Ch10 Computing
- 1642 — French scientist Blaise Pascal’s 1 “arithmetic machine”
- 1694 — German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz’ “stepped reckoner”
- 1848 – Charles Babbage designs the “difference engine”
- 1890 – Herman Hollerith uses punchcards for the US Census
- 1896 – Herman Hollerith forms the Tabulating Machine Company
- 1917 – Hollerith’s company becomes International Business Machines (IBM)
- 1928 – IBM introduces the 80-column punch card, standard until the 1970s
- 1933 – IBM helps Nazi government identify Jews in preparation for Holocaust
- 1938 – IBM’s new headquarters motto: “World Peace through World Trade”
- 1939 – Hewlett Packard founded
- 1939 - Bell Labs’ George Stibitz creates Complex Number Calculator, first to be controlled remotely by telex
- 1941 – “Bombe” computer used for deciphering German codes
- 1943 – Work begins on ENIAC computer at U. Penn.
- 1944 – Colossus Bletchley Park used for deciphering German codes
- 1944 — Harvard Mark-1 electro-mechanical computer
- 1946 – ENIAC all-electric radio tube computer completed
- 1947 – Bell Labs scientists invent transistor, which replaces radio tubes
- 1948 – IBM Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator introduced. (SSEC will eventually plot moon-position tables to aid Apollo program)
- 1951 – Remington Rand UNIVAC computer delivered to US Census
- 1952 — MIT Whirlwind debuts on Edward R. Murrow´s “See It Now” television news series.
- 1955 – TRADIC, first fully transistorized computer
- 1957 — IBM ships first all-electronic computer, the 701
- 1958 — Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments develops integrated processor
- 1959 – Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor developed a silicon circuit
- 1964 — IBM introduces System/360, a general purpose computer with integrated circuits. It was widely used and cost around $90,000.
- 1965 – Gordon Moore observes processing power doubling every 12 – 18 months; now called “Moore’s Law.”
- 1965 — Digital Equipment Corp. PDP-8, small computer for smaller operations at about $18,000.
- 1968 – Noyce and Gordon Moore found Intel
- 1974 – Xerox PARC researchers develop Alto personal computer with GUI, mouse and other features
- 1975 – Bill Gates and Microsoft write operating system for Altair 8800
- 1976 — Steve Wozniak designs the Apple I, an early PC
- 1977 — Apple II becomes an overnight success; 5 – 6 million sold
- 1981 – IBM introduces first PC using Microsoft operating system
- 1982 – Sun (Stanford University Network) Microsystems formed
- 1983 – Compaq – first PC clone to run on IBM PC software
- 1984 – Apple launches Macintosh computer with GUI and mouse
- 1985 – Microsoft Windows GUI system introduced; by 2009 some 91% of worldwide PC market ran MS Windows
- 1987 – IBM begins selling PS/2
- 1989 – Microsoft introduces Office suite of software
- 1989 – First Apple laptop computer, too bulky, not a great success
- 1991 – Apple Powerbook portable rescues company
- 1993 – Federal courts dismiss Apple suit against MS for Windows GUI
- 1995 – Microsoft releases Windows 95, Internet Explorer browser
- 1998 – Sun acquires Netscape (formerly Mosaic) browser
- 1998 – Apple iMac introduced
- 2001 – MS Windows XP and Xbox game system introduced
- 2001 – Apple iPod phenomenally successful, with 220 million sold by 2009
- 2004 – IBM ends personal computer marketing to focus on consulting and information technology services
- 2007 – Apple goes mobile with iPhone music, camera, cell phone
- 2007 – Microsoft releases Windows Vista
- 2010 – Apple iPad introduced
- 2010 – Sun Microsystems merges with Oracle, network equipment manufacturer
