Patricia R. Oliveros Empowerment Technology 1 Date: Sept.

5,2022
ICT 11-Bantigue Score:

“Evolution of Computer’’

The 1930s marked the beginning of calculating machines, which were considered
the first programmable computers.

A calculating machine in the 1930s

Konrad Zuse created what became known as

the first programmable computer, the Z1,
in 1936 in his parent's living room in Berlin.
He assembled metal plates, pins, and old film,
creating a machine that could easily add and subtract. Although his early models were destroyed
in World War II, Zuse is credited with creating the first digital computer. 
In the 1940s, computers took up entire rooms, like the ENIAC, which was once called a
"mathematical robot."

Computer Room

John Mauchly created the ENIAC during

World War II to help the Army with ballistics
analytics. The machine could calculate thousands of problems each second. The large-scale
ENIAC weighed 30 tons and needed a 1,500-square-foot room to house the 40 cabinets, 6,000
switches, and 18,000 vacuum tubes that comprise the machine. 

In the 1950s, computers were strictly used for scientific and engineering research, like the
JOHNNIAC, which was once described as a "helpful assistant" for mathematicians.

A man working at a computer in the '50s. 

The JOHNNIAC was completed in 1954 

and was used by RAND researchers.
The massive machine weighed just over
two tons with over 5,000 vacuum tubes.
This early computer operated for 13 years
or 51,349 hours before being dismantled. 

In the 1960s, everything changed when the Programma 101 became the first desktop computer
sold to the average consumer.

Programma 101. 
Up until 1965, computers were reserved
for mathematicians and engineers in a lab
setting. The Programma 101 changed everything,
by offering the general public a desktop computer
that anyone could use. The 65-pound machine
was the size of a typewriter and had 37 keys and a
printer built-in. The Italian invention ushered in
the idea of the personal computer that would last to this day. 
As personal computers became popular in the 1970s, the Xerox Alto helped pave the way for Steve
Jobs' Apple.

Xerox Alto. 
The Xerox Alto was created in the '70s as a personal computer that could print docu-
ments and send emails. What was most notable about the computer was its design,
which included a mouse, keyboard, and screen. This state-of-the-art design would later
influence Apple designs in the following decade. 
The Alto computers were also designed to be kid-friendly so that everyone — no matter
the age — could operate a personal computer. 

In the '80s, Apple's Macintosh was described as a game-changer for the computer industry.

The Macintosh. 
When Steve Jobs introduced the
 first Macintosh computer in 1984,
Consumer Reports called it a "dazzling display of
technical wizardry." Like the Xerox Alto, the
Macintosh had a keyboard, a mouse, and a small

9-inch screen. The computer — which weighed in at 22 pounds and cost $2,495 — was
applauded for its interface of windows and icons.

As the '90s marked a period of self-expression, Apple released the famous iMac G3, which was cus-
tomizable.
Mac G3. 
The iMac G3 was launched in 1998 after Steve Jobs' return to Apple in 1997. The com-
puter quickly became known for its Bondi blue, clear casing. The 38-pound iMac in-
cluded USB ports, a keyboard, and a mouse. It was meant to be portable and customiz-
able. 
The company
 sold 800,000 computers in the first five months,
saving Apple from extinction. The iMac is also
notable because it was the first time Apple used
the "I" to name its products, explaining it stood for
"internet", "innovation," and "individuality." 

In the early 2000s, laptops became increasingly popular, especially after Apple launched its Mac-
Book Air.

MacBook Air. 
In 2008, Steve Jobs slid 
the first MacBook Air from a manila envelope 
and shocked the audience at Apple's Macworld
with how thin the laptop was. 
Measuring only 0.76-inch thick, the expertly
designed laptop changed the industry forever.
Apple got rid of the CD drive and only included a
USB port and a headphone jack. At the time, the minimalistic
device cost $1,799.

Today, computers come in all shapes and sizes, including tablets.

Today's most innovative computers are tab- lets, which are

simple touchscreens without a keyboard or a
mouse. Although tablet sales are on the de-
cline, 33 million tablets were sold in 2018.
The market is also filled with other
computer models, includ- ing the Mac-
Book Pro, iMac, Dell XPS, and iPhones.