eckert and John V. Mauchly at the University of………………..

In 1964, …………….developed the CDC 6600, which was the first architecture to use functional parallelism.

……………….of Cambridge developed a subset of CPL called BCPL (Basic Computer Programming Language, 1967) .

In 1970 …………………of Bell Labs developed yet another simplification of CPL called simply B, in connection with an early implementation of the UNIX operating system.

………………….invented the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) which introduced electronic binary logic in the late 1930s.

…………………first machine was known as Mark I and originally named the IBM ASCC and this was the first machine that could solve complicated mathematical problems by being programmed to execute a series of controlled operations in a specific sequence.

The ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was displayed to the public on February 14, 1946, at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of…………………..

The DEHOMAG D11 tabulator was invented in…………...

…………….is popularly recognized in Germany as the father of the computer and his Z1, a programmable automaton built from 1936 to 1938, is said to be the world's 'first programmable calculating machine'.