Very rarely do people think about the history of their personal computers. After all, computers are tools to help us get our work done. Rarely do we think about even how they work unless, of course, they stop working. However, just take a few minutes to think about how amazing it is that there is a computer sitting right on top your desk allowing you to surf the net, type letters, and manage your finances. Learning a little bit about the history of a desktop PC, or personal computer, will help you to better appreciate this technological marvel.

Until the seventies, computers were storing information in vacuum tubes and other cumbersome devices. Then two innovations took place that allowed the size of computers to shrink drastically.

It was a completely new way to store information. Previously data was stored in large and fragile vacuum tubes. With the microprocessor the same amount of information could now be stored on a silicon chip that could fit in the palm of your hand.

That led to the first personal computer coming onto the market. You could purchase a built your own kit that proved to be highly popular with the technology geek crowd. However, many other companies made a lot of money selling preassembled personal computers.

In the mid-seventies, Steve Jobs and Apple came onto the playing field. Apple I was a step in the right direction, but Apple II has the distinction of being the first personal computer that was meant for use by a layman. There was a color graphic screen, a keyboard for input, a large memory, and a floppy disk drive for external storage.

This computer was so popular that soon IBM, an industrial giant, also came out with its own version. The personal computer was here to stay.

Nowadays there is a barely a room in a home or office that doesn’t have a computer in it. Some small businesses are even able to run of the processing power in a single PC. In just a short thirty years the history of the desktop PC has changed the face of America.

You Should Also Check Out This Post:

More Active Posts: