A Brief History of Computers

By: Sean Murphy

Computers have become a part and parcel of our day to day life. They are widely used in offices as well as homes and have revolutionized the functioning of our society. The present day computers have evolved over a long period of time. There are many people who contributed towards the growth of computers. Though the earliest models were very costly and remained with government or large companies and research institutions, today computers are widely available at affordable prices. If you do not want to own one you can always get it through computer rentals.

 

Early models

 

Earlier tools that helped people calculate were called calculators, which gradually became more complex. The earlier models were huge and occupied almost entire rooms. The breakthrough began in 1936, when Konrad Zuse invented Z1- Zuse, the first ever freely programmable computer.

 

In 1942 John Atanasoff and Cliff Berry formed ABC computers. Followed by this, Howard Aiken and Grace Hopper brought out the Avard Mark 1 computer in 1944. With the sponsorship of the US Military, John Mauchly and JohnPresper Eckert developed the Electrical Numerical Integrator and Calculator or ENIAC 1 calculator. In 1948 Frederic Williams and Tom Kilburn developed the Manchester Baby Computer and The Williams Tube using cathode ray tube.

 

Transistor

 

The invention of transistor in 1947 by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain & Wiliam Shockley and the invention of the first commercial computers by John Presper and John Machauly in 1951 aided in the further evolution of computers. International Business Machines (IBM) entered the history of computers in 1953.

 

In 1954, John Buckus and IBM developed the first ever successful programming language. The first banking computer capable of reading MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) was developed in 1955 jointly by the Stanford Research Institute and Bank of America.

 

Integrated chip and Microprocessor

 

Development of the integrated chip in 1958 by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce was another significant milestone in the history of computers. The first computer game was invented in 1962. The mouse came into existence in 1964.

 

1970s saw the invention of dynamic RAM, microprocessor, floppy and networking. In the mid 70s consumer computers were developed. 1980s saw the evolution of home computers with graphical user interface. By the 80s, Microsoft and Apple started rolling out their products in the market.

 

Personal Computer

 

The personal computers that we see today underwent many changes. With each passing day we see more and more innovation and applications that are being developed to support a host of functions aimed at a wide range of uses.

 

Evolution of computers helped in changing our lifestyle. Computer applications support a wide array of activities and sectors that have a direct impact on us. They have revolutionized business processes and very few types of businesses are able to function without a computer these days. For small business enterprises it is not that easy to acquire latest computers. However, computer rentals allow them to use these products without a huge capital outflow.

 

About the Author

For more information on computer rental and monitor rental contact Vernon Computer Source.

 

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