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The first counting device was used by the primitive people. They used sticks, stones and bones as counting tools. As human mind and technology improved with time more computing devices were developed. Some of the popular computing devices starting with the first to recent ones are described below Abacus e The history of computer begins with the birth of abacus which is believed to be the first computer. It is said that Chinese invented Abacus around 4,000 years ago. e According to some rules to perform arithmetic calculations Napier's Bones e It was a manually-operated calculating device which was invented by John Napier (1550-1617) of Merchiston. e It was also the first machine to use the decimal point. Pascaline e Pascaline is also known as Arithmetic Machine or Adding Machine. It was invented between 1642 and 1644 by a French mathematician-philosopher Biaise Pascal. e It is believed that it was the first mechanical and automatic calculator. Stepped Reckoner or Leibnitz wheel e It was developed by a German mathematician-philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz in 1673. He improved Pascal's invention to develop this machine. e It was a digital mechanical calculator which was called the stepped reckoner as instead of gears it was made of fluted drums Difference Engine e In the early 1820s, it was designed by Charles Babbage who is known as "Father of Modern Computer". It was a mechanical computer which could perform simple calculations Analytical Engine e This calculating machine was also developed by Charles Babbage in 1830. It was a mechanical computer that used punch-cards as input. e It was capable of solving any mathematical problem and storing information as a permanent memory. Tabulating Machine e It was invented in 1890, by Herman Hollerith, an American statistician. 
