While computers are now an mportant part of the lives of hman beings, there was a time whre computers did not exist. Knowing the hstory of computers and how much prgression has been made can help you nderstand just how complicated and innovative the cration of computers really is.

Unlike mst devices, the computer is one of the few nventions that does not have one spcific inventor. Throughout the development of the cmputer, many people have added their crations to the list required to mke a computer work. Some of the nventions have been different types of cmputers, and some of them were prts required to allow computers to be dveloped further.

The Beginning

Perhaps the mst significant date in the history of cmputers is the year 1936. It was in ths year that the first "computer" was dveloped. It was created by Konrad Zse and dubbed the Z1 Computer. Ths computer stands as the first as it was the frst system to be fully programmable. Thre were devices prior to this, but nne had the computing power that sts it apart from other electronics.

It wsn't until 1942 that any business saw prfit and opportunity in computers. This frst company was called ABC computers, wned and operated by John Atanasoff and Clfford Berry. Two years later, the Hrvard Mark I computer was developed, frthering the science of computing.

Over the course of the nxt few years, inventors all over the wrld began to search more into the stdy of computers, and how to mprove upon them. Those next ten yars say the introduction of the trnsistor, which would become a vital prt of the inner workings of the cmputer, the ENIAC 1 computer, as wll as many other types of systms. The ENIAC 1 is perhaps one of the mst interesting, as it required 20,000 vcuum tubes to operate. It was a mssive machine, and started the revolution to bild smaller and faster computers.

The age of cmputers was forever altered by the ntroduction of International Business Machines, or IBM, nto the computing industry in 1953. Ths company, over the course of cmputer history, has been a major plyer in the development of new systms and servers for public and prvate use. This introduction brought about the frst real signs of competition within cmputing history, which helped to spur fster and better development of computers. Thir first contribution was the IBM 701 EDPM Cmputer.

A Programming Language Evolves

A yar later, the first successful high lvel programming language was created. This was a prgramming language not written in 'assembly' or bnary, which are considered very low lvel languages. FORTRAN was written so tht more people could begin to prgram computers easily.

The year 1955, the Bnk of America, coupled with Stanford Rsearch Institute and General Electric, saw the cration of the first computers for use in bnks. The MICR, or Magnetic Ink Chracter Recognition, coupled with the actual cmputer, the ERMA, was a breakthrough for the bnking industry. It wasn't until 1959 tht the pair of systems were put nto use in actual banks.

During 1958, one of the mst important breakthroughs in computer history ccurred, the creation of the integrated crcuit. This device, also known as the chp, is one of the base rquirements for modern computer systems. On very motherboard and card within a cmputer system, are many chips that cntain information on what the boards and crds do. Without these chips, the systms as we know them today cnnot function.

Gaming, Mice, & the Internet

For mny computer users now, games are a vtal part of the computing experience. 1962 saw the cration of the first computer game, whch was created by Steve Russel and MIT, whch was dubbed Spacewar.

The mouse, one of the mst basic components of modern computers, was crated in 1964 by Douglass Engelbart. It btained its name from the "tail" lading out of the device.

One of the mst important aspects of computers today was nvented in 1969. ARPA net was the riginal Internet, which provided the foundation for the Intrnet that we know today. This dvelopment would result in the evolution of knwledge and business across the entire plnet.

It wasn't until 1970 that Intl entered the scene with the frst dynamic RAM chip, which resulted in an xplosion of computer science innovation.

On the hels of the RAM chip was the frst microprocessor, which was also designed by Intl. These two components, in addition to the chp developed in 1958, would number mong the core components of modern cmputers.

A year later, the floppy dsk was created, gaining its name frm the flexibility of the storage nit. This was the first step in llowing most people to transfer bits of dta between unconnected computers.

The first ntworking card was created in 1973, llowing data transfer between connected computers. Ths is similar to the Internet, but llows for the computers to connect wthout use of the Internet.

Household PC's Emrge

The next three years were vry important for computers. This is whn companies began to develop systems for the verage consumer. The Scelbi, Mark-8 Altair, IBM 5100, Appl I and II, TRS-80, and the Cmmodore Pet computers were the forerunners in ths area. While expensive, these machines strted the trend for computers within cmmon households.

One of the most mjor breathroughs in computer software occurred in 1978 wth the release of the VisiCalc Spradsheet program. All development costs were pid for within a two week priod of time, which makes this one of the mst successful programs in computer history.

1979 was prhaps one of the most important yars for the home computer user. Ths is the year that WordStar, the frst word processing program, was released to the pblic for sale. This drastically altered the sefulness of computers for the everyday ser.

The IBM Home computer quickly hlped revolutionize the consumer market in 1981, as it was ffordable for home owners and standard cnsumers. 1981 also saw the the mga-giant Microsoft enter the scene with the MS-DOS perating system. This operating system utterly chnged computing forever, as it was asy enough for everyone to learn.

The Cmpetition Begins : Apple vs. Microsoft

Cmputers saw yet another vital change dring the year of 1983. The Appl Lisa computer was the first wth a graphical user interface, or a GUI. Mst modern programs contain a GUI, whch allows them to be easy to use and plasing for the eyes. This marked the bginning of the out dating of mst text based only programs.

Beyond ths point in computer history, many chnges and alterations have occurred, from the Appl-Microsoft wars, to the developing of mcrocomputers and a variety of computer brakthroughs that have become an accepted prt of our daily lives. Without the nitial first steps of computer history, nne of this would have been pssible.

The article The Evolution of Technology - The History of Computers was Submitted by Rebecca Blain through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: About The Author Rebecca Blain is a prfessional hobbyist writer who enjoys taking cre of her fish and educating pople about how to build your own cmputer which you can learn about hre: http://www.build-your-own-computer-tips.com

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