Digital Revolution James Curry

Digital Revolution James Curry

Before "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." -- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

Microprocessor In 1971, researchers at Intel were able to shrink the size of transistors, and place many on a single silicon chip. This was named the microprocessor. Within just a few years, thousands of transistors could be placed on a single chip.

Microprocessor The microprocessor replaced the old, unreliable, and huge vacuum tubes that computers had used in the past. New computers could have drastically improved speeds and memory at a much smaller size.

Pocket Calculator Before, home calculators were mechanical, bulky, expensive, hand-made devices that could only very few could afford. That changed in 1971 when Texas Instruments released the first electronic pocket calculators. It weighed 2.5 pounds and cost $150.

Altair 8800 In 1975, Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems released the Altair 8800, the first personal computer. You had to connect it to a terminal, and it required flipping many switches in a precise order just to turn it on correctly.

Altair 8800 The Altair 8800 was essentially just a small mainframe. It sparked many more "microcomputers" in following years.

Apple II In 1977, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs incorporated Apple Computer. They began selling the Apple II, the world's first commercially successful personal computer. It was far easier to use than previous computers.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/29494479

IBM Personal Computer International Business Machines (IBM), was one of the world's largest companies and dominated the business computer market. On August 12, 1981, they expanded into the personal computer market and released the IBM Personal Computer.

IBM Personal Computer IBM wanted to bridge the gap between hardware and software, so they hired a brand new company called "Microsoft" to build an operating system. The IBM PC became the first computer with MS-DOS installed, and Microsoft grew rapidly with the vision of "a computer on every desktop and in every home."

Commodore 64 Released in August, 1982, the Commodore 64 was one of the most popular computers of the 1980s. At its peak, the Commodore 64 held 40% of the "microcomputer" market. It was one of the first computers that brought such technology to middle-class homes. The reason for the Commodore 64's popularity was its price (under half the price of the Apple II), the "amazing sound quality", and its selection of thousands of games.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/24576030

The Macintosh On January 12, 1984, Apple Computer released Macintosh, a computer that was designed to break people free of IBM's control on the computer market. It was the first computer that brought a graphical user interface to consumers for a relatively affordable price. It cost $2,495. It was also the first computer that used the concept of "folders" on a "desktop."

The Macintosh The Macintosh was one of the earliest computers that used a mouse, an idea that Steve Jobs had stolen from a Xerox copier. The Macintosh's all-in-one design and simple setup made it a very popular computer.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/30644917

The Internet The US Department of Defense had been constructing a network of military computers since the 1950s, called the ARPANET. In the 60s and 70s, the network grew to include many government agencies and universities. On January 1, 1983, ARPANET switched it's protocol to Internet Protocol. This is still the technology every device connected to the internet uses.

Lasting Impact The digital revolution of the 70s and 80s had a huge impact on many different aspects of life for years after. The microprocessor became a building block of almost all technology, and expanded the abilities of what technology could do while making it smaller, cheaper, and more powerful than ever before. The Altair 8800 was one of the first personal computers, creating a brand new market of home computers. The Macintosh brought a graphical user interface and a mouse to the personal computer. The Internet grew to connect the world, and set the stage for the development of the World Wide Web in the

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