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The first practical computing machine was the abacus, created by the Babylonians before the time of Christ and perfected by the Chinese.
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John Napier invented "Napier's Bones" which was a set of rods used to perform complex calculations.
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During the 17th centure, Blaise Pascal invented a machine that could perform simple calculations. Pascal's machine could add numbers up to eight digits.
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The earliest calculating machines were improved and made available commercially and were used in industry.
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Joseph-Mairc Jacquard developed a weaving loom that used punched cards to replicate designs; the earliest form of computer input.
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Charles Babbage invented the "difference engine" in 1832; it was the first machine to approximate the idea of a computer (input-execute-output).
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Herman Hollerith created a punched card calculator to help with the US census in 1890.
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In 1906, Lee De Forest invented the electronic tube, a device that is counted among three items said to be technological advances key to computer industry.
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During World War II, the forerunners of modern computers were built to break German codes.
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Howard H. Aiken created the first programmed controlled calculator.
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At Bell Laboratories in 1947, engineers William B. Shockley, Walter H. Brattain, and John Bardeen developed the first transistor.
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The Institue for Advanced Study created the first computer, EDVAC, that used magnetic tape for storage.
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In 1958, the first integrated circuit which led to the introduction of the modern day chip.
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Grace Hopper served in the Navy for many years and developed a high level language compiler. She even found the first computer bug: a moth preventing the computer from running properly.
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The first microprocessors were developed in the early 1970s.
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The Cray 1 was the first supercomputer to be made available for purchase.
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In March of 1976, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs built their first computer: Apple I
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In 1980, Microsoft was asked to write an operating system for a new PC. They bought QDOS from another company and modified it to be released with the IBM PC. Within several years, the two owners of Microsoft were among the wealthiest in the world and Microsoft boomed.
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Speculation has arisen about the future fifth generation of computers. They will surely be faster and more efficient, but will they include "Beam me up, Scotty"? Only time will tell as computer industry continues to move forward!
