History of Computers Quiz

What was the abacus used for?

• Performing calculations with numbers

• Measuring the elevation of celestial bodies

• Storing instructions using punch cards

• Amplifying electrical signals

Which device was used to measure the elevation of celestial bodies in the sky?

• Astrolabe

• Abacus

• Transistor

• Differential analyzer

Who conceptualized the first programmable, mechanical computer?

• Howard Aiken

• John Mauchly

• Charles Babbage

• Vannevar Bush

What was the first fully electronic and general-purpose digital computer?

• Astrolabe

• Differential analyzer

• ENIAC

• Abacus

What major breakthrough led to computers shrinking throughout the 1960s?

• Invention of the astrolabe

• Discovery of vacuum tubes

• Development of the integrated circuit

• Creation of the abacus

Who founded a company in Palo Alto, California, which foreshadowed Silicon Valley's development into the global hub of computing?

• William Shockley

• Vannevar Bush

• John Mauchly

• Howard Aiken

Which processor was used by hobbyists to build home computers in 1974?

• Transistor

• Differential analyzer

• ENIAC

• Intel 8080

Who developed the first operating system, which became the intermediary between a machine's software and hardware?

• Steve Jobs

• Bill Gates

• Gary Kildall

• Steve Wozniak

Which company became the titan it is today after developing MS-DOS and licensing it to IBM and other PC manufacturers?

• Apple

• Intel

• IBM

• Microsoft

What did Steve Jobs launch, which hurt IBM's position in the industry?

• Differential analyzer

• Macintosh

• ENIAC

• Astrolabe