TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION.

TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION

Technology in Focus The History of the Personal Computer
Computers are such an integral part of our lives that we don’t often stop to think about how far they’ve come or where they got their start. In just 40 years, computers have evolved from expensive, huge machines that only corporations could own to small, powerful devices that almost anyone can have. In this Technology in Focus feature, we look at the history of the personal computer.

Early Personal Computers The First Personal Computer: The Altair
Altair 8800 sold as a $395 kit No keyboard or monitor Not user-friendly Marked the start of personal computer boom Bill Gates and Paul Allen among the first owners Wrote compiling program and sold to Altair In 1975, the first personal computer, the Altair 8800, was born. At $395 for a do-it-yourself kit, the price was reasonable enough that computer fanatics could finally own their own computers. The Altair was primitive by today’s standards—no keyboard, no monitor, and completely not user-friendly. Despite its limitations, computer enthusiasts flocked to the machine. Bill Gates and Paul Allen were so enamored by the “minicomputer” that they wrote a compiling program for it. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Early Personal Computers The Apple I and II
Built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak Operating system stored in ROM When the Altair was released, Steve Wozniak was dabbling with his own computer design. Steve Jobs liked Wozniak’s prototypes. Together, the two built a personal computer, the Apple I, and formed the Apple Computer Company in A year later, the Apple II was born. One of its biggest innovations was that the operating system was stored in read-only memory. Previously, the operating system had to be rewritten every time the computer was turned on. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Enter the Competition The Osborne: The Birth of Portable Computing
Introduced in 1981 Weighed 24.5 pounds 5-inch screen Cost $1,795 Overnight success Compaq bought Osborne in 1983 The Osborne Company introduced the first portable computer, the Osborne, in (See Figure 1.) Although portable, the computer weighed 24.5 pounds. It featured a minuscule 5-inch screen and carried a price tag of $1,795 (about $4,704 today). The Osborne was an overnight success, and its sales quickly reached 10,000 units per month. However, despite the computer’s popularity, the Osborne Company eventually closed. Compaq bought the Osborne design and in 1983 produced its own portable computer. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Enter the Competition IBM PCs
Prior to 1980: Known for mainframes 1981: Entered small-computer market with IBM PC Sold at retail outlets (Sears) Quickly dominated the market “1982 Machine of the Year” By 1980, IBM primarily made mainframe computers. In 1981, however, IBM released its first personal computer, the IBM PC. Because many companies were familiar with IBM mainframes, they adopted the IBM PC. IBM sold its PC through retail outlets such as Sears to reach home users, and it quickly dominated that market. In January 1983, Time magazine, playing on its annual person of the year issue, named the computer “1982 Machine of the Year.” Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Other Important Advancements The Importance of BASIC
Beginner’s All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code (BASIC) Introduced in 1964 Revolutionized software industry Easily learned by beginning programmers Became key language for PC Led to creation of Microsoft The 1964 introduction of Beginner’s All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code (BASIC) revolutionized the software industry. BASIC was a language that beginning programming students could easily learn. It thus became enormously popular—and the key language of the PC. In fact, Bill Gates and Paul Allen (see Figure 2) used BASIC to write their program for the Altair. As noted earlier, this program led to the creation of Microsoft, a company that produced computer software. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Other Important Advancements Advent of Operating Systems
1980: Microsoft developed MS-DOS Operating system for IBM PCs Modified by Bill Gates PCs using Intel chip used MS-DOS Microsoft’s reign had begun In 1980, when IBM was entering the personal computer market, it approached Bill Gates at Microsoft to write an OS program for the IBM PC. Microsoft reconsidered the opportunity to write an OS program and developed MS-DOS for IBM computers. Eventually, virtually all PCs running on the Intel chip used MS-DOS as their OS. Microsoft’s reign as one of the dominant players in the personal computer landscape had begun. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
Other Important Advancements The Software Application Explosion: VisiCalc and Beyond Including floppy disk drives set off an explosion of software applications Because the floppy disk was a convenient way to distribute software, its inclusion in personal computers set off an application software explosion. Figure 4 shows several examples. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

The Graphical User Interface and the Internet Boom Xerox and Apple’s Lisa and Macintosh Graphical user interface (GUI) allowed easier interaction Replaced command- or menu-driven interfaces Not invented by a computer company Apple was first to take commercial advantage of GUI Another important advancement in personal computers was the introduction of the graphical user interface (GUI), which allowed users to interact with the computer more easily. Until that time, users had to use complicated command- or menu-driven interfaces. Apple was the first company to take full commercial advantage of the GUI, but the GUI was not invented by a computer company. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

