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Computers in the 1900s were electromechanical devices that used relays and vacuum tubes to perform calculations. -
In the 1910s, the Analytical Engine was a partially completed mechanical computing device that was designed to be programmable and perform a variety of calculations -
In the 1920s, computers were devices that performed the work of human calculators, and were referred to as computing machines. -
Computers in the 1930s were electro-mechanical devices that were either analog or digital. -
Computers in the 1940s were electronic devices that used vacuum tubes, magnetic drums, and magnetic tapes as their main components. -
Computers in the 1950s were primarily used to solve complex math problems and were considered calculators. -
The typical PDP-1 computer system, which sells for about $120,000, includes a cathode ray tube graphic display, paper tape input/output, needs no air conditioning and requires only one operator; all of which become standards for minicomputers. -
In the 1970s, computers were primarily large mainframes and smaller minicomputers -
Computers in the 1980s were primitive by today's standards, but they were considered futuristic marvels at the time -
Computers in the 1990s were large, bulky, and not very user-friendly. They had large monitors and keyboards, and were used for basic tasks like word processing and playing simple games. -
All home PC's in the year 2000 had a CD or DVD drive, usually writable or re-writable, as well as a 3.5" floppy drive. Internet was slow for most people in 2000 and downloading most large things off the internet wasn't possible. -
Size: Smaller computers, about the size of a Frisbee, were becoming available. Speed: The Tianhe 1, developed by the Chinese National University of Defense Technology, had a peak speed of over a petaflop, or one thousand trillion calculations per second. Cost: Computer manufacturers were focusing on value over flash, with a greater emphasis on low-cost PCs like Netbooks. -
2024 is shaping up to be a significant year for the personal computer, with the Windows 11 transition, the introduction of AI-enabled PCs with Intel's new 14th generation Core Ultra processor, and further initiatives for Copilot from Microsoft; reaffirming that the PC industry is doubling down on AI.