While computers are now an important part of human life, it was a time where computers were not available. Knowing the history of computers and how much progress has been made can help you understand the complexity and innovative creation of computers really is.
Unlike most devices, the computer is one of the few inventions that does not have one specific inventor. On the development of the computer, many people have added their creations to the list required to make the computer work. Some of the inventions have been different types of computers, and some of them were things that needed to allow computers to develop further.
The Beginning
Perhaps the most important date in the history of computers is the year 1936. It was this year that the first “computer” was developed. It was created by Konrad Zuse and dubbed the Z1 Computer. This computer is the first and it was the first system to be fully programmable. There were devices Before this, but none had the computing power that sets it apart from other electronic devices.
It was not until 1942 that any business saw profit and opportunity in computers. This first company was called ABC computers, owned and operated by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry. Two years later, the Harvard Mark I computer was developed, promoting science computing.
During the next few years, inventors all over the world began to look more into the study of computers, and how to improve them. Those next ten years say the introduction of the transistor, which would be an essential part of the inner workings of your computer, the ENIAC 1 computer, along with many other types of systems. The ENIAC 1 is perhaps one of the most interesting, as it required 20,000 vacuum tubes to operate. It was a massive machine, and started the revolution to build smaller and faster computers.
age of computers was forever changed with the introduction of International Business Machines, or IBM, the computing industry in 1953. This company, while the computer history, has been a major player in the development of new systems and servers for public and private use. This introduction brought about the first real signs of competition within computing history, which helped to spur faster and better development of computers. The first contribution was the IBM 701 EDPM Computer.
programming language developed
A year later, the first successful high programming language was created. This was a programming language not written in ‘assembly’ or binary, which are considered very low language. FORTRAN was written so that more people could begin to program computers easily.
In 1955, Bank of America, along with the Stanford Research Institute and General Electric, the creation of the first computers for use in banks. The MICR or Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, combined with the actual computer, ERMA, was a breakthrough for the banking industry. It was not until 1959 that the pair of systems were put into use in actual banks.
In 1958, one of the most important breakthroughs in computer history occurred, the creation of integrated circuits. These devices, also known as chips, is one of the base requirements for modern computer systems. On every motherboard and card within a computer system, are many chips containing information about the boards and cards do. Without these chips systems as we know them today can not function.
gaming, Mice, & the Internet
For many users now, games are an important part of the computing experience. 1962 saw the creation of the first computer game, which was created by Steve Russel and MIT, which was dubbed Spacewar.
The mouse, one of the basic components of modern computers, was founded in 1964 by Douglass Engelbart. It obtained its name from the “tail” leading out of the device.
One of the most important aspects of computers today was invented in 1969. ARPA net was the original Internet, which provided the foundation for the Internet that we know today. This development could lead to the development of knowledge and business across the entire planet.
It was not until 1970 that Intel entered the scene with the first dynamic RAM chip, which led to the explosion of computer science innovation.
On the heels of the RAM chip was the first microprocessor, which was also designed by Intel. These two factors, in addition to the chip developed in 1958, would count among the core components of modern computers.
A year later, the floppy disk was created, gaining its name from the flexibility wardrobe. This was the first step in allowing people to transfer bits of data between unconnected computers.
first network card, was established in 1973, so that data transfer between connected computers. This is similar to the Internet, but allows for the computers to connect without use of the Internet.
household computers come
The next three years were very important for computers. This is when companies began to develop systems for the average consumer. The Scelbi, Mark-8 Altair, IBM 5100, Apple I and II, TRS-80 and Commodore Pet computers were forerunners in this field. Though expensive, these machines started the trend for computers within the matrimonial home.
One of the main breathroughs in computer software occurred in 1978 with the release of the VisiCalc spreadsheet. All development costs were paid within two weeks, making this one of the most successful programs in computer history.
1979, perhaps one of the most important years for the home computer user. This is the year that WordStar, the first word processing program, was released to the public for sale. This significantly changed the usefulness of computers for the everyday user.
The IBM Home computer quickly helped revolutionize the consumer market in 1981, as it was affordable for home owners and standard consumers. 1981 also saw the mega giant Microsoft enter the scene with the MS-DOS operating system. This operating system completely changed computing forever, as it was easy enough for anyone to learn
The Competition Begins :. Apple vs Microsoft
Computers saw yet another important change in 1983. The Apple Lisa computer was the first with a graphical user interface, or GUI. Most modern programs contain a GUI, which allows them to be easy to use and pleasing to the eyes. This marked the beginning of the dating of most text based only programs.
Beyond this point in computer history, many changes and alterations have occurred, from the Apple-Microsoft wars, the development of microcomputers and a variety of computer breakthroughs that have become an accepted part of our everyday lives. Without the initial first steps of computer history, none of this would have been possible.