Hardware History Timeline

  • first generations of computers

    1940-1956
    the first generation of computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and was often enormous, taking up entire rooms.
  • 6) Antanasoff-Berry-Computer (ABC) was invented by John Vincent Atanasoff and graduate student Cliff Berry

  • the second generation of computers

    Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers.
  • third generation of computers

    the development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
  • The chief engineer who designed the initial version of the PDP-8 was Edson de Castro

  • fourth generation of computers

    The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand.
  • E-books were invented by Michael Hart

  • Ed Roberts, the "father of the microcomputer" designed the first microcomputer

  • Founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak effectively created Apple Computers on April 1

  • IBM PC (International Business Machines personal computer) was invented by a team of engineers and designers under the direction of Don Estridge

  • 12) Nintendo was invented by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it originally produced handmade hanafuda cards

  • 5th generation of computers