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without personal computer, smartphone smartwatch or smartband. But lets take a look to the begining of
hierarchy of computers.
Boolean logic for future computers. Called the Model K Adder because he built it
1937 on his Kitchen table, this simple demonstration circuit provides proof of concept for
applying Boolean logic to the design of computers, resulting in construction of the
relay-based Model I Complex Calculator in 1939.
NPL Pilot ACE completed. Based on ideas from Alan Turing, Britains Pilot
1950 ACE computer is constructed at the National Physical Laboratory. "We are
trying to build a machine to do all kinds of different things simply by
programming rather than by the addition of extra apparatus," Turing said at a
symposium on large-scale digital calculating machinery in 1947 in
Cambridge, Massachusetts. The design packed 800 vacuum tubes into a
relatively compact 12 square feet.
IAS computer operational. The Institute of Advanced Study (IAS)
1950 computer is a multi-year research project conducted under the overall
supervision of world-famous mathematician John von Neumann. The notion
of storing both data and instructions in memory became known as the stored
program concept to distinguish it from earlier methods of instructing a
computer. The IAS computer was designed for scientific calculations and it
performed essential work for the US atomic weapons program.
IBM ships its Model 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine. Also known
1953 inside IBM as the Defense Calculator," the 701 rented for $15,000 a month.
Programmer Arthur Samuels used the 701 to write the first computer program
designed to play checkers. The 701 introduction also marked the beginning of
IBMs entry into the large-scale computer market, a market it came to dominate
in later decades.
IBM 650 magnetic drum calculator introduced. IBM establishes the 650 as its
1954 first mass-produced computer, with the company selling 450 in just one year.
Spinning at 12,500 rpm, the 650s magnetic data-storage drum allowed much
faster access to stored information than other drum-based machines. The Model
650 was also highly popular in universities, where a generation of students first
learned programming.
IBM Introduces 1400 series. The 1401 mainframe, the first in the series, replaces
1961 earlier vacuum tube technology with smaller, more reliable transistors. Demand
called for more than 12,000 of the 1401 computers, and the machines success made
a strong case for using general-purpose computers rather than specialized systems.
By the mid-1960s, nearly half of all computers in the world were IBM 1401s.
Micral. Based on the Intel 8008 microprocessor, the Micral is one of the
1973 earliest commercial, non-kit personal computers. Designer Thi Truong
developed the computer while Philippe Kahn wrote the software. Truong,
founder and president of the French company R2E, created the Micral as a
replacement for minicomputers in situations that did not require high
performance, such as process control and highway toll collection.
Tandy Radio Shack introduces its TRS-80. Performing far better than the
1977 company projections of 3,000 units for the first year, in the first month after
its release Tandy Radio Shacks first desktop computer the TRS-80
sells 10,000 units. The TRS-80 was priced at $599.95, included a Z80
microprocessor, video display, 4 KB of memory, a built-in BASIC
programming language interpreter, cassette storage, and easy-to-understand
manuals that assumed no prior knowledge on the part of the user. The TRS-
80 proved popular with schools, as well as for home use. The TRS-80 line of computers later included
color, portable, and handheld versions before being discontinued in the early 1990s.
The first Newton of Apple. Apple enters the handheld computer market with the Newton.
1993 Dubbed a Personal Data Assistant by Apple President John Scully in 1992, the Newton
featured many of the features that would define handheld computers in the following
decades. The handwriting recognition software was much maligned for inaccuracy. The
Newton line never performed as well as hoped and was discontinued in 1998.
IBM releases the ThinkPad. Officially known as the Track Write, the
1995 automatically expanding full-sized keyboard used by the ThinkPad 701 is
designed by inventor John Karidis. The keyboard was comprised of three
roughly triangular interlocking pieces, which formed a full-sized keyboard
when the laptop was opened -- resulting in a keyboard significantly wider
than the case. This keyboard design was dubbed the Butterfly. The need
for such a design was lessened as laptop screens grew wider.
The iMac, a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers, is
2000 launched. Apple makes a splash with its Bondi Blue iMac, which
sells for about $1,300. Customers got a machine with a 233-MHz G3
processor, 4GB hard drive, 32MB of RAM, a CD-ROM drive, and a
15" monitor. The machine was noted for its ease-of-use and included
a 'manual' that contained only a few pictures and less than 20 words.
The first smartphone. Apple launches the iPhone - a combination of web browser, music
2007 player and cell phone - which could download new functionality in the form of "apps"
k (applications) from the online Apple store. The touchscreen enabled smartphone also had
built-in GPS navigation, high-definition camera, texting, calendar, voice dictation, and
weather reports.
Apple watch. Building a computer into the watch form factor has been
2015 attempted many times but the release of the Apple Watch leads to a new
k level of excitement. Incorporating a version of Apple's iOS operating
system, as well as sensors for environmental and health monitoring, the
Apple Watch was designed to be incorporated into the Apple
environment with compatibility with iPhones and Mac Books. Almost a
million units were ordered on the day of release. The Watch was received with great enthusiasm, but
critics took issue with the somewhat limited battery life and high price.