1971-Present
In 1971, the Intel Corporation introduced the microprocessor, a
single chip that housed the computer processing unit (CPU), or
"brains" of the computer, memory and input/output data in one
place. The first microprocessor was the Intel 4004, marking the beginning of
fourth generation computers. Due to the consolidation of their components,
computers continued to become smaller, even more efficient and most
importantly, affordable.
In 1971, the Intel Corporation introduced the microprocessor, a single chip that housed the computer processing unit (CPU), or "brains" of the computer, memory and input/output data in one place. The first microprocessor was the Intel 4004, marking the beginning of fourth generation computers. Due to the consolidation of their components, computers continued to become smaller, even more efficient and most importantly, affordable.
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Fun Fact:
In 1963, Douglas Engelbart designed the first ever prototype for a computer mouse. It was named such because early models had a cord connected to the rear of the device, resembling a mouse.
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The Altair 8800, invented by Henry Edward Roberts in 1975, was first sold as a build-it-yourself kit for interested hobbyists. It soon also appealed to individuals and small businesses who purchased an assembled version. The Altair was the first personal computer that gained wide success.
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| Altair 8800 |
Steve Wozniak, a Hewlett-Packard employee, worked for many years on personal
computer designs. In 1976, he and Steve Jobs, an employee of Atari
at the time, presented the Apple I design to the Homebrew Computing Club, a group of young computer hobbyists who had created a forum
for sharing new ideas. Soon after the creation of the Apple I, Jobs and Wozniak
formed the Apple Computer Company on April 1, 1976. This company later became
Apple, Inc., a multinational corporation, today worth about $465 billion (making it the most valuable company in the United States).
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| Apple I Computer |
Watch the video below to learn more about the making of Apple I:
Apple was soon in competition with IBM's PC, coming to a head in 1984 with the introduction of the Macintosh series. The Mac's user-friendly operating system implemented on-screen icons in place of typed instructions. Consumers would eventually find great advantages to the use of the mouse, a device mimicking actual hand motions.
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| The first computer mouse |