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Period: to
Computer Technology Advances in the 1970's
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Intel 4004
The Intel 4004 was the first microprocessor. Designed by Federico Faggin the 4004 is the predecessor to all modern CPUs. The 4004 was designed using silicon gate transistors which could be made much smaller than the previous aluminum transistors. Faggin also invented the silicon gate technology that allowed miniaturization of transistors needed to design the 4004. -
C
The programming language C was developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs. C was designed to be portable across multiple hardware platforms making it very versatile. It was used to write an early version of Unix, one of the first times an operating system was written without using assembly language. In modern times C is still used to write operating systems. C is also used to write new programming languages. -
Ethernet
The ethernet standard for networking computers was developed by Robert Metcalfeduring 1973-1974 and patented by Xerox in 1975. At first, ethernet used different cables and connectors than the familiar RJ45 we see on most modern computers. Ethernet was standardized a few years later when Xerox released its patent. -
5 1/4 Inch Floppy Disc
Designed by Shugart Associates, the 5 1/4 inch floppy disc took over as the preferred format for removable storage. It didn't hold as much data as the 8-inch disc it replaced but it took up less space and both the discs and the drive were cheaper than the older 8-inch format. The 5 1/4 inch floppy was a step in the miniaturization process that lead to modern computers. -
Apple II
Designed by Steve Wozniak the Apple II was the first home computer designed to be accessible to the general public. Earlier home computers were sold as kits and had to be assembled, but the Apple II just needed to be plugged in and it was ready to go. This was the machine that started Apple's rise to the tech giant it is today.
