This was the final stretch for computers because now all that was necessary to do was improve the parts which lead to the development of the computer that we have today. This is the time computers finally began to spread and becomes available to the common consumer.
IBM 5100 - 1975
The IBM 5100 was the first portable computer that was commercially available. It was available in models that offered from 16K to 64K (Not even 1 GigaByte) of space and sold for between $8,975 and $19,975 depending on the storage size. Also even though we think if portable as being easy to carry around, the 5100 was the size of a typewriter and weighed 50 pounds. This is much heavier compared to normal standards, but during the time it was the best anyone could get to a portable computer because other computers took up the space of two desks and weighed almost half a ton in some cases.
Apple - 1976
Apple was first created by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976. They created the Apple I, which was the first computer to run with a single circuit board. Next year in 1977, at the first West Coast Computer Fair Apple brings out the Apple II. This new computer offers color graphics and integrated a audio cassette drive for storage.
First Apple Logo, it is Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree >
First Apple Logo, it is Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree >
Apple & IBM GUI - 1983 & 1985
In 1983 Apple came out with Lisa, their first personal computer with a GUI (Graphical User Interface) Soon afterwards in 1985, Microsoft unveils its development of Windows, their own GUI. This was a great new feature because with an interface, people could preform actions and make commands much more easily.
HTML - 1990
HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, was developed by Tim Berners-Lee. A year later, in 1991, he also made the world wide web (www) through which we now access anything imaginable. His invention of HTML was a key factor because it allowed sites to be made easily and quickly so soon when people began making websites and putting them on the newly formed internet. With HTML programmers and developers could also insert code into sites which allowed for interaction on the internet. HTML is an important foundation of creating websites and the knowledge of HTML because useful to anyone with the wish to create a website.
Gaming Machines - 1994
By now technology had advanced so much that early games were being made to play on computers. Examples of these games include Command & Conquer, Theme Park, Little Big Adventure, and many others. They were not "advanced" games and only had simple polygon graphics, but their significance is great. The Pentium processor that came out in 1993 may have helped the computers compute and run games which were previously impossible due to hardware restrictions.
WiFi - 1999
It may be hard for some of us to imagine WiFi because some people just take it for granted and don't realize the great significance of it. WiFi allows us to connect to the internet and access data resources without needed to plug a cable in. Without this we would have to plug cords in when we wanted to go on the internet on a phone or laptop. It would also make things like 3G and 4G data impossible. Clearly everyone thinks WiFi is a great thing.
Modern Era of Computers - 2000s
Now we get onto the computers that most people are familiar today. We see things like Mac OS X and Windows XP start to come out due to major advances being made in computers. From lines of code complex games and operating systems are made because of massive improvements in computers. Firefox also comes out which challenges the existing Internet Explorer which was the primary browser. Then afterwards the Mac Air comes our and Iphones set new standards for fast computing in smaller areas. Windows 8 and Android phones also had great features, if not better, because by now fast and compact technology had become readily available.
Even though we have reached high peaks of technology, it is important to remember our humble beginnings to continue to advance the technology that is ever-present in our lives today.
Even though we have reached high peaks of technology, it is important to remember our humble beginnings to continue to advance the technology that is ever-present in our lives today.