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1300 BCE
Abacus
The abacus was the first calculating tool that was used in ancient Europe, China, and Russia. Created out of wood, metal, rock, and bambusoideae, its purpose was to teach arithmetic to children. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacus -
Napier's Bones
Prior to his death, Napier developed a way to perform multiplication and division. This method used the manipulation of rods made from bone, ivory, wood, or metal and is known as "Napier's Bones." It became well-known in England and western Europe. https://www.encyclopedia.com/computing/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/napiers-bones -
Slide Rule
Created by William Oughtred and based on the logarithms of Napier's Bones, the slide rule performed addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division before electronic calculators. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_rule -
Schickards's Calculators
In 1623, William Schickard built off the idea of Napier's Bones and created the earliest known mechanical four-function calculator. Schickard built two calculators, one was destroyed in a fire and other is lost. The only proof that he designed them was derived from his sketches. https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/calculators/1/47 -
Pascaline
Also called the Arithmetic Machine, the Pascaline was the first calculating machine that was mass produced and used by many. It was designed and built by Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, to perfrom addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. https://www.britannica.com/technology/Pascaline -
Alan Turing Machine
A mathematical model of computation, the Alan Turing Machine manipulates symbols on a tape strip according to the table of rules. Although it may seem like a simple machine, it is able to perform many complex algorithms. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_machine -
First Programmable Computer
In 1938 Konard Zuse made an everlasting mark on history by creating the world's first programmable computer called the Z1. It was the electromechanical binary programmable computer which he created in his parents' living room. https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000984.htm -
Colossus
The Colossus is an electronic digital computer built in World War II to crack German codes. It occupied the size of a living room (7ft high by 17ft wide and 11ft deep) and i
s referred to as the world's first fixed program, digital, electronic computer. https://www.cryptomuseum.com/crypto/colossus/index.htm -
ENIAC
The Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer (ENIAC) was considered the first general-purpose electronic computer. It was used by the United States ARmy's Ballistic Research Laboratory to assist US troops during World War II. https://www.techopedia.com/definition/609/electronic-numerical-integrator-and-computer-eniac -
The First Commercial Modem (Bell 103)
In 1962, AT&T created the first commercial modem called the Bell 103. With a full-duplex transmission, frequency-shift keying and a speed of 300 bps, its main purpose was to hold a telephone's receiver in a cradle. https://www.techradar.com/news/internet/getting-connected-a-history-of-modems-657479 -
Floppy Disk Drive
A floppy disk drive is a magnetic storage device that reads and stores data from computers. Invented in 1967, the floppy disk was one of the first types of hardware storage that could read/write a portable device. https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24861/floppy-disk-drive-fdd -
ARPANET
The ARPANET was the network that became the building blocks for internet. It capitalized on the relatively new idea of sending information in small units called packets that could be sent on various paths to their final destination. https://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/ARPANET -
Intel 4004
In 1971, Ted Hoof and Stanley Mazor the first 4-bit central processing unit (CPU) which was the first available microprocessor and "announced a new era of integrated electronics." https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/history/museum-story-of-intel-4004.html -
Microprocessor
The microprocessor is a normal CPU on a single or few integrated circuits (IC). Despite its size, it was capable of performing all the functions of a larger CPU. This increased the efficiency and made it much more reliable as there were fewer electrical connections that could fail. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microprocessor -
Ethernet
In 1973, Bob Metcalfe created Ethernet which is a way of connecting local computers together to a network or LAN. It provides fast, efficient, and direct connection to a router. https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet -
Memory Card
A memory card or memory cartridge is electronic data storage device that uses flash memory to hold digital information. Memory cards are most commonly used in small, portable devices such as digital cameras, mobile phones, laptops, computers, tablets, and much more. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_card -
TCP/IP
The Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), invented by Robert E. Kahn and Vint Cerf, is a batch of communication protocols that were used to connect network devices on the internet. https://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/TCP-IP -
Mac OS
In 1984, Apple released their operating system called Macintosh System Software which eventually became the Mac OS that we know today. It was designed to be installed on Apple computers to make them unique. In September 2019, Apple released macOS 10.14: Mojave (Liberty) in September 2018 which is their latest version. https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Mac-OS -
Windows OS
In 1985, Microsoft debuted an operating system called Windows as a response to the increasing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Currently, Windows is the most popular operating system for personal computer because it is compatible with most software programs in the market. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows -
The World Wide Web
The World Wide Web (WWW) is an information system that contains documents and various other web resources which are identified by Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). The World Wide Web is accessed over the internet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Web -
DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)
The DVD can store any kind of digital data which makes it widely used for software and other computer files as well as video programs. It is the same size as a CD, but has a much larger storage capacity. https://techterms.com/definition/dvd -
USB Flash Drive
The USB Flash Drive is used to provide storage while maintaining a relatively compact physical size to make it convenient to transport. They are an external way to organize files, instead of taking up valuable storage space on your computer. USB flash drives can hold up to 2TB of storage. https://itstillworks.com/purpose-usb-flash-drive-1130.html -
Windows XP
Windows XP is a personal computer operating system created by Microsoft. It was the successor to the previous version Windows Me and the most important product since Windows 95. https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Windows_XP.html -
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud
The Amazon EC2 provides computing capacity in the Amazon Web Services cloud. It allows you to configure everything from your operating system to your applications. It offers secure and resizable compute capacity in the cloud. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Elastic_Compute_Cloud -
Chrome OS
In 2008, Google created a Linux kernel-based operating system called Chrome OS. It stemmed from the software Chromium OS and prioritizes the Google Chrome web browser while also supporting Chrome Apps. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrome_OS -
Google Cloud Platform
The Google Cloud Platform is a cloud computing service offered by Google. It provides unique tools including computing, data analytics, and machine learning. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Cloud_Platform -
Google App Engine
Google App Engine is a cloud computing platform that is mainly used for developing and hosting web applications within Google-managed data centers. The apps are sandboxed and available across multiple servers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_App_Engine -
Intel Core i5
The Core i5 is a computer processor that was designed and manufactured by Intel to be used in both desktop and laptop computers. It is available as dual-core or quad-core that is commonly found in everyday use computers as it is capable of reaching high speeds without draining the battery. This was also one first implementations of a multicore processor which eventually made it the norm in our current society. https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/c/core-i5.htm -
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing service offered by Microsoft. It is used for various functions including building, testing, deploying, and managing applications or services through the Microsoft-managed data centres. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Azure -
iCloud
iCloud is a cloud computing service from Apple Inc. It is used among apple devices such as their phones, tablets, and computers. It enables users to store data such as documents, photos, and music and access it on various devices. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICloud -
AMD Ryzen Series
Ryzen is a series of microprocessors developed by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). It was created in direct competition with Intel. Before Ryzen, Intel had complete control over the microprocessor market and because of this, no significant progress was made. However, when AMD introduced Ryzen, it created competition with Intel and their processors making each company trying to gain an edge with their technological advancements. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryzen
