Digital
Revolution
James Curry
Before
"I think there is a world market for
maybe five computers." -- Thomas Watson, chairman of
IBM, 1943.
Microprocessor
In 1971, researchers at
Intel were able to shrink
the size of transistors, and
place many on a single
silicon chip. This was
named the
microprocessor.
Within just a few years, thousands of transistors
could be placed on a single chip.
Microprocessor
The microprocessor replaced the old, unreliable, and huge
vacuum tubes that computers had used in the past.
New computers could have
drastically improved speeds
and memory at a much
smaller size.
Pocket
Calculator
Before, home calculators were
mechanical, bulky, expensive,
hand-made devices that could
only very few could afford.
That changed in 1971 when Texas
Instruments released the first
electronic pocket calculators. It
weighed 2.5 pounds and cost $150.
Altair
8800
In 1975, Micro
Instrumentation and
Telemetry Systems released
the Altair 8800, the first
personal computer.
You had to connect it to a
terminal, and it required
flipping many switches in a
precise order just to turn it on
correctly.
Altair
The Altair 8800 was
essentially just a small
mainframe. It sparked
many more
"microcomputers" in
following years.
8800
Apple
II
In 1977, Steve Wozniak and Steve
Jobs incorporated Apple
Computer. They began selling the
Apple II, the world's first
commercially successful personal
computer.
It was far easier to use
than previous computers.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/29494479
IBM Personal
Computer
International Business Machines (IBM), was one of the
world's largest companies and dominated the business
computer market. On August 12, 1981, they expanded into
the personal computer market and released the IBM
Personal Computer.
IBM Personal
Computer
IBM wanted to bridge the gap
between hardware and
software, so they hired a brand
new company called "Microsoft"
to build an operating system.
The IBM PC became the first
computer with MS-DOS
installed, and Microsoft grew
rapidly with the vision of "a
computer on every desktop and
in every home."
Commodore
64
Released in August, 1982, the Commodore 64 was one of
the most popular computers of the 1980s. At its peak, the
Commodore 64 held 40% of the "microcomputer" market. It
was one of the first computers that brought such
technology to middle-class homes.
The reason for the
Commodore 64's popularity
was its price (under half the
price of the Apple II), the
"amazing sound quality", and
its selection of thousands of
games.
http://player.vimeo.com/video/24576030
The
Macintosh
On January 12, 1984, Apple Computer released Macintosh,
a computer that was designed to break people free of IBM's
control on the computer market. It was the first computer
that brought a graphical user
interface to consumers for a
relatively affordable price. It cost
$2,495. It was also the first
computer that used the concept of
"folders" on a "desktop."
The
Macintosh
The Macintosh was one of the
earliest computers that used a
mouse, an idea that Steve Jobs had
stolen from a Xerox copier.
The Macintosh's all-in-one
design and simple setup made it
a very popular computer.
http://player.vimeo.com/video/30644917
The
Internet
The US Department of Defense had been constructing a
network of military computers since the 1950s, called the
ARPANET. In the 60s and 70s, the network grew to include
many government agencies and universities.
On January 1, 1983,
ARPANET switched it's
protocol to Internet
Protocol. This is still the
technology every device
connected to the internet
uses.
Lasting
Impact
● The digital revolution of the 70s and 80s had a huge
●
●
●
impact on many different aspects of life for years after.
The microprocessor became a building block of almost
all technology, and expanded the abilities of what
technology could do while making it smaller, cheaper,
and more powerful than ever before.
The Altair 8800 was one of the first personal computers,
creating a brand new market of home computers.
The Macintosh brought a graphical user interface and a
mouse to the personal computer.
The Internet grew to connect the world, and set the
stage for the development of the World Wide Web in the
Bibliography
CUMO, CHRISTOPHER. "Science and Technology, 1970-1979." American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 8: 1970-1979. Detroit: Gale,
2004. 561. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 25 May 2013.
CUMO, CHRISTOPHER. "Science and Technology, 1980-1989." American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 9: 1980-1989. Detroit: Gale,
2004. 563. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 25 May 2013.
"Personal Computers." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Ed. Thomas Carson and Mary Bonk. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2000. 786. Gale Virtual
Reference Library. Web. 20 May 2013.
Overland, Brian. "Computers and Computer Industry." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,
2003. 333-338. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 23 May 2013.
"Microelectronics and the Personal Computer." American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 8: 1970-1979. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 591-595.
Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 23 May 2013.
Peterson, Geoff. "Apple Computer." St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 1. Detroit: St. James Press,
2000. 106-107. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 24 May 2013.
"Weaving the Web." American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 10: 1990-1999. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 589-592. Gale Virtual Reference
Library. Web. 24 May 2013.
Altair 8800 and Santa. Digital image. Computer Closet. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.computercloset.org/Altair_8800_and_Santa.jpg>.
Altair 8800. Digital image. The Obsolete Technology Website. OldComputers.net, n.d. Web. <http://oldcomputers.net/pics/Altair_8800.jpg>.
Altair 8800 Complete System. Digital image. Classic Computing. ClassicCMP Subscribers, n.d. Web.
http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/altair/h/complt1.jpg>.
Digital Calculator. Digital image. Texas Instruments. Texas Instruments Inc., n.d. Web.
<http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/company/history/timeline/eps/1960/images/67-calc.jpg>.
Industrial Calculator. Digital image. Lady Jane's Treasure Trove. Blogspot, n.d. Web.
<http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RxpQ1oqwPuI/S0oD4koli2I/AAAAAAAACpI/2ohbSAkMe2U/s400/IMG_9238.jpg>.
IBM Personal Computer. Digital image. Extreme Tech. Ziff Davis, n.d. Web. <http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/6705PH01.jpg>.
DOS. Digital image. Extreme Tech. Ziff Davis, n.d. Web. <http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2000px-StartingMsdos2.jpg>.
Bibliography
Continued
Young Bill Gates. Digital image. The Richest. TheRichest.org, n.d. Web. <http://www.therichest.org/wp-content/uploads/young-bill-gates.jpg>.
Vacuum Tubes. Digital image. Computing History. Columbia University, n.d. Web. <http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/tubes.jpg>.
Intel 4004. Digital image. Regmedia. Regmedia.co.uk, n.d. Web. <http://regmedia.co.uk/2011/11/22/4004.jpg>.
Tom Watson Sr. Digital image. Turner.com. Turner Broadcasting Inc, n.d. Web.
<http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/120919071727-ibm-ceos-tom-watson-sr-large-gallery-horizontal.jpg>.
Commodore 64. Digital image. Old Technology Website. OldComputers.net, n.d. Web. <http://oldcomputers.net/pics/C64combo.jpg>.
Apple II. Digital image. Youngblah. Youngblah, n.d. Web. <http://youngblah.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/appleII.jpg>.
Young Jobs. Digital image. Whole Earth Blog. Wordpress.com, n.d. Web. <http://emwgradstudent.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/jobs-apple-2.jpeg>.
Mac Mouse. Digital image. NAG Online. NAG, n.d. Web. <http://www.nag.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/lisamouse.jpg>.
Early GUI. Digital image. TheOligarch.com. William Hooper, n.d. Web. <http://www.theoligarch.com/images/mac_early_gui.gif>.
ARPA Network. Digital image. Computer History Museum. Computer History Museum, n.d. Web.
<http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/still-image/Arpanet/Arpanet.geographic_map_September_1973.102618830.lg.jpg>.