The Graphical User Interface and the Internet Boom Xerox and Apple’s Lisa and Macintosh Xerox Alto (1972) Introduced “What You See Is What You Get” (WYSIWYG) File management system with directories and folders Mouse and network connectivity Never sold commercially In 1972 Xerox was designing a personal computer of its own. The Alto included a word processor, based on the What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) principle, that incorporated a file management system with directories and folders. It also had a mouse and could connect to a network. None of the other personal computers of the time had these features. For a variety of reasons, Xerox never sold the Alto commercially. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

The Graphical User Interface and the Internet Boom Xerox and Apple’s Lisa and Macintosh Apple Lisa (1983) First successful PC using GUI Windows, dropdown menus, icons, a file system with folders and files Very expensive In 1983, Apple introduced the Lisa, the first successful personal computer brought to market that used a GUI. Jobs had seen the Alto during a visit to Xerox. He incorporated a similar user interface into the Lisa, such as windows, dropdown menus, icons, a file system with folders and files, and a point-and-click device called a mouse. The problem with the Lisa was its price. At $9,995, few buyers were willing to take the plunge. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

The Graphical User Interface and the Internet Boom Xerox and Apple’s Lisa and Macintosh Apple Macintosh (1984) 1/3 cost of Lisa Introduced 3½-inch floppy disk A year later, in 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh, shown in Figure 7. The Macintosh was everything the Lisa was and then some, at about a third of the cost. The Macintosh was also the first personal computer to utilize 3.5-inch floppy disks with a hard cover, which were smaller and sturdier than the previous 5.25-inch floppies. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

