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Analytical Engine
This device was created by Charles Babbage in 1833, and is considered by many to be the first computer. Although it was never built due to lack of funding, the concepts proposed by Babbage laid the groundwork for future computer hardware, such as calculating units, data storage, and input and output via a reader and printer. -
Computer Punch Cards
This machine was created by Herman Hollerith to make tabulating census data more efficient. Instead of writing everything by hand, stiff paper cards with patterns of holes were used to convey information. The system was later implemented for many data processing applications. -
Turing Machine
This machine was invented in 1936 by Alan Turing. Then called an automatic machine, it was a computation device that operated via symbols drawn on a long piece of memory tape. It is an idealized model of a CPU. -
Hewlett-Packard (HP) Company
A computer company founded in 1939 by Stanford graduates William Hewlett and David Packard. Beginning work in smaller devices such as audio oscillators and high-speed frequency counters for radio and television broadcast, they broke in the mainstream with the creation of the first desktop calculator in 1968. Currently, they focus in personal computer and printer creation. -
COBOL (Computer Business-Oriented Language)
This language was born thanks in part to making programmers' lives easier. Created by Rear Admiral Grace and her team, COBOL expanded on the idea of a compiler (a translation of programmer's instructions into computer codes) by making a data processor that utilized the English language. The language became the standard until as recently as the 2000s. -
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Although a graphical component of computers had been proposed by Vannevar Bush in the early 1930s, the first person to actually construct such a machine was Douglas Englebart. Influenced by Bush's writings, he and his team demoed a display system to the public in 1968. This machine was based on vector graphics technology. Not only was this the first real example of a GUI, but also of peripherals now known as a keyboard and mouse. -
Apple Computer Company
Apple as we know it was created by HP intern Stephen G. Woznaik and his friend Steve Jobs, mostly as the result of Woznaik's frustrations with HP's disinterest with his designs for a new microcomputer. The then small company created the first successful microcomputer that appealed to the average person by adding an attractive plastic case and color display. -
Microsoft Windows
A computer operating system created by Microsoft in 1985 to run on personal computers. It was the first GUI available for IBM PCs. -
World Wide Web
Global information accessible to computer users when connected to the Internet. The World Wide Web was created by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, and became accessible to the general public by the mid 90s. -
Wi-Fi
A protocol used mainly for accessing the internet and local devices via radio waves. A device that utilizes wifi exchanges data wirelessly with the network. The Wi-Fi Alliance released the first version of the protocol in 1997, and is the main form of digital communication today. -
iPhone
This smartphone was released in 2007, and was created by Apple as a way to consolidate the digital devices a person needed to carry (BlackBerry, phone, MP3 player, etc). The iPhone was a touchscreen based phone with few buttons and has been a mainstay in the phone market since. -
Chromebook
These tablets and laptops were launched in 2011 as Google's first foray into the computer manufacturing business. The Chromebook ran on ChromeOS, and as of 2020 has surpassed the Mac platform in market share. -
Apple Watch
Originally announced along with the iPhone 6, this smartwatch was a wearable device that was mainly used for fitness and health tracking. When it was finally released in April 2015, it also included communication functionality that synced with other Apple products.