|
History of Computing in Japan
from 1500 onwards This chapter is a narrative on the higlights of historic computing events in Japan Computing, in the sense of the main time line, in Japan started probably with the adoptation of the Soroban or Abacus as it is known in western countries. |
The Abacus is
introduced in Japan from the mainland of China
Fujitsu
Ltd. put the first Japanese computer on the marked: the Facom-100.
Fuji Photo Film Co. in Japan
develops a 1,700- vacuum-tube computer for lens design calculations.
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
Corp. develops the Musasino-1, the first parametron computer. It uses 519 vacuum
tubes and 5,400
parametrons—logic elements based on the principle of parametric excitation
and invented by Eiji Goto in 1954.
Japan’s Electrotechnical
Laboratory develops a transistor computer, the ETL Mark III, that uses 130 transistors
and 1,700 diodes.
In Japan a computer
based on the principle of the parametron was produced:
HIPAC. The parametron principle was technological a completely
unknown phenomena. (see also 1954 and Masusino
and Principle of Parametron). The machine
has a magnetic drum as memory.
The
parametron computer PC-1 is constructed,
shown is the machine in the spring of 1958 when it was operating but not yet
completed. Eiichi Goto is on the right; Hidetosi Takahasi on the left.(19)
NEC starts to
build electronic computers: NEC 1101 and 1102
In June, Japan’s
first commercial transistor computer, NEC Corp.’s NEAC 2201, is demonstrated
at an exhibition in Paris.
At Texas Instruments,
Jack Kilby, Jerry Merryman, and James Van Tassel invent a four-function handheld
calculator. This is the result of a project initiated by Busicom. A Japanes
frirm that gave the assignment to T.I. to develop a calculator. Busicom in the
meanwhile goes out of business and T.I. further develops the microprocessor.
This results into the explosive growth of the micro computer industry.
Japan grabs a
big piece of the chip market by producing chips with 64 Kbits of memory.
Japan launches
its “fifth generation” computer project, focusing on artificial
intelligence.
The CD-ROM, introduced
by Sony and Philips, provides significantly greater storage capacity for digital
data. Eventually the CD will make the 3.5" floppy almost obsolete.
NEC manufactures
a 256-Kbit chip, and IBM introduces a 1-Mbit RAM chip.
| Manufacturer | Type | Country | Date | Reference |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last Updated on 1 July, 2004 | For suggestions please mail the editor in chief |
Footnotes & References
| 1 | computer.org |
| 2 | archives and timeline THOCP |