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Analog Mechanical Computer
In 1939 John V. Atanasoff (1903 - 1995) and Grad. Student Clifford Berry built an analog mechanical computer designed to solve linear equations. -
Linear Problem Solver with memory
This machine was an improvement to the analog machine, this machine used 60 50-bit words of memory using capacitors. This machine was later known as the ABC or Atanasoff-Berry Computer. -
Colossus Mark I
This was a prototype to solve a problem poased by mathematician Max Newman. This was the first electronic, digital, programable computer. -
Colossus Mark II
This was the finished Version of the original Colossus. It was built just in time for the normandy landings in WWII. This computer was used to decode german messages. It was 5 times faster than the original Colossus, and used 2,400 vacuum tubes. -
The Transistor
The transistor revolutionized not only computers, but all electronics. These transistors are much smaller than a vacuum tube, meaning 1 computer nolonger takes up an entire room. -
The Williams Tube
The williams tube is an altered cathode-ray tube. A metal detector plate was placed colse to the survice of a tube, and detected changes in the electrical discharges of the tubes. The tubes were either charged (1) or uncharged (0), which was detected and turned into binary code. This was the first version of RAM. -
UNIVAC
The UNIVAC was the first commercialy produced computer. This is a huge step in how technology moved into homes. -
FORTRAN
FORTRAN is the first successful high-level programming language. A high level language is a language closer to human language tham a bunch of 1's and 0's. These high level languages needed to be compiled into machine language however for the computer to understand. -
Integrated Circutry
Jack Curby invented the Integrated Circut in 1958. He was newly employed for Texas Instruments when he was assigned to make smaller electrical circuts. -
Computer Mouse
The computer mouse was invented by Douglas Engelbart. It used two metal wheels to keep track of x and y coordinates and is used with a GUI (Graphical User Interface). -
ARPAnet
The ARPAnet is he grandfather of the internet. It was designed to connect many computers seperated geographically. -
Intel 1103 chip
This was the worlds first availiable dynamic RAM chip. -
First Microprocessor
Intel released the first single-chip microprocessor, The Intel 4004. It was invented by Intel engineers Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff, and Stanley Mazor. The intel 4004 took Integrated circutry down another step by taking all of the computers thinking parts and putting them into one circut. It ran at 108 kHz. -
First Personal Computer
The first personal computers were a big hit, but they came in very intensive kits with a lot of assembly required. -
IBM
The IBM pc is released.