MARK 1 – 1944
The first electronic computers appeared at the same time in Germany, England and in the United States, home of the Mark 1. With 4.5 tons, it took six seconds to multiply!
ENIAC – 1946
This Eniac was the first “multipurpose” computer – the previous ones only performed specific tasks, such as calculations of bombings in war
EDVAC – 1946
This ENIAC “puppy” changed the data storage system, changing the decimal system (from 0 to 9) to the binary system (0 or 1). The change made possible the creation of bits of information
TRANSISTOR – 1947
Early computers used huge components, tubes, to store information and do math. The transistor did the same thing, but it was smaller, cheaper, and used less power.
LEO – 1951
The first machines were used in war or in universities. That was until the arrival of Leo, employed by an English food company, the first to use a computer in business.
WHIRLWIND – 1953
This computer was the fastest of its time: it did a multiplication in 0.025 seconds. But it was still a wagon, equivalent today to the speed of a 1 MHz processor.
TRADIC – 1955
Made for the US Air Force, this was the first computer to use transistors. With them, computers became faster, lighter and more economical.
INTEGRATED CIRCUIT – 1958
With the invention of the IC – several transistors integrated into a single piece of silicone – the speed of machines increases
PDP-1 – 1960
As the computer became more versatile, new applications for the invention began to pop up. And it didn’t take long for the first video game to appear: in 1960, it was already possible to play SpaceWar on the PDP-1
ATLAS – 1962
It was in this English invention that the first virtual memory appeared, a technology still used today that allows working with different programs at the same time.
PDP-8 – 1965
This machine was the first to fit on top of a table – the feat earned it the nickname minicomputer. Cheap, it became a commercial success, with 300,000 units sold
SYSTEM 360 – 1965
The integrated circuit is built into the computers in this IBM model. The development of this component increases the processing speed and storage space of the machines
MOUSE – 1968
The American Douglas Engelbart launched a device called “bug”. He didn’t get much success until the 1980s, when he got the nickname «the mouse».
MICROPROCESSOR – 1971
With the decrease of integrated circuits, the industry managed to condense thousands of them into a single piece, launching the first microprocessor, the Intel 4004
ALTAIR 8800 – 1974
The microprocessor debuted in the world of computers aboard an Altair 8800. Small for the time, this machine paved the way for the personal computer revolution
MICROSOFT – 1975
Two American students, Bill Gates, 19, and Paul Allen, 22, adapt the basic language for Altair. This is Microsoft’s first program
Apple II – 1977
The Apple II was the first microcomputer as we know it. For the first time, the machine had a keyboard and could be connected to a monitor – in this case, a TV.
DISKETTE OF 2/31 – 1981
In 1976, the 5 1/4 floppy disk (13 cm in diameter) appears. In 1981, Sony launches the 3 1/2 model (9 cm in diameter)
IBM-PC – 1981
The PC puts IBM at the forefront of the microcomputer market. The price of US$2,820 was higher than that of competitors, but the machine exploded: in 4 months, 35,000 units were sold
XEROX 8010 – 1981
To debut on computers, the mouse needed the first graphical interface, that of the Xerox 8010, which allowed interacting with the machine through images on the screen.
OSBORNE 1 – 1981
The era of micros had barely begun and the first portable computer, the Osborne 1, had already appeared. It weighed 12 kilos, had a 5-inch screen and fit in a small suitcase.
WORD – 1983
Bill Gates’ Microsoft launches Word Microsoft Office, the first program in the package that in a few years would monopolize the market for office programs
MACINTOSH – 1984
Apple launches the first computer with a mouse and graphical interface aimed at personal use, outside of companies. It was easy to use and included a drawing program
LASER PRINTER – 1984
First laser printer compatible with PCs, Laserjet begins to displace the dot matrix printers of the 70s and the inkjet printers, also of 1984
WINDOWS – 1985
The launch of Windows brings to the PC the advantages of the graphical interface popularized by Apple. Today, 90% of computers work with a version of this program
CD-ROM – 1985
The first CD-ROMs appear, new media with a capacity of 550 megabytes – 387 times the capacity of a 3 1/2 floppy disk, but only 12% of that of DVDs, released in 1996
DESKPRO 386 – 1986
Compaq launches the Deskpro 386, the first of IBM’s PC «clones» generation. Its 32-bit Intel processor was much faster than the competitor’s 16-bit processors
Internet – 1990
Since 1969, a network system called Arpanet was developed in parallel with computers. In 1990, with the creation of the HTML language, the Internet is officially inaugurated.
iPod – 2001
The music industry has been one of the hardest hit by the internet. iPod and other MP3 players open up the possibility of listening to sounds downloaded from the net anywhere
MICRO OF 100 DOLLARS – 2005
The challenge now is to democratize access to computers. With a simple structure, MIT proposes a micro that costs 100 dollars. But it’s still just a concept