-
John Atanasoff
He designed and is credited with inventing the first digital electronic computer at Iowa State College. This started the dynasty of the PC. It was created because the technology was there, and it gave everyone access to do things they couldn't before. Link text -
First Generation Computers
These computers started with the group ENIAC, and were very large in size, required magnetic drums for memory and vacuum tubes that worked as amplifiers and switches. These were the first types of simple PCs in the world. This was created at the Census Bureau in Maryland by Lee De Forest.
1940-1956
Link text -
Second Generation Computers
These computers were evolved by J. Bardeen, H.W. Brattain, and W. Shockley and got rid of vacuum tubes and replaced them with transistors, this allowed them to use less electricity and generate less heat, were considerably smaller than the first generation. These were the second types of simple PCs in the world. These were started at the Philco Corporation in Pennsylvania.
1956-1963
Link text -
Third Generation Computers
These computers were evolved by Jack Kilby and went through significant changes in speed and integrated circuits, which were large numbers of of mini transistors packed on silicon chips, which made them faster, smaller, less expensive, and more powerful. These were the third types of simple PCs in the world. The first computers of this generation were created in North Castle, New York.
1964-1971
Link text -
Fourth Generation Computers
Manufacturers could place millions of transistors on a single circuit chip, this generation saw the creation of even smaller computers including laptops, and handheld devices, computer memory and storage improved as well, with an increase in in speed storage capacity. These were the fourth type of computers which led to PCs being more complex. Ted Coff is credited for inventing these.
1971-2000
Link text -
First portable computer
Adam Osborne invents the first portable computer. This allowed people to take their computers places they couldn't before. This was invented at the West Coast Computer Faire at San Francisco's Brooks Hall. It was created because people wanted to carry their PCs around, and the big bulky PCs they had, couldn't be carried around.
Link text -
Windows was created
Bill Gates announced the creation of Windows at the Microsoft Corporation, which is a computer operating system with a graphical user interface. The software is known world wide in the PC business. This was created because their was a growing interest in GUIs, so they responded with a graphical operating system shell. Windows was created in Redmond, Washington.
Link text -
World Wide Web created
The World Wide Web was launched on August 6, 1991 by Robert Cailliau and Tim Berners-Lee. Information could now be passed on computers around the world in seconds. It was created so everyone that owned a device that could connect to the internet, to get information from around the world in seconds. This was created in Geneva, Switzerland.
Link text -
Google was created
Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded google at Menley Park, California. Google has now become the most used search engine. This was created in order to organize information on the internet and help users find the information they were looking for.
Link text -
WiFi
The term Wi-Fi becomes part of the computing language and users began connecting with the Internet without wires. WiFi was created by Terence Percival, John Deane, Graham Daniels, John O'Sullivan, and Diethelm Ostry. This could help the use of portable PCs using the internet. This was created because people could connect to the internet without having cables and everything hooked up to a PC. WiFi was created at Gwinnet County, Georgia.
Link text -
iPhone created
Steve Jobs released the first iPhone on January 9, 2007 at the Macworld convention. This was the beginning of one of the most popular mobile phone lines. This was created because Tony Fadell , who created the iPod, didn't like the idea, so the iPhone was created, to combine the iPod with a cell phone.
Link text -
Fifth Generation Computers
The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum computation and molecular nanotechnology will change the face of computers in years to come. We will use these computers and and are using them right now. Jim Maddox is credited for startingthem and they were created at Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
2010-present/future
Link text -
Driverless Cars
An autonomous car is a vehicle that is capable of sensing its environment and navigating without human input. This is being created because it will reduce the amount of crashes on the road. The Waymo Company is creating these and located in Mountain View, California.
2018-2020
Link text -
Eye-controlled PCs
Using your eyes to play games on a PC or waving your hand to navigate the desktop will be mainstream. This is being created because we will have the technology for it and it will help the disabled with interacting with PCs. Tobii Assistive Technology is creating this in Sweden.
Link text -
WiGig
A standard for wireless gigabit data links currently supported by Dell and HP. WiGig can connect monitors and hard drives to your PC sans cable. This is being created because people had gotten stubborn with the slow WiFi connections/uploading, and this will make uploading things faster. Apple and other big companies combined to create the program WiGig.
Link text -
Bibliography
Wikipedia.org, livescience.com, columbia.edu, nortonsecurityonline.com, members.iinet.au, tutorialspoint.com, webopedia.com, businessinsider.com, pcmag.com, members.iinet.au, timetoast.com, webfounding.com, imore.com, theverge.com, wired.com, inventors.about.com, reference.com
