While computers are now an important part of the lives of human
beings, there was a time where computers did not exist. Knowing the history of
computers and how much progression has been made can help you understand just
how complicated and innovative the creation of computers really is.
Unlike most devices, the computer is one of the few inventions
that does not have one specific inventor. Throughout the development of the
computer, many people have added their creations to the list required to make a
computer work. Some of the inventions have been different types of computers,
and some of them were parts required to allow computers to be developed
further.
The Beginning
Perhaps the most significant date in the history of computers is
the year 1936. It was in this year that the first "computer" was
developed. It was created by Konrad Zuse and dubbed the Z1 Computer. This
computer stands as the first as it was the first system to be fully
programmable. There were devices prior to this, but none had the computing
power that sets it apart from other electronics.
It wasn't 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, furthering the science of computing.
Over the course of the next few years, inventors all over the
world began to search more into the study of computers, and how to improve upon
them. Those next ten years say the introduction of the transistor, which would
become a vital part of the inner workings of the computer, the ENIAC 1
computer, as well as 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.
The age of computers was forever altered by the introduction of
International Business Machines, or IBM, into the computing industry in 1953.
This company, over the course of 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. Their
first contribution was the IBM 701 EDPM Computer.
A Programming Language Evolves
A year later, the first successful high level programming language
was created. This was a programming language not written in 'assembly' or
binary, which are considered very low level languages. FORTRAN was written so
that more people could begin to program computers easily.
The year 1955, the Bank of America, coupled with Stanford Research
Institute and General Electric, saw the creation of the first computers for use
in banks. The MICR, or Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, coupled with the
actual computer, the ERMA, was a breakthrough for the banking industry. It
wasn't until 1959 that the pair of systems were put into use in actual banks.
During 1958, one of the most important breakthroughs in computer
history occurred, the creation of the integrated circuit. This device, also
known as the chip, is one of the base requirements for modern computer systems.
On every motherboard and card within a computer system, are many chips that
contain information on what the boards and cards do. Without these chips, the
systems as we know them today cannot function.
Gaming, Mice, & the Internet
For many computer users now, games are a vital 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 most basic components of modern computers,
was created 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 would result in the evolution
of knowledge and business across the entire planet.
It wasn't until 1970 that Intel entered the scene with the first
dynamic RAM chip, which resulted in an explosion of computer science
innovation.
On the heels of the RAM chip was the first microprocessor, which was
also designed by Intel. These two components, in addition to the chip developed
in 1958, would number among the core components of modern computers.
A year later, the floppy disk was created, gaining its name from
the flexibility of the storage unit. This was the first step in allowing most
people to transfer bits of data between unconnected computers.
The first networking card was created in 1973, allowing data
transfer between connected computers. This is similar to the Internet, but
allows for the computers to connect without use of the Internet.
Household PC's Emerge
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 the Commodore Pet
computers were the forerunners in this area. While expensive, these machines
started the trend for computers within common households.
One of the most major breathroughs in computer software occurred
in 1978 with the release of the VisiCalc Spreadsheet program. All development
costs were paid for within a two week period of time, which makes this one of
the most successful programs in computer history.
1979 was 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 drastically altered the
usefulness of computers for the everyday user.