The Graphical User Interface and the Internet Boom The Internet Boom
Mosaic Web browser Introduced in 1993 Netscape Navigator Netscape 1994 Internet Explorer Microsoft 1995 In 1993, the web browser Mosaic was introduced. This browser allowed users to view multimedia on the web, causing Internet traffic to increase by nearly 350%. in 1994, a team of developers launched the Netscape web browser, which soon became a predominant player in browser software. in 1995, Microsoft introduced Internet Explorer, a browser that integrated web functionality into Microsoft Office applications, and Windows 95, the first Microsoft OS designed to be principally a GUI OS. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers The Pascalene Calculator and the Jacquard Loom The Pascalene Calculator First accurate mechanical calculator Created by Blaise Pascal in 1642 Used gears to count by tens Can add, subtract, multiply, and divide Basic design used in mechanical calculators for 300 years The Pascalene was the first accurate mechanical calculator. This machine, created by the French mathematician Blaise Pascal in 1642, used revolutions of gears, like odometers in cars, to count by tens. The Pascalene could be used to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. The basic design of the Pascalene was so sound that it lived on in mechanical calculators for more than 300 years. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers The Pascalene Calculator and the Jacquard Loom Jacquard Loom Created by Joseph Jacquard Revolutionized fabric industry Cards had punched holes; weaving complex patterns Process then used in computers using punch cards Nearly 200 years later, Joseph Jacquard revolutionized the fabric industry by creating a machine that automated the weaving of complex patterns. Although not a counting or calculating machine, the Jacquard loom (shown in Figure 8) was significant because it relied on stiff cards with punched holes to automate the weaving process. Much later, this punch-card process would be adopted as a means for computers to record and read data. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers Babbage’s Engines and the Hollerith Tabulating Machine Analytical Engine: 1834 Designed by Charles Babbage First automatic calculator Based on Difference Engine Never developed Drawings and descriptions similar to today’s computers In 1834, Charles Babbage designed the first automatic calculator, the Analytical Engine. It was based on another machine called the Difference Engine, which was a steam-powered mechanical calculator designed to print astronomical tables. Although the Analytical Engine was never developed, Babbage’s drawings and descriptions of the machine include components similar to those in today’s computers, including the store (akin to RAM) and the mill (a central processing unit) as well as input and output devices. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers Babbage’s Engines and the Hollerith Tabulating Machine 1890: Created by Herman Hollerith Automatically read data from punch cards 1896: Hollerith started the Tabulating Machine Company Became International Business Machines (IBM) In 1890, Herman Hollerith was the first to take Jacquard’s punch-card concept and apply it to computing with his Hollerith Tabulating Machine. Hollerith’s tabulating machine automatically read data that had been punched onto small punch cards, speeding up the tabulation process. Hollerith’s machine became so successful that he left the Census Bureau in 1896 to start the Tabulating Machine Company. His company later changed its name to International Business Machines, or IBM. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers The Z1, the Atanasoff–Berry Computer, and the Harvard Mark I Z1 (1936) Created by Konrad Zuse Mechanical calculator Included control unit and separate memory functions Important breakthrough for future computer design German inventor Konrad Zuse is credited with a number of computing inventions. His first, in 1936, was a mechanical calculator called the Z1. The Z1 is thought to be the first computer to include certain features integral to today’s systems, such as a control unit and separate memory functions. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers The Z1, the Atanasoff–Berry Computer, and the Harvard Mark I Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC) (1939) Created by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry First electrically powered digital computer Used vacuum tubes to store data First computer to use the binary system Memory repowered itself upon booting In 1939, John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry built the first electrically powered digital computer, called the Atanasoff–Berry Computer. The computer was the first to use vacuum tubes to store data. Most importantly, the ABC was the first computer to use the binary system and to have memory that repowered itself upon booting. The design of the ABC would be central to that of future computers. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers The Z1, the Atanasoff–Berry Computer, and the Harvard Mark I Created by Howard Aiken and Grace Hopper Used by U.S. Navy for ballistic and gunnery calculations Hopper’s greatest contributions: Inventing compiler Coining term computer bug Howard Aiken and Grace Hopper designed the Mark series of computers used by the U.S. Navy for ballistic and gunnery calculations. Hopper's greatest contribution was the invention of the compiler, a program that translates English-language instructions into computer language. Hopper first “debugged” a computer when she removed a moth from the Harvard Mark I that had caused the computer to break down. After that, problems that caused a computer not to run were called bugs. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers The Turing Machine, the ENIAC, and the UNIVAC Turing machine 1936 by Alan Turing Abstract computer model: performed logical operations Hypothetical model: mathematically defined mechanical procedure Infinite tape could be read, written to, and erased; precursor to today’s RAM In 1936, Alan Turing created an abstract computer model that could perform logical operations. The Turing Machine was not a real machine but rather a hypothetical model that mathematically defined a mechanical procedure (or algorithm). Turing described how the machine could read, write, or erase symbols written on squares of an infinite paper tape. This concept of an infinite tape that could be read, written to, and erased was the precursor to today’s RAM. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers The Turing Machine, the ENIAC, and the UNIVAC Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) First successful high-speed electronic digital computer Big and clumsy Used 18,000 vacuum tubes Filled 1,800 square feet The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was another U.S. government-sponsored machine developed to calculate the settings used for weapons. Created by John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, it was put into operation in 1944. Although the ENIAC is generally thought of as the first successful high-speed electronic digital computer, it was big and clumsy. The ENIAC used nearly 18,000 vacuum tubes and filled approximately 1,800 square feet of floor space. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers The Turing Machine, the ENIAC, and the UNIVAC Universal Automatic Computer First commercially successful digital computer Used magnetic tape, not punch cards Considered first-generation computer Last to use vacuum tubes to store data The Universal Automatic Computer, or UNIVAC, was the first commercially successful electronic digital computer. Completed in 1951, the UNIVAC operated on magnetic tape, setting it apart from its competitors, which ran on punch cards. The UNIVAC and computers like it were considered first-generation computers and were the last to use vacuum tubes to store data. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers Transistors and Beyond Transistors (1945) Invented at Bell Telephone Laboratories Replaced vacuum tubes Smaller and more powerful than tubes Considered second-generation computers Limited to how small they could be made Only a year after the ENIAC was completed, scientists at the Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey invented the transistor, another means to store data. The transistor replaced the bulky vacuum tubes of earlier computers and was smaller and more powerful than tubes. It was used in almost everything, from radios to phones. Computers that used transistors were referred to as second-generation computers. Still, transistors were limited as to how small they could be made. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers Transistors and Beyond Integrated circuits (1958) Invented by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments Small chip containing thousands of transistors Enabled computers to become smaller and lighter Considered third-generation computers A few years later, in 1958, Jack Kilby, while working at Texas Instruments, invented the world’s first integrated circuit, a small chip capable of containing thousands of transistors. This consolidation in design enabled computers to become smaller and lighter. The computers in this early integrated-circuit generation were considered third-generation computers. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers Transistors and Beyond Intel Corporation—1971 Chip contained millions of transistors Functioned as central processing unit (CPU) Intel and Motorola became leading manufacturers Considered fourth-generation computers In 1971 Intel Corporation introduced the microprocessor chip, a small chip containing millions of transistors. The microprocessor functions as the central processing unit (CPU), or brains, of the computer. Computers that use a microprocessor chip are called fourth-generation computers. Over time, Intel and Motorola became the leading manufacturers of microprocessors. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

Making the Personal Computer Possible: Early Computers Transistors and Beyond First-generation (1951) Used vacuum tubes Second-generation (1945) Used transistors Third-generation (1958) Used integrated circuits Fourth-generation (1971–today) Use microprocessor chip Computers have been classified into four generations. The first generation, including the UNIVAC, used vacuum tubes for memory. The second generation used transistors. Integrated circuits were the hallmark of third-generation computers. Fourth-generation computers use the microprocessor chip. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.

? Questions

Copyright All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.

TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION.

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION."— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback

Log in

Auth with social network:

TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION.

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION."— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback