Historical Computing Systems and Technology Milestones

Table 1
Year Computer/ Developer/ Core Primary Key
Technology Inventor Technology Purpose Features
Name
1622 Slide Rule William Mechanical/ Mathematica Descendant
Oughtred Analog l of the
calculations abacus, used
for
multiplying
and dividing
numbers.
1642 Pascaline Blaise Pascal Mechanical Addition Complicated
(Gears) set of gears
similar to a
clock;
designed to
only
perform
addition.
Late 17th Stepped Gottfried Mechanical Add, Included a
century Reckoner Wilhelm von (Leibniz subtract, cylindrical
Leibniz wheel and multiply, wheel called
moveable divide, and the Leibniz
carriage) calculate wheel;
square roots mechanicall
y unreliable.
1810 Punched Joseph Mechanical Weaving Needles
cards (for Jacquard needles and instructions passed
looms) cards through
holes to pick
up threads
of the
correct color
or texture.
1822 Difference Charles Mechanical Produce Worked on
Engine Babbage (gearwheels, mathematic the principle
cams, rods) al tables of finite
faster and differences;
with fewer supports
mistakes programs by
Ada
Lovelace;
intended to
calculate to
the 20th
 place and
print at 44
digits per
minute.
1833–1834 Analytical Charles Mechanical General- Featured a
Engine Babbage (Steam purpose CPU (the
(with Ada powered) mathematic "mill"),
Byron) al memory
calculations ("store"),
and used
punched
cards for
data and
instructions;
model for
modern
computers.
1890 Tabulating Herman Electromech Tabulate U.S. Used metal
Machine Hollerith anical Census data pins to open
(Electricity and close
and punched electrical
cards) circuits
based on
holes in
cards.
1937–1942 Atanasoff- Dr. John Electronic Mathematica First
Berry Vincent (Vacuum l electronic
Computer Atanasoff tubes and calculations digital
(ABC) and Clifford capacitors) for physics computer
Berry work using the
binary
system
(base 2);
data stored
in
capacitors;
output on
odometer-
type device.
1938 Turing Alan Turing Hypothetical Solving Thought
machine device mathematic experiment;
(infinite al problems capable of
tape) performing
any
computation
al
calculation;
theoretical
foundation
for modern
 computers.
1939 Bombe Alan Turing Electronic Break secret Used for
machine codes used code-
by the breaking at
German high Bletchley
command Park during
WWII.
World War Enigma Alan Turing Not in Code- Crucial role
II machine (Bletchley source breaking in aiding the
(deciphering Park) (deciphering Allies during
) German WWII;
codes) worked on
at Bletchley
Park.
1943 Colossus Tommy Electronic Code- Special-
Flowers (Vacuum breaking purpose
Tubes) during computer;
WWII major role in
ending the
war; used to
break
German
codes at
Bletchley
Park.
1944 Harvard IBM and Electromech Highly 51 feet long;
Mark I Harvard anical sophisticate 5 tons; over
(under (Telephone d calculator 750,000
Howard relay and parts;
Aiken) switches) scientific accepted
research data on
punched
cards.
1940s– ENIAC J. Presper Electronic Artillery First
1950s (Electronic Eckert, John (17,000– range table electronic
Numerical Mauchly, 18,000 calculations computer;
Integration and John vacuum and military 1,000×
and von tubes) programs faster, 30–
Calculator) Neumann 50 tons, and
used in the
Manhattan
Project.
1945 Stored John von CPU (Central Electronic Stored
Program Neumann Processing control of all computer
Concept Unit) computer instructions
functions in a CPU;
eliminated
need to flip
switches/pu
 ll wires.
1945–1949 EDVAC John von Vacuum Scientific Stored
Neumann, J. Tubes / research and program
Presper Electronic general concept; Von
Eckert, and (Stored problem Neumann
John instructions) solving architecture
Mauchly featuring
CPU, shared
memory, I/O
unit, and bus
system; used
machine
language.
1946 mercury J. Presper Mercury Reliable First device
acoustic Eckert and acoustic computer to gain
delay-line John delay-line memory widespread
electronic Mauchly system acceptance
memory as reliable
system computer
memory;
Patent
2,629,827.
1947 Transistor William Semiconduct Replace Smaller, less
Shockley, or vacuum expensive;
John tubes allowed up
Bardeen, to 10,000
and Walter calculations
Brittain per second.
