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The First "Computer" Is Invented
An English mathematician by the name of Charles Babbage invents the first "computer". This computer can process calculations and had an input, memory to store information, a processor which did the calculations, and an output which was a printing mechanism. Babbage is known as the "Father of the Computer" because many of his machines or engines had the same components as modern computers today. -
The First "Computer" Is Invented Cont.
Babbage was also very obsessive with creating such computers though many people did not understand the importance of the work he did during his time. Many of Babbage's ideas were never put to use as they required tens of thousands of precision-made gears that would cost large sums of money. Charles Babbage -
The Z3 Computer Is Created
The Z3 computer was created in 1941 by a German engineer by the name of Konrad Zuse. The computer used 2,300 relays and could support 22-bit word length, perform aerodynamic calculations, and binary arithmetic. Konrad Zuse asked funding from the German government to replace the relays with fully electronic switches, but was denied since it was during WWII and it was not deemed helpful to the war effort. -
The Z3 Computer is Created Cont.
The Z3 could also store values like infinity, negative infinity, and undefined values. The computer, however, was destroyed in 1943 during a bombing raid on Berlin. Z3 Computer -
First Computer Program is Run
In 1948 the first computer program was run on a computer. The computer was the Small-Scale Experimental Machine which was also known was the Manchester Baby. The computer was created by researchers from the University of Manchester which include Frederic Williams, Tom Kilburn, and Geoff Toothill. The program ran a set of 17 instructions using technology called the Williams Tube. The Williams Tube was the first electronic RAM for a computer. -
First Computer Program is Run Cont.
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Precursor to GUI's Created
Douglas Engelbart was a researcher at the Stanford Research Institute. Douglas Engelbart created a prototype of a computer with a mouse and a graphical user interface (GUI). This prototype also included hypertext links, presentation programs, screen windowing, and a raster-scan monitor. This prototype was the precursor to the modern day GUIs we use today. -
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Graphical User Interface Created
Many GUIs and improvements to GUIs were made during this time and companies such as Xerox helped in this process. -
Precursor to GUI's Created Cont.
At this point computers started to use microprocessors and transistors instead of the old-fashioned vacuum tubes. New technology allowed computers to store more info and do more calculations faster. Douglas Engelbart -
Windows is Announced
In 1985 Microsoft announces Windows, an operating system in response to Apple's GUI. Windows was released on November 20th of the same year. The project was originally named "Interface Manager" before the windowing system was developed, hence the name "Windows". WIndows 1.0 had little popularity, but still had a graphics painting program, called Windows Paint, Windows Write, a word processor, an appointment calendar, a card-filer, a notepad, a clock, a control panel, and a computer terminal. -
Windows is Announced Cont.
Windows is very similar to the operating system it is today, but it set the standard for other operating systems to come in the future. History of Windows -
Raspberry Pi is Released
A credit card-sized computer was released in October 2012. The "Raspberry Pi" weighed only 45 grams and sold for only $25 dollars at the time. The next year, over a million Raspberry Pi's were sold making it a very popular kit for students and hobbyists. Raspberry Pi
