The History of Computers and What Lies Ahead [aboutcomputer99.blogspot.com]

The History of Computers and What Lies Ahead [aboutcomputer99.blogspot.com]

... years of history at Central Michigan University look like? Conveniently enough, Facebook users don't have to leave their computer screens to find out. CONTRIBUTE. Story Ideas ... Danny Goodwin Jr., assistant director of public relations, said UComm ... CMU uses Facebook Timeline to share its history

For those who are old enough to appreciate the development of computing over the years will recognise the exhibits. I used the PDP in the late 70s for a computer-based learning and now love my OLPC XO which is portable, durable and low-powered. The XO will have many years of life before it will be a historical computing artifact. Long live the XO ... XoD!

aboutcomputer99.blogspot.com Computing timeline: The XO is not history yet

Since the world's first ever electronic digital computers were created within the UK and US during the 1940's times have changed massively, and the exact same can be said for the technology that powers them.

Unlike the 1940's where computers were the size of a small room (and sometimes a large room) with gigantic internal components and fans which would shame a NASA space craft cooling system, computers now are extremely ergonomic with some examples quite literally fitting in to the palm of your hand and desktop computers being the size of a hard back book.

Way back when computers were first designed these machines were available only to governments and the scientists that created them, a far cry from where we are today with billions of people being connected online through a desktop computer and even more people owning a portable internet connected device such as a smartphone, tablet pc or portable gaming console.

But how did we get to the computing stage which we are today, and at what turning point in computing history did computing become a consumer indulgence?

A brief computer history timeline - In 1936 Konrad Zuse created the world's first ever programmable computer named the Z1.

- In 1962 the first ever video game was invented by Steve Russell at MIT, named 'Space War'.

- In 1969 the world's first ever internet was invented by ARPAnet

- In 1974 the world's first ever consumer focused consumers were born, the Scelbi & Mark-8 Altair & the IBM 5100 computer.

- In 1981 IBM created their first ever consumer computer, the IBM PC - Home Computer.

- In 1983 - 1984, Apple created the first home computer with a GUI (graphical user interface).

- In 1985 Microsoft releases Windows, which would soon become the domineering software on all consumer based computers.

The above brief computer timeline misses out a fair few developments within the computing industry, howeve r the most important ones by far to me were the invention of the Z1 by Konrad Zuse and the first ever computer with a graphical user interface by Apple. You do have to say with that analysis though that without Zuse the computer may have never been developed so quickly if at all and without Apple the first ever solid consumer computers would have been awful to use for the average consumer.

Comparing 1985 computing when the first version of Windows was introduced to now brings up some key night and day differences.

For starters computers of the past were not as well designed as they are today, they were in no way as powerful as they are today, and they in no way sold as well as they do today. In part, everybody in the computer history timeline had their own part to play in the success of the computing industry.

It is the advancement of software, hardware and design which has brought our computing needs to what they are today, and without all three of these c ontributing factors the history of computing may have taken a very different shape to what it looks like today.

Suggest The History of Computers and What Lies Ahead Topics

Question by monique w: timeline milestones in computer history? Best answer for timeline milestones in computer history?:

Answer by Denise T
Go to the library and get a good book on this subject and there are many available. I happen to like "The Complete Idiot's Guides" for subjects such as this. It is much safer to read a book than take advice from total strangers on a complex subject like this.

Answer by romulusnr
Here's some basics -- see the source link for more. 1835 - Charles Babbage invents "analytical engine", first programmable machine 1943 - ENIAC, first large-scale digital computer developed 1954 - FORTRAN programming language 1957 - Integrated circuits (aka microchips) invented 1965 - Email invented 1969 - ARPANET invented, which eventually grows into the Internet 1977 - Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak produce the Apple II, the first popular pre-built home computer 1979 - First computer bulletin board system (BBS) 1979 - USENET online discussion forums created 1981 - IBM produces the IBM Personal Computer, forerunner of modern PCs 1982 - Compaq creates first portable computer, forerunner of the laptop 1983 - DNS makes standardized domain names possible 1984 - Apple introduces the Macintosh 1985 - First version of Microsoft Windows 1989 - World Wide Web invented 1991 - Linux started 1993 - Doom, first popular real-time networked game 1995 - Sun creates Java, first popular cross-platform language 1996 - ICQ, first IM client 1996 - Microsoft buys Spyglass Mosaic and renames it Internet Explorer 1997 - Personal home pages, corporate websites, online communities become common as Internet becomes accessible to the mainstream 1997 - First portable MP3 player 1999 - Napster created, first major P2P filesharing network 2000 - D-Link produces first consumer Wi-Fi access point

[computer history timeline]