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The Floppy Disk
The first floppy disk invented by Dave Noble and Al Shugart (at IBM), was the basic technology that is used to store/backup/transfer data. This particular one was used for almost 30 years, but gave way to 2 more versions of this that were harder than plastic and more compact that continued to be the standard through, and all have been used for the same reason and for personal computers too. These led to what we use today such as USB flash drives and memory cards. -
Intel 4004
The world's first single-chip general-purpose programmable microprocessor was invented by the startup company Intel (only 3 years old at the time). Original idea by Ted Hoff, lead designer was Federico Faggin. This device enhanced computer technology because it delivered the same computing power as the first electronic computer that filled an entire room. It could be used as a building block that engineers could purchase and customize to perform different functions in many devices. -
Pong (Video Games Arrive)
The first commercially successful video game, Pong, was created by Al Alcorn in the company Atari. It was a video game based on ping pong/table tennis where each player uses a controller dial to control the vertical position of a bat on screen to bounce a ball to the other side. This enhanced technology because it gave way for the multi-billion-dollar gaming industry that we enjoy and love today (for companies such as companies like Activision and Nintendo). -
Ethernet
This is a wired system that uses a coaxial cable to connect devices to a local network, which was invented by Bob Metcalfe because it was simple/fast/cheap (using common cables). It has evolved since then where it is much faster and uses different cables than coaxial, but we use Ethernet still today mostly for connecting a WiFi router/modem to the internet entry port or telephone line. -
The Altair
The Altair was the first personal computer that grabbed real attention, designed by Ed Roberts. It was a kit you had to build yourself that had 256 bytes of RAM, a set of toggle switches, and an LED panel, based on Intel's 8-bit 8080 processor. It didn't have a keyboard, screen, or floppy disk drives but you could add those using expansion cards. This invention paved the way for future personal microcomputers and led to the creation of the company Microsoft.
