How was the first computer programmed?

[GamerPatriot]

Greeting,

 

I was thinking about the topic while sitting at work one day and couldn't wrap my head around it. How did the first computer get programmed without another computer? Who told the computer to understand 1's and 0's? From my limited knowledge about this stuff I understand that programs are written with compilers which in terms are programs themselves. So how in the heck did they write compilers without a program to make that compiler to write the first program? 

 

Surly you just can't put together a motherboard and expect it to work right off the bat. 

 

I am so confused. :huh:

 

Can someone explain this in simple terms for me please? 

[Paralectic]

Stop, you are hurting my brain!

[Nineshadow]

1s and 0s are actually the electric current either passing(1) or not(0) through the wires(transistors) of different circuits.

[juretrn]

Simply put, the commands had to be translated from human language to binary manually.

[madscientist56]

Magic?

[Vampire2.0]

a pc is just a bunch of NOT gates!

[SMURG]

Well the first computers were code breakers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer#Design_and_construction. They basically set them up to perform the same action on every input they received, so really all they had to do was build the thing from the ground up to perform 1 mathematical process again and again.

[Atrum_Aduro]

a pc is just a bunch of NOT gates!

Actually, the transistors are made up of NAND gates. 

[Ertman]

The programming was simpler but manually done. 

 

Check out the Wikipedia page for a general overview of the computer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer#First_general-purpose_computing_device

 

edit:

You know computers existed before modern pcs. Modern computers programs were first complied by using other computers, then those computer programs were compiled either by other computers or by hand.

[YouRezz]

with punch cards, containg binary code, and yes people had to manualy do the transitions from decimal to binary and then use punch cards to get the computer to understand it..

i dont know if this is acctually something computer related but its a punch card..

 

many of this cards had to be used to get something like the the assembler working so they could use machine code.. times were hard in the past

[Vampire2.0]

Actually, the transistors are made up of NAND gates. 

and an NAND gate is made from ???? (hint:  N_T gates)

[Hoppa]

Depends on your definition of first computer.

There were big factory machines that would perform certain tasks while using binary. Workers would insert cards that have specific holes punched in them simulating the 1s and 0s. The machine would sort of read it by feeding it through and it would command the motors.

You could say that was the first generation of computers.

Computers were used widely in massive corporations. This was before personal computers were invented. So the computers would take up massive amounts of space.

Edit: Damn took too long to answer and got ninja'd

[Atrum_Aduro]

and an NAND gate is made from ???? (hint:  N_T gates)

 

Other way around. NOT gates are constructed with NAND gates. Physically, within a computer is only NAND gates

[Vampire2.0]

Other way around. NOT gates are constructed with NAND gates. Physically, within a computer is only NAND gates

oh yeah woops i was confused (minecraft logic =/= real logic)

[dragosudeki]

I'm pretty sure the first computers were mechanical and took up huge amounts of space because of it.

[juretrn]

Actually, the transistors are made up of NAND gates.

It's vice versa, silly.

[Cubit481]

1s and 0s are actually the electric current either passing(1) or not(0) through the wires(transistors) of different circuits.

True just like ON and OFF signal...

[Cubit481]

Actually, the transistors are made up of NAND gates. 

 

 

It's vice versa, silly.

 

NAND is actualy NOT-AND gate...and its a universal gate just like NOR...so ya it can be used in many cases coz most of the circuits could be made by using them only....

[Cubit481]

Other way around. NOT gates are constructed with NAND gates. Physically, within a computer is only NAND gates

True mate...NAND can be used for any logic circuits...its a universal gate...

[juretrn]

True mate...NAND can be used for any logic circuits...its a universal gate...

I know what NAND is, tyvm. But they are made of transistors!

[Cubit481]

I know what NAND is, tyvm. But they are made of transistors!

ya obviously....

[Vampire2.0]

so who was first the chicken or the egg?