by 
Patrick
ANSWERS: 1
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Depends what you mean by the first computer. The usage of the term has changed. Computer was originally used for anything (or anyone) that computes i.e. performs some mathematical operation to get a result. Human beings were the first computers in this sense. The first mechanical computer was the Difference Engine which was never finished at the time (it was recently rebuilt using Babbage's designs). The idea was to speed up calculations (specifically regarding polynomials if memory serves). Later computers are similar, they were used for performing repeated mathematical operations much faster than a human being could. The most obvious early example of their usefulness was in code breaking during the second world war. AI was also a surprisingly early topic of interest, see Alan Turing's papers (or rather I would advise a good book on them as the papers are pretty difficult to wade through unless you are a mathematician, philosopher, computer scientist etc). Read up on people like Babbage and Turing if interested.
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