History of Computers
The origins of computers go back to the abacus.
Abacus (c. 3000 BCE) – One of the earliest computing tools, used in Mesopotamia and later in China and Greece, to perform arithmetic.
The abacus is an ancient counting tool used for arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It works by representing numbers with beads that can be moved along rods or wires.
Blaise Pascal (1642) – Invented the Pascaline, a mechanical calculator for addition and subtraction.
Charles Babbage (1837) – Designed the Analytical Engine, a general-purpose mechanical computer.
Alan Turing (1936) – Proposed the Turing Machine, a theoretical model that defines the foundation of computer science.
Alan Mathison Turing was a British mathematician and logician whose work laid the foundation for artificial intelligence and modern computer science. During World War II, he played a critical role in breaking the Nazi Enigma code.
ENIAC (1945) – First general-purpose, fully electronic digital computer. Occupied a whole room and used vacuum tubes.
UNIVAC I (1951) – First commercially available computer in the U.S., used for business and government. UNIVAC, standing for Universal Automatic Computer, was a groundbreaking series of electronic digital computers, particularly the UNIVAC that played a pivotal role in the dawn of the computer age.
Transistor (1947 invention, widespread by 1950s) – Replaced bulky vacuum tubes, making computers smaller and more reliable. Transistors were invented in 1947 by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley at Bell Labs.
Mainframes – Used by large organizations for data processing (e.g., IBM 1401).
The term mainframe initially referred to the large cabinet or ‘main frame’ that held the central processing unit (CPU) of early computer systems. The mainframe serves as a central data repository or ‘hub’ that links workstations or terminals in an organization’s data processing center.
COBOL & FORTRAN – Early programming languages developed for business and scientific use.
Intel 4004 (1971) – First commercial microprocessor, sparking the development of personal computers.
1973 - Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) developed the Xerox Alto, a pioneering personal computer, and is credited with several key innovations that have shaped modern computing, including the graphical user interface, the mouse, and Ethernet.
Altair 8800 (1975) – One of the first PCs; inspired Bill Gates and Paul Allen to found Microsoft.
Based on the Intel 8080 CPU. It was the first commercially successful personal computer
1976 Apple Computer was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. The Apple I is released as a build-it-yourself kit.
Apple II (1977) – A major success in personal computing from Apple.
Designed by Steve Wozniak and was first sold on June 10, 1977. Major advancement in terms of ease of use, features, and expandability.
IBM PC (1981) – Standardized the PC market, leading to explosive growth.
Offered the option of one or two internal 5.25-inch floppy drives.
Each floppy diskette could hold 160 kilobytes on one side, or 320KB
It runs Microsoft’s MS-DOS operating system.
Gates was 20 years old. MSFT is worth $3.9 trillion dollars in 2025.
Graphical User Interface (GUI) – Introduced by Xerox PARC, later popularized by Apple’s Macintosh (1984) and Microsoft Windows (1985).
1984: Apple introduced the Macintosh, first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a graphical user interface.
🏴☠️ The Pirate Flag Over the Macintosh Building
During the early 1980s, when the Macintosh team was developing their revolutionary computer, they were deliberately isolated from the rest of Apple. They worked in a separate building—Bandley 3, not far from Apple’s main campus in Cupertino—to maintain an innovative, startup-like atmosphere free from corporate bureaucracy.
"It's better to be a pirate than to join the Navy."
This famous quote by Steve Jobs became a sort of unofficial motto for the Mac team. Jobs meant that he’d rather work with rebellious, creative risk-takers than with conformist corporate types. The Macintosh team embraced this rebellious culture. They worked crazy hours, pushed boundaries, and saw themselves as underdogs even within Apple.
The Mac team saw themselves as pirates inside Apple, breaking the rules, challenging the status quo, and inventing the future.
The pirate flag has become a symbol of startup culture, rebellious innovation, and thinking different long before “Think Different” became Apple’s slogan. It reflected:
A rejection of corporate complacency.
Embracing bold ideas and creative freedom.
A close-knit team willing to defy internal resistance.
Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.
Jobs was just 21. AAPL is worth $3.5 trillion dollars in 2025.
1960s: The Birth of the Idea
1964: Douglas Engelbart demonstrates the first computer mouse and graphical interface concept, paving the way for modern user interfaces.
1965: IBM introduces the IBM System/360 series, a family of compatible computers for business and scientific use.
1969: The development of ARPANET, the precursor to the internet, begins, foreshadowing future connectivity.
1970s: The Dawn of the PC
1971: Intel releases the 4004 microprocessor, the first commercially available microprocessor, enabling smaller and more affordable computers.
1973: Xerox PARC develops the Xerox Alto, the first computer with a graphical user interface (GUI). Though not a commercial success, it influences future PCs.
1975:
The Altair 8800, often considered the first personal computer, is released as a kit for hobbyists.
Microsoft is founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen to provide software for the Altair.
1976:
Apple Computer is founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. The Apple I is released as a build-it-yourself kit.
IBM introduces the IBM 5100, an early portable computer.
1977: The "Trinity of 1977" is introduced: Apple II, Commodore PET, and Tandy TRS-80, marking the start of the personal computer market.
1980s: The PC Revolution
1981: IBM launches the IBM PC (Model 5150), which becomes a standard for personal computers. It runs Microsoft’s MS-DOS operating system.
1984:
Apple releases the Macintosh, the first successful mass-market PC with a GUI and mouse.
Compaq produces the first IBM PC-compatible computer, leading to a flood of compatible clones.
1985: Microsoft introduces Windows 1.0, a graphical extension for MS-DOS.
1989: The first notebook-style laptop, the NEC UltraLite, is introduced.
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