Computers in the 1900s
Computers started to take their modern form in the 1900s. Technology had somewhat advanced, but computers were still not very powerful back then. Computers increased in size, back then taking up a whole room instead of a small fraction. Some of these computers were essential in the world wars on both sides of the war. Many breakthroughs in computer technology were evident during this time. Without the work of many computer pioneers, computers would not be able to do the many things they can do today.
1930s: Zuse And The First Programmable Computer
The twentieth century was also the time when the first programmable computer was created. In the 1930s, Konrad Zuse, a German civil engineer, created the first programmable computer, called the Z1. The Z1 used punch tape, which was essentially multiple punch cards stuck together. It was the first computer to be programmed in binary, just like today’s computers. Zeus would eventually use this computer and the other computers he made to help the Nazi party in World War II.
Zuse's Z1 computer
Source: computerhope.com
1936: The Turing Machine
Around the same time, Alan Turing, a computer scientist, developed the Turing machine in 1936. This machine became the foundation for all computer theories. This machine helped investigate the limitations and areas of what can be computed. Without the discovery and creation of this machine, computers would be far from what they are today.
The Turing Machine
Image by Rocky Acosta
1942: The First Digital/Electric Computer
In the mid-twentieth century, computers started using electricity. In 1942, the Atanasoff-Berry Computer, or ABC was created but was a rather questionable piece of technology as this computer was not programmable. This computer ran on electricity In 1946, the ENIAC computer was created at the University of Pennsylvania. Although the ABC is considered the first digital computer due to a judge's ruling, many people consider the ENIAC the first digital computer. The ENIAC took up a whopping 1800 square feet, which is the size of a small home. This computer was also very heavy, weighing around fifty tons, and used many vacuum tubes for digital computation.
The ENIAC Computer
Source: Britannica Encyclopedia
1948: Computers being able to store programs electronically
Instead of having to write and store programs for later use, computers could now store programs electronically. In 1948, three engineers created the Small-Scale Experimental Machine or SSEM. This machine was able to store programs electronically and execute them. The EDSAC was also an important computer used to store programs. It was also the first computer to execute a graphical game played on a six-inch screen.
The SSEM Computer, also known as Manchester Baby
Source: history-computer.com
1955: Computers using Random Access Memory(RAM)
Computers first integrated the use of RAM in the 1900s. In 1955, MIT introduced the Whirlwind machine which was the first computer to use graphics and RAM.
People operating the Whirlwind machine
Source: wired.com
Mid-Late 1900s: The creation of computer companies.
It was around this time when computer companies were also established. The Electronic Controls Company, founded by the individuals who created the ENIAC computer, was founded in 1949. This company released several computers in its lifetime. Although IBM and HP were founded thirty-eight years and ten years prior respectively, they did not create their first computer until 1953 and 1966 respectively. Toshiba started selling computer products in 1954, Microsoft in 1975, and Apple in 1976. Compaq started selling computer products in 1983 and Dell in 1985.
Apple
Late 1900s: The First Desktop Computers and Workstations
The 1900s were when the first workstation and desktop PC and laptop were established. In 1964, the first desktop computer, the Programma 101 was revealed at New York’s World Fair. This desktop had a price tag of $3200 and 44000 units were sold. The Xerox Alto was introduced in 1974 and was considered to be the first workstation. This computer was revolutionary at the time and featured a keyboard, display, and mouse, along with an operating system. The first laptop was released in 1975 by IBM. Unlike modern laptops, it was a heavy piece of tech, weighing a whopping fifty-five pounds. It included a five-inch screen, a tape drive, a processor, and some RAM. The first truly portable computer was created in 1981. It weighed half as much as the IBM laptop, had the same screen size, and the same amount of memory, but came with a floppy disk drive and a modem. In 1994, IBM released the IBM ThinkPad, which has the form factor of modern laptops.
The Xerox Alto
Source: computerhistory.org