Computer History

The history of computers begins earlier than you might think. As far back as the 1930s, scientists were pioneering a technology called computing that served as the foundation of today's personal computers.

During the 1950s and 60s, computers were massive machines, often filling an entire room the size of a basement. Back then, computers were considerably "dumber" than the high-end processors of today, able to execute only the simplest of functions such as basic math and number crunching.

In 1971, the company Intel designed the first microprocessor, which many historians attribute as a giant step towards the desktop computers of today. That same year, IBM invented the first floppy disk, a name coined because of the disk's flexibility.

By the end of the 1970s, word processors had hit the market. No more than a digital typewriter, writers considered the machine a godsend because of the ease of editing text as compared to a traditional typewriter.

In 1981, though, IBM released the first computer of its kind, the IBM-PC. This personal computer took the country by storm, sparking the personal computer revolution that still unfolds today. That same year, Microsoft—a little-known company at the time—released its MS-DOS operating system, a precursor to Windows and heralded as the "operating system of the century."

In 1983, Apple Computer got the jump on Microsoft and released the Apple Lisa Computer, the first computer that featured a true GUI, or graphical user interface. A year later, Apple released the now-famous Macintosh computer, a personal computer that many say first brought the computer into the family home.

Not to be outdone, Microsoft released its first version of Windows in 1985, which has become today the world's most popular operating system, used by hundreds of millions of people throughout the world every day.

The late-80s and 1990s was a furious blur in the world of personal computing. Both business users and individuals embraced the personal computer as a marvel that would enhance many aspects of their daily lives. The advancement rate of technology began to increase at a blinding rate.

Moore's Law, a commandment of sorts pertaining to processing power, was proclaimed by a computer engineer in the 1970s named Gordon Moore. The law roughly states that computer chips double in power for the same price every 18 months. By the 1990s, Moore's Law was finally being realized by the majority. Today, most scientists believe that Moore's Law will hold for many more years to come.

We now live in the age of information, of high-tech computers more powerful than could have ever been imagined, and extremely smaller to boot. So next time you power up your personal computer or electronic gadget, remember that just two decades ago such a device would have marveled even the most forward-thinking computer engineer.

More information on desktop computers