1949 BINAC Eckert– Vacuum Scientific Used Short
Mauchly Tubes research Code (first
Computer (Inferred) high-level
Corporation programmin
(EMCC) g language).
1949 UNIVAC Betty Software Computer First
Instructions Holberton operation software to
Code C-10 allow
operation by
keyboarded
commands
rather than
dials and
switches.
1949 EDSAC Not in Stored- Multiple World's first
source program tasks practical
electronic (general stored-
purpose) program
computer;
used
machine
 language.
1950 Turing Test Alan Turing Conceptual Evaluating if A computer
framework/ a machine is judged to
AI could "think" if its
Evaluation "think" responses
are
indistinguis
hable from
those of a
real human.
1950 UNIVAC Not in Not in General First
1101 source source computing computer
with a
program
stored in its
memory.
1951 UNIVAC I J. Presper Vacuum Business First
(Universal Eckert and Tubes and U.S. commercial
Automatic John (5,000– Census computer;
Computer I) Mauchly 6,103 tubes) Bureau data used
(Remington processing magnetic
Rand/EMCC tape and
) drum
memory,
performed
up to 1,905
operations
per second,
and featured
the C-10
language
and first
keyboard..
1952 Institute of John von Not in Not in Not in
advanced Neumann source source source
studies
computer
1956 IBM 305 IBM Electronic Accounting First
RAMAC system computer to
feature a
hard drive
for random
access
memory.
1956–1963 UNIVAC II Not in Transistors Commercial Upgraded
source computing version of
first
commercial
computer;
 more
durable and
less power-
consuming.
1956–1963 CDC 1604 Not in Transistors General Among the
source purpose first
computing computers
to use
transistors
successfully.
1956–1963 IBM 1401 Not in Transistors Business High-speed
source applications data
(payroll and processing;
inventory) desk-sized;
magnetic
core
memory;
supported
COBOL and
FORTRAN.
Early 1960s Model 650 IBM Transistors Business Medium-
and sized;
government smaller than
paperwork first
generation;
used
magnetic
tape storage.
1961 Integrated Jack Kilby Silicon Chip House Allowed
Circuit (IC) and Robert hundreds of millions of
Noyce transistors calculations
in one unit per second;
used
metallic
oxide
coating.
1964 IBM System IBM Integrated Business Very
360 Circuits operations popular;
(ICs) reduced size
and price;
compatibilit
y across
models;
featured
multiprogra
mming.
1965 PDP-8 DEC Integrated Minicomput First
(approximat Circuits er for successful
e) (ICs) businesses/ commercial
 universities minicomput
er; more
affordable
and
compact.
1950s– IBM 7094 Not in Transistors Research Advanced
1960s source and military scientific
applications computer;
higher
reliability;
faster
processing;
magnetic
core
memory.
1950s– UNIVAC Not in Transistors Scientific High-
1960s 1108 source and business performance
data system;
processing magnetic
core
memory.
1950s– CDC 6600 Not in Transistors Complex One of the
1960s source scientific first
calculations supercompu
ters;
magnetic
core
memory.
1950s– Burroughs Not in Transistors Business Advanced
1960s B5000 source data architecture;
processing magnetic
core
memory.
1964–1971 Honeywell Not in Integrated Commercial Advanced
6000 Series source Circuits use system
(ICs) design;
improved
software
capabilities.
1968 HP 9100A Hewlett- Electronic Scientific Used the
Packard calculator phrase
"personal
computer"
in its
advertising.
1969 ARPANET US military Network Link military Basis of the
link computers Internet;
in the US linked
military and
 later non-
military
computers.
1970 Microproces Marcian Hoff CPU on a Make Replacemen
sor single chip microcompu t of several
ters possible larger
components
by one chip.
1971 Intel 4004 Intel PMOS Making First 4-bit
LSI/VLSI calculators microproces
sor chip; 16-
pins; 45
instructions;
initiated the
personal
computing
revolution.
1971 Intel 8008 Intel Microproces General 8-bit version
sor purpose of 4004;
computing addressed
16KB
memory; 48
instructions.
1971 MITS 816 Ed Roberts / LSI circuit Business Four-
MITS chips and personal function
(Electronic calculations calculator;
Arrays sold for $\
EAS100) $175$ as kit
or $\$275$
assembled.
