In the history of computing, who is widely known as the 'father of the computer' for designing early mechanical computing engines?

Introduction / Context:
Several pioneers contributed to the development of modern computing, but one nineteenth century mathematician and engineer is especially honoured as the father of the computer. He designed mechanical devices that anticipated many features of modern programmable computers, even though the technology of his time did not allow them to be fully built. This question asks you to identify that historical figure, a very common item in computer general knowledge and competitive exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks who is known as the father of the computer.
• Options include Charles Babbage, Tim Berners Lee, Douglas Engelbart, Sabeer Bhatia and Alan Turing.
• We assume the standard school level convention used in computer awareness texts.
• The focus is on early mechanical computing engine design rather than modern web or software inventions.

Concept / Approach:
Charles Babbage, an English mathematician and inventor, designed the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine in the nineteenth century. The Analytical Engine included concepts such as a central processing unit, memory and programmable instructions using punched cards, which strongly resemble the architecture of modern computers. Because of these visionary designs, he is widely referred to as the father of the computer in textbooks and exam syllabi. Tim Berners Lee is known as the inventor of the World Wide Web, Douglas Engelbart for early work on the mouse and graphical interfaces, Sabeer Bhatia for Hotmail and Alan Turing for theoretical foundations of computing. While Turing is sometimes called the father of theoretical computer science, the widely accepted school level answer to this specific title is Charles Babbage.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Computer history chapters in school and college textbooks almost uniformly state that Charles Babbage is called the father of the computer. They present diagrams of his Analytical Engine, highlighting features similar to a modern CPU, memory and input output devices. While they also mention Alan Turing's work in theory and Tim Berners Lee's creation of the web, these figures are given different titles, such as father of theoretical computer science or father of the World Wide Web. This consistent assignment of the father of the computer title to Babbage in educational material confirms that he is the expected answer in exam questions.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Tim Berners Lee: Credited with inventing the World Wide Web, not the earliest computing engines.
• Douglas Carl Engelbart: Known for developing the computer mouse and pioneering interactive computing, not for foundational computer designs.
• Sabeer Bhatia: Co founder of Hotmail and associated with webmail services, not with the invention of computers.
• Alan Turing: A major figure in the theory of computation and artificial intelligence, sometimes called the father of theoretical computer science, but school level exams usually reserve father of the computer for Babbage.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners confuse different father titles, especially between Charles Babbage and Alan Turing. To keep them straight, remember that Babbage built physical machine designs and is linked with engines, while Turing developed mathematical models like the Turing machine and contributed to codebreaking. Tim Berners Lee appears in web related questions and should be associated with the World Wide Web. When a question simply says father of the computer without additional qualifiers, the safe and standard exam answer is Charles Babbage.

Final Answer:
The person widely known as the father of the computer is Charles Babbage.