Beginning of Essay
In 1671, Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz invented a computer that was built in 1694. It could add, and, after changing some things around, multiply. While Thomas of Colmar was developing the desktop calculator, a series of very interesting developments in computers ....

Middle of Essay
.... on numbers of 50 decimal digits (or words) and having a storage capacity (memory) of 1,000 such digits. The machine was supposed to operate automatically, by steam power, and require only one person there. Babbage's computers were never finished. After Babbage, there was a temporary loss of interest in automatic digital computers. A strong need thus developed for a machine that could rapidly perform many repetitive calculations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Use of Punched Cards by Hollerith A step towards automated computing was the development of punched cards, which were first successfull ....