Evolution of computer

Before we begin, let us clarify that when we say computer, we mean calculating machine. Following the definition of computer, we will proceed through computer evolution in the timeline manner shown below.

3000bc :

The Chinese abacus is said to be the first computer. The abacus, also known as a counting frame, is a calculating tool that has been used since antiquity. It was used for centuries in the ancient Near East, Europe, China, and Russia before the Hindu-Arabic numeral system was adopted.

The 1600s:

This is the Gottfried Leibniz computer era. Gottfried Leibniz was a German mathematician who made significant contributions to computer development. Binary, an early calculator known as the Stepped Reckoner, and algorithmic information theory are among them; some of his ideas anticipated the Turing Machine concept, all of which are important concepts in the history of computer technology. His computer was capable of performing multiple mathematical operations with numbers ranging from 0 to 9.

The 1800s:

Charles Babbage is regarded as the "Father of Computers." He developed the analytical engine, which was a proposed mechanical general-purpose machine. It was described for the first time in 1837 as the successor to Babbage's difference engine, a design for a simpler mechanical calculator.

The early 1900s:

IBM's era of electromechanical machines. Programmable computers were created during this time period using binary digits 1 or 0, or true and false.

HP founded audio ossilator in 1939 as a sound effect generator for the WALT PICTURE MOVIE "FANTASI" in the period.

The 1940s:

During this time, the VACUUM TUBE computer was created. This is also known as the 1st Generation computer. The ABC was described in the Des Moines Register as "an electrical computing system" with more than 300 vacuum tubes that would "compute complicated mathematical equations" (but gave no precise technical description of the computer). The system weighed in at over 320 kg.

This era also saw the development of the HARVARD MARK 1, a room-size relay-based calculator used in WW2 to encrypt the Lorenz cipher (used by the Nazis).

1959:

From 1959 to 1965, the second generation computer was in use. This generation used transistors, which were less expensive, consumed less power, were smaller in size, more reliable, and faster than the first generation machines, which used vacuum tubes.

1971:

The "floppy disc," invented by an IBM team led by Alan Shugart, allows data to be shared between computers.

The 1980s:

Consumer Reports described Steve Jobs' introduction of the first Macintosh computer in 1984 as a "dazzling display of technical wizardry." The Macintosh, like the Xerox Alto, had a keyboard, a mouse, and a small 9-inch screen. The computer, which weighed 22 pounds and cost $2,495, was praised for its window and icon interface.

The 2000s:

Laptop computers became popular during this time period. Steve Jobs slid the first MacBook Air from a manila envelope in 2008, shocking the audience at Apple's Macworld with the laptop's thinness. The expertly designed laptop, measuring only 0.76-inch thick, forever changed the industry. Apple removed the CD drive and replaced it with a USB port and a headphone jack. The minimalistic device cost $1,799 at the time.

Today:

Today's mobile phones, which were once only used to make phone calls, are now fully connected and versatile devices that put the power of a computer in your pocket. Tablet computers, which lack a keyboard and a mouse, are today's most innovative computers. 

In today's world, computer technology is advancing at a breakneck pace. It is widely assumed that computers will control our world in the near future using AI artificial intelligence.

Categories: Computer's World