1972 Magnavox Not in Electronic Video First
Odyssey source components gaming computer
game
console;
featured the
game Pong.
1973 MITS 1440 MITS Integrated Scientific 14-digit
Circuits and business display,
calculations memory,
and square
root
function;
sold for $\
$200$ kit /
$\$250$
assembled.
1973 Second Not in NMOS General Faster
generation source Technology purpose operation;
microproces computing larger chip
 sor size ( $170 \
times 200$
mil); 40-
pins.
1974 Altair 8800 MITS (Ed Intel 8080 Scientific, S-100 bus;
Roberts and CPU (2 MHz) business, front-panel
Bill Yates) and hobbyist switches and
computing LEDs; first
microcompu
ter small
enough for a
desktop.
1974 Intel 8080 Intel NMOS General 8-bit
Technology purpose microproces
computing sor; 64 KB
memory;
executes 10
times faster
than 8008.
1975 IMSAI 8080 IMS Intel 8080 Personal Altair-
Associates, CPU and business compatible;
Inc. computing 22-slot
motherboar
d; larger
power
supply.
1976 Apple I Steve Fully Personal Sold as a
Wozniak assembled computing fully
and Steve circuit board assembled
Jobs circuit
board;
buyers
provided
case and
display.
1976 Altair 8800B MITS Intel 8080 Personal Improved
CPU computing front panel
and internal
design
addressing
shortcoming
s of the
original
8800.
1977 Apple II Steve Microproces Personal Included a
Wozniak sor-based computing case with a
and Steve keyboard,
Jobs color
graphics,
 and more
RAM.
1977 Intel 8085 Intel N-MOS General Internal
technology purpose clock
computing generator;
8-bit data
bus; 16-bit
address bus
(64KB
memory);
40 pins DIP.
1978 PCC 8800 Pertec Intel 8080 Personal Branded
Computer CPU computing version of
Corporation the Altair
8800 after
Pertec's
acquisition
of MITS.
1978 Intel 8086 Intel HMOS General 16-bit
technology purpose microproces
computing sor;
addresses
1MB of
memory;
instruction
set of 246.
1979 Intel 8088 Intel HMOS General 16-bit
technology purpose microproces
computing sor;
addresses
1MB of
memory;
executed
instructions
in less than
400ns.
1981 IBM 5150 IBM Microproces Business Used MS-
Personal sor and personal DOS; instant
Computer computing success due
to
spreadsheet
and word
processor
software;
included
system unit
and
keyboard.
1981 Osborne 1 Adam Portable Portable First true
 Osborne micro- personal commercial
electronics computing laptop;
weighed 24
pounds; 5-
inch screen;
64 kb
memory.
1981 iAPX 432 Intel Single chip General First 32-bit
32-bit purpose microproces
microproces computing sor.
sor
1983 Lisa Apple Electronic Personal One of the
computing first PCs
equipped
with a
graphical
user
interface
(GUI).
1984 Apple Apple Microproces Consumer First GUI-
Macintosh sor personal based PC for
computing consumers;
set
standards
for intuitive
visual
interaction.
1985 Intel 80386 Intel 32-bit General 32-bit
microproces purpose architecture.
sor computing
1989 World Wide Tim Internet Global Establish
Web Berners-Lee connection / information documents
Documents sharing readable
over an
internet
connection.
1995 Amazon Jeff Bezos Website / E-commerce Started as a
World Wide book-selling
Web website.
2003 Facebook Mark Software/ Social Began at
(programs) Zuckerberg Programs networking Harvard;
reached
over one
billion users
by 2019.
2010 iPad Apple Tablet Portable Popularized
(Touchscree computing/ the tablet
n) media format; low-
consumptio power
 n processors;
no internal
fans.
1980s– AI-Enabled Not in Artificial Intelligent Natural
Present Systems / source Intelligence systems language
Supercompu / Neural (Healthcare, processing;
ters Chips Finance) voice
recognition;
real-time
learning and
reasoning.
Not in Intel 80486 Intel 32-bit General Combination
source microproces purpose of 386
sor computing processor,
math
coprocessor,
and cache
memory
controller on
a single chip.
Not in Pentium Intel 64-bit General Full 64-bit
source superscalar purpose data bus; 32-
processor computing bit address
bus; can
execute
more than
one
instruction
at a time.