Computers have been an indispensable aspect of life for what seems forever. But, this was not always the case. All of the things that seem like they are natural components to a computers interface like a mouse, keyboard, and the internet were just toys for tinkering about 30 years ago. The man who made the first computer controlled it with just a series of switches and displayed data on a few labeled LED lights. Since the invention of the electronic computer inventors have constantly been pushing forwards on every front making them faster, smaller, and less expensive. But, more importantly then how we have changed computers is how computers have changed us. Computers have changed almost every aspect of life as we know it today including …show more content…
had grown by eighteen thousand units. The 1970’s were the years when the computer really took off and reached the basic model that people know today. The microprocessor replaced the microchip. The microprocessor had ten times the power of a microchip but it was about a tenth of the price. Computers were still only used by hobbyists but they becoming easier to use by the month. The two biggest event for the personal computers would happen in the last five years of the decade. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniac would start Apple Computers and create the first computer that anyone could use, the Apple II. In 1978 the college dropout student Bill Gates would create the company which in only thirty years would become the company to run over ninety percent of all computers in the world, Microsoft. The personal computer took the final steps to become what is today during the late 1980’s and early 90’s. During the 80’s computer advances were accelerating by leaps and bounds in all different directions becoming smaller, faster, and lighter. The co-founder of Intel noticed a trend in how these evolutions took place. His name was Gordon Moore and his principal stays true to this day. He noticed that the number of transistors per square inch of circuits doubled every year since the invention. At the point of the 1980’s it had slowed down to a little under eighteen months for the amount of transistors to double but still the principal idea held true. The other major leap
Computers are what run society today, everywhere we look we see devices that are run off of computers and microcomputers such as phones, computers, tablets, and even vehicles. It is now the way the world communicates with each other, because of computers it is a much smaller world in which we live. Computers have been around for such a short period of time, yet they seem to be advancing faster than anything else; this is because there is an infinite number of ways computers can be implemented to help individuals. Thirty years after the first computer was developed, computers had already been altered to read and save information on magnetic tapes that ran through the computer. The picture below was taken at East Carolina University (ECU) in the mid 1970’s of a man changing tapes in a tape computer (Computer Data Tapes). 40 years after this picture was taken, this form of computers is almost unrecognizable by society today, due to dramatic advancements in computer technology.
The computer is a great invention that is used in every field including corporate offices and private homes. Computers have made our day to day tasks easier to do and made a great impact in our society that is still evolving and changing each day. Workers are able to do their jobs more efficiently and allow interconnectivity between computer users all around the world through the Internet.
There have been many advances since the initial invention of the computer fifty years ago. Today, computers operate many of the things that we use in everyday life. Some examples of these things are farm machinery, cars, planes, video games, heat and water delivery to our homes, banking, billing, and even the stock market. The advances of the computer have resulted in the
In United States history, there have been few inventions that have completely astonished the whole nation; the personal computer was one of them. The introduction of the IBM Personal Computer in the United States created a novel, profound interest in technology in the 1980s. PC Magazine from February 1982 indicated that technology was slowly improving around that time, but the personal computer took a giant leap into the future and lead to various new inventions and ideas. IBM’s Personal Computer not only opened new doors for IBM, but for many other companies and industries as well, which only added to the excitement. Even
“Computers have had an unbelievably positive impact on society. Due to the advancement of computers, space exploration took place, vehicles were designed differently, the entertainment world became more entertaining, and medical science made more cures for diseases. The computers impacted society in many ways. Life became instantaneously easier. Some people say that computers are taking away manpower, and that may be true, but computers did make the impossible possible. Business uses computers for keeping track of accounts, money, and inventory. Another area the computer impacted is the entertainment world. Computers made it possible to enhance graphics and special effects. Education has transformed due to current day usage of the computer in the classroom. Computers help students in any way they need, including researching, typing, and searching. Teachers use computers as well. They use computers to keep track of grades, type out instruction for their students, engage students in the classroom, and stay in contact with parents and co-workers. The advancement of the computer has affected the medical profession as well. According to educator and author, Edwin Dolan,” calculations necessary to medical research are being done by computers at astonishing rates of speed, a procedure that is increasing the likelihood of finding cures for serious illness.” Computers are used to help perform surgeries, come up with new medications, keep track of patients, and
The majority of our world is based around computers, but soon the day will come that everything we do is going to be motivated by the use of computers.
In 1976, Steve Wozniak created the first computer that could be used by the common people, Apple I. At the time, the Apple I was considered the pinnacle of technology and used widely by consumers. With the success of Apple I, Wozniak continued to innovate. Now, the computer is one of the most widely used technology in the modern era and has affected millions of lives, including mine.
Computers are the single most important invention in recent history. Many people have different views on computers; some think they make life more difficult, but then there are those who use them every day and accomplish great tasks with them. Computers in general have made many things in life easier.
The 1970s saw a dramatic push forward in computer technology. The floppy disk was invented in 1973 (storing mass amounts of information) and personal computers hit the market one year later. By the mid-1970s, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs introduced the Apple I computer.
Back in 1970s, computers were very complex, had many chips, and hard to come by. This all changed in 1975, when Wozniak tested the Apple I’s prototype. This computer had less chips than other leading brands and was able to, for the first time in history, display a few letters on a screen. His acquaintance, Steve Jobs, persuaded him to sell it, and within the next year, the
In my opinion, I believe that computers play a huge part of our lives, and will do for a long time. Personally, one of my most common use of communication is through emails and IM’s, which can all be sent through a computer.
The increased use of information and information systems has also created an increased dependency on this technology. The development of the personal computer in the late 1970’s – early 1980’s in itself was an emerging technology in its time. It provided the spark that set off a new revolution in technology and led to the
In 1976 Intel releases its first single board computer, this gave the company endless possibilities when it came to the expansion of technology and the growth of the internet. Fast forwarding about twenty years brings us to the release of the Pentium processor in 1993, this revolutionized the computing standard of the public, computers were growing more and more getting faster and faster.
Time and time again advancements in technology have assisted the evolution of mankind. Since Neanderthals began using stone instead of wood, and once again when ancient civilization began to use forging techniques and experimenting with different metals. This advancement continued into the 19th century when Europe and the United States went through the industrial revolution. The last revolution we went through was the computer revolution. Since computers have become more and more prevalent since their earliest forms in the early 20th century, they have taken over the world. Increasingly since their implementation, they have been used in every possible industry
What’s the most fascinating shift that computing is creating in our lives? You might think it’s just “smaller, better, faster,” but there is an even more dramatic story about how computing is changing who we are as people and a society.