Computer History

1946

- The first electronic, Programmable, general-purpose computer was invented. It was ENIAC for “Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer”.

- Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) allocated money towards creating a computer network. It became ARPANET, which evolved into the internet (1967).

1960’s

- The “floppy disk” was introduced by IBM as a means of affordable portable storage (1968).

- The Altair entered the market. It was the first widely sold personal microcomputer (1971).

- The earlier pioneers of PC merge; Atari, Commodore, Digital, IBM, Timex and Wang (1974 –79).

1970’s

- Microsoft was founded by 20 year old Bill Gates and 22 year old Paul Allen (1975).

- The Apple II, Apple’s first fully packaged system with a keyboard was introduced (1975).

1980’s

- IBM launches a new line of PCs using a new operating system called Windows (1985).

- Other companies jump on the IBM/windows band wagon launching clones of IBM PC’s, notable companies – Compaq, Gateway, Packard Bell, Hewlett Packard, Toshiba, Micron, Digital, and Dell.

- Industry consolidation begins, Digital buys Wang, Compaq buys Digital, and Acer buys Packard Bell.

1990’s

- The World Wide Web was first launched with one server British physicist Tim Burner Lee. He also created Uniform Resource Locators (URL), the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTP), and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

- Consolidation continues; HP buys Compaq, Lenovo buys IBM’s PC division, Gateway buys eMachines, Acer buys Gateway.

2000’s

- The one billionth Personal Computer was shipped to store in April 2002, according to research firm Gartner.

- Low cost PCs emerge, netbooks and smartbooks

- Smartphones begin to compete with PCs.

- Apple launches the iPad.

2010’s

- Android operating system gets integrated into PC platform.

- Emergence of Cloud Computing.