The first machine that could properly be called a computer was not put into operation until 1950. Since then , computers seem to have been installed everywhere for hundreds of purposes for which no one could have imagined they would be used . In fact , the computer which has gone out of control and proves to be smarter than the hunmans who are its masters has become one of the nightmares of science fiction . In the movies 2010 A.D., for example, the computer controlling a space flight takes over completely and destroys the crew and the mission .
The first computers were relatively simple machines for storing information. “Data” – single bits of information – could be fed into the machines and “retrieved” – made available to those who needed them – at the press of a button . For government, insurance companies , banks, or any other organisations that had to find large amounts of information , this ability was an enormous advantage in saving space and time .
In addition , the number of employess needed to handle computers was far smalled than the number needed for an old-fashioned bookkeeping system . Perhaps computer came just in nick of time for the banks .One official of the Bank of America , wich has branches all over California, has estimated that without computer the banks would need every adult in the state of California to take care of its bookkeeping . This is undoubtedly an exaggeratinon ; nevertheless , it is an indication of how much labor is saved by computers .Not only do banks have huge amounts of information to store but so do government agencies , insurance companies , and utillties like the electronic and telephone companies .