The Story Of The Computer

By panosvas
  • Period: 3000 BCE to 1000

    Early Tools for Calculation

  • 2700 BCE

    Abacus

    Abacus
    The first known tool for computation, used in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China for arithmetic.
  • 1360

    Astrolabes and Mechanical Clocks

    Astrolabes and Mechanical Clocks
    Devices for astronomical calculations and timekeeping in the medieval Islamic world and Europe
  • Period: to

    17th Century – Early Mechanical Devices

  • Slide Rule

    Slide Rule
    Developed by William Oughtred, it used logarithms for complex calculations.

  • Pascaline

    Pascaline
    Blaise Pascal’s mechanical calculator for addition and subtraction.

  • Leibniz's Step Reckoner

    Leibniz's Step Reckoner
    An improved calculator capable of multiplication and division.
  • Period: to

    19th Century – Concept of Programmable Machines

    Charles Babbage (1830s)
    Ada Lovelace (1843)

  • Analytical Engine

    Analytical Engine
    The first design for a general-purpose programmable computer. It included concepts like a CPU (called the "mill") and memory (the "store").

  • Difference Engine

    Difference Engine
    A mechanical device designed to automate polynomial calculations.

  • Ada Lovelace

    Ada Lovelace
    Often called the world’s first computer programmer, Lovelace wrote algorithms for the Analytical Engine and envisioned its potential beyond numerical calculations
  • Period: to

    20th Century – Birth of Modern Computers

    Early Electromechanical Computers

  • Zuse Z3

    Zuse Z3
    Created by Konrad Zuse, this was the first programmable digital computer.

  • Colossus

    Colossus
    Built during WWII to break German codes, it was the first large-scale electronic computer.

  • ENIAC

    ENIAC
    Developed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, ENIAC was the first fully electronic general-purpose computer
  • Period: to

    The Digital Revolution

  • Transistors and Integrated Circuits (1950s–1960s)

    Transistors and Integrated Circuits (1950s–1960s)
    Transistors replaced vacuum tubes, making computers smaller, faster, and more reliable.
    Integrated circuits (ICs) revolutionized computing, enabling the development of microprocessors.

  • Altair 8800

    Altair 8800
    Often considered the first personal computer

  • Apple II (1977) and IBM PC (1981)

    Apple II (1977) and IBM PC (1981)
    Brought computers into homes and small businesses

  • Microsoft and Software Revolution

    Microsoft and Software Revolution
    Windows operating systems and productivity software became mainstream

  • The Internet Era and Beyond - The Rise of the Internet (1990s)

    The Internet Era and Beyond - The Rise of the Internet (1990s)
    Computers connected through the World Wide Web transformed communication, commerce, and entertainment.
    Innovations in networking and browsers like Mosaic and Netscape made the internet accessible.

  • 21st Century - AI, Cloud, and Ubiquity

    21st Century - AI, Cloud, and Ubiquity
    Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Modern computers can learn and make decisions, driving advancements in many industries.
    Cloud Computing: Data storage and processing moved to centralized servers, enabling scalability.
    Mobile Revolution: Smartphones brought computing power to billions of pockets worldwide.
  • Period: to

    Notes

    The story of the computer is ongoing, with quantum computing and advanced AI promising to redefine the boundaries of technology in the future. It remains one of humanity's greatest achievements.