Computer is an indispensable tool in modern society, and its development process is also a history of the evolution of science and technology. From the original calculator to the current Internet era, the development of computers spans half a century, let's take a look at this amazing history.
First, the era of calculators
The development of computers began in the 40s of the 20th century, when computers were still huge machines with limited functions and could only perform simple mathematical calculations. However, the emergence of these calculators has provided people with more accurate and efficient calculation tools, which has greatly promoted the development of science and technology.
In 1946, the world's first electronic computer "ENIAC" was born, which was up to 30 tons in size, covered an area of 1800 square feet, and required hundreds of technicians to maintain. Although its size and power consumption are large, its calculation speed has reached the top level at the time, and it can complete 5,000 additions per second.
With the popularity of calculators, people began to try to use them for business and scientific computing. In 1951, IBM introduced the first commercial calculator, which can complete basic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, which provides convenience for commercial calculations.
Second, the era of personal computers
In the 1960s, with the development of integrated circuit technology, computers began to become more miniaturized and popular. In 1965, Intel introduced the first integrated circuit chip, which marked the advent of the personal computer era.
In 1971, Intel introduced the first microprocessor chip "4004", which consumed only 0.6 watts, but its computing speed has reached the speed of 1080 instruction executions. The introduction of this chip opened a new era of personal computers.
In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft and introduced the first personal computer operating system, "Altair BASIC", which was one of the important milestones in the history of personal computers. With the popularity of personal computers, people began to realize the potential and value of computers, and computers began to penetrate into people's lives.
In 1981, IBM introduced the first personal computer "IBM PC", which became the representative of personal computers and established IBM's position in the field of personal computers. At the same time, Microsoft launched the first graphical operating system "Windows", which made the computer's operating interface more friendly and easy to use.
Third, the Internet era
In the 1990s, the development of Internet technology made computers more intelligent and interconnected. In 1991, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, which marked the dawn of the Internet era.
With the popularity of the Internet, computers began to be closely integrated with the Internet, and people can access various resources on the Internet through computers to achieve information sharing and communication. In 1995, Amazon launched its first online shopping platform, one of the major milestones in the development of e-commerce.
In 2001, Apple introduced its first iPod player, which marked the beginning of Apple's foray into digital entertainment. In 2007, Apple launched the first iPhone smartphone, which completely changed people's lifestyles and ushered in the era of smartphones.
Today, computers have become an indispensable part of people's lives, and its development process is also the history of scientific and technological progress. In the future, the development of computers will be more intelligent, interconnected and humane, let's wait and see.