"They're tools of communication, they're tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user."
- Bill Gates
Computers are no longer becoming a prevalent factor of an average person's life. They are a prevalent factor. The usage of the internet has steadily grown through the past decades. According to a New York Times article, If Your Kids Are Awake, They're Probably Online, people aged 8 to 18 spend more than seven hours a day on the computer and other devices. Those same people are the world's next generation, which shows that the idea of widespread technology is only going to keep growing, and growing fast.
Even though computer technology is very widely used, not many people realize that it all had to start someplace. That place was merely a need for simple calculators. The term "computer" was first given to people as a job title, first recorded in 1613. These people would perform calculations. Clearly, people eventually realized they could use machine power to compute.
The history of computing is generally divided into four generations with an alleged fifth generation on her way. Many characteristics of computers changed over time, including size, performance, components, speed, storage, and interface. Continue to the following link or the tabs at the top of the page to understand how the computer on the left (ENIAC I, 1946) slowly became the better recognized computer to the right (MacBook Air, 2008).
Even though computer technology is very widely used, not many people realize that it all had to start someplace. That place was merely a need for simple calculators. The term "computer" was first given to people as a job title, first recorded in 1613. These people would perform calculations. Clearly, people eventually realized they could use machine power to compute.
The history of computing is generally divided into four generations with an alleged fifth generation on her way. Many characteristics of computers changed over time, including size, performance, components, speed, storage, and interface. Continue to the following link or the tabs at the top of the page to understand how the computer on the left (ENIAC I, 1946) slowly became the better recognized computer to the right (MacBook Air, 2008).