Today, computers are so much a part of our lives that it is hard to imagine a time when they didn’t exist. While it is true that the various pieces and parts that went into a working computer can trace their introduction back more than two centuries, the modern computer age didn’t really begin until 1936.
NASA employees working with IBM type 704 electronic data processing machine used for making computations for aeronautical research at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, March 21, 1957. Image courtesy National Aeronautics and Space Administratio
As these colorized photographs show, the computer has gone through a tremendous evolution. From simplistic calculators to massive, room-sized machines, the computer’s journey to modernity was full of punch cards, floppy disks, and scuzzy cords.
Alan Turing’s Universal Machine
Two generations of Colossus, the Mark 1 and Mark 2, were used by British codebreakers to decrypt coded German messages at the end of WW2. (pingdom.com)
The modern computer era really began with Alan Turing, a British mathematician, inventor, and scientist. In 1936, he presented his plans for a universal machine for computing numbers. Dubbed the Turing machine, the device was capable of complex mathematical equations. It formed the basis on which future computer technology was built.
The ABC
Only a select few people could operate a computer in the 1940s. (insider.com)
John Vincent Atanasoff, with his graduate assistant Clifford Berry, developed the ABC, or Atanasoff-Berry Computer in 1941. This digital electronic computer marked the first time that information could be stored on a computer’s built-in memory. The storage of data became a key feature of computers to come. Based on that, a team of developers at Cambridge University was able to create a computer that stored its programs so that functions could be run at a much quicker pace. Using stored programs, the calculations could be done automatically. They called this the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator or EDSAC.
The First Lady of Software
Grace Hopper, shown here in a colorized photo, created the first computer language. (yale.edu)
The first computer language was developed in 1953 by Grace Hopper, earning her the nickname, “the First Lady of Software”. Her computer language was called COBOL, which stood for Common Business-Oriented Language. Hopper earned many accolades for her computer language, which revolutionized the industry. She even earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Using COBOL, Thomas Johnson Watson Jr, whose father was the CEO of IBM, was able to create the IBM 701 EDPM, a computer that tracked the movements of Korea for the United Nations. Just one year later, in 1954, a team of programmers for IBM, led by John Backus, introduced their own computer language, FORTRAN.
Introducing a Mouse
The first public demonstration of the computer mouse. (reddit)
The computer mouse was first introduced in 1968 when Douglas Engelbart unveiled his prototype of a modern computer at a technology conference in San Francisco. When he demonstrated his prototype, it became clear that computers could be used by the general public, not just government officials and academics. The computer mouse and on-screen graphics made the computer easy to use for a person without an engineering background.
The Floppy Disk
Where's my file? (ajc.com)
To solve the problem of how to transfer information from one computer to the next, Alan Shugart and a group of IMB researchers invented a tool to store data externally so it could be transferred between computers in 1971. They called their creation the floppy disk.
Computer Gaming
Groovy gamers of the 1970s enjoying a game of Pong in this colorized photo. (outsports.com)
The first home computer-based gaming console, the Magnavox Odyssey, was introduced in September of 1972. It was created by Ralph Baer. Techie geeks across the country were thrilled at the opportunity to purchase their own computer gaming system. Before they could snatch up the Odyssey, however, a young entrepreneur named Nolan Bushnell and an engineer named Al Alcorn teamed up to form Atari. Within months of the Odyssey’s release, they offered their own home computer game, Pong. Pong became the first commercially successful video game.
Computers Talking to Computers
A colorized pic of early computers in the business world. (computerhistory.org)
Even with the use of floppy disks, sharing information between multiple computers was difficult and cumbersome. In 1973, a researcher for Xerox, Robert Metcalfe, took a major stride in solving this problem. He developed an ethernet system that enabled multiple computers to share data between themselves. This laid the foundation for the internet.
Home Computers
Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs with the first Apple home computer. (cnbc.com)
The late 1970s saw a push for home computers. The Altair 8080 hit the markets in 1975, and the Commodore Personal Electronic Transactor and Radio Shack TRS-80 computer both came out in 1977. The tech industry was abuzz with the thought of a personal computer in every home. Two buddies, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, teamed up to form their own computer company, Apple. They introduced their Apple 1 in 1976. Apple drastically changed the design and application of computers, taking them from room-sized monstrosities to devices that are much more powerful, yet fit in the palms of our hands.
