Hardware

The Difference Engine - This machine was made by Charles Babbage, and was only made as a prototype. Babbage argued that his machine would avoid accidents at sea caused by human generated navigation tables. In 1833, he put together a small scale proof of concept, but it never was fully completed.

The Analytical Engine - This general purpose calculating machine was envisioned by Babbage, however he never received funds to build it, and it only remained on paper.

Telegrams - This invention was brought about by railroad tracks, and how workers realized that the electrical signals that were used to prevent train crashes could be used for long distance communication. It was created by Professor Morse in 1844.

The Turing Machine - This was a conceptual machine thought out by Alan Turing to solve the Entscheidungsproblem. It would have hey features of the computer such as memory, programmability, and conditional branching.

Bombes - These machines were made in Bletchley Park by Alan Turing and they were made to automatically detect German messages during World War II.

The ACE - After World War II Turing made this early electronic computer.

Hollerith’s Tabulating Machine - This machine was made by Herman Hollerith, and it was inspired by the organette. It was made for the 1890 census, and place a card into a card-reading machine it would press a specific metal plate to count it. With this machine, the 1890 census was able to be completed in only 2 years.

Typewriters - This invention was made by Christopher Latham Sholes in 1869, and was funded by James Densmore for improvement. In 1873, Philo Remington started manufacturing this item, and it soon was able to reach 20,000 machines per year.

Filing Cabinets - This storage unit, was manufactured by Rand Kardex.

Mechanical Calculators - This machine was made by 2 different people independently, Dorr E. Felt and Williams S. Burroughs.

The Comptometer - This invention was made by Dorr E. Felt.

Adding Machines - These are machines that were primarily built for adding, but also were usable for subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Cash Registers - This invention was created by James Ritty in 1879, to guard against clerks from stealing money. He was able to sell his machine to John S. Patterson who bought the rights, and created NCR.

The Differential Analyzer - This invention was made by Vannevar Bush, and it was designed to handle differential problems only. It was the closest machine to a general calculator.

The Mark I,II,III and IV - This machine was made by Howard Aiken and IBM, it was 52ft long, and only 2ft deep so that a central shaft was able to ensure the correct timing of all of the parts. Aiken only created the first one, and the rest were only made by IBM.

The Atanasoff-Berry Computer(ABC) - This machine was made by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry and it was made for systems of linear equations.

Z1,2,3,4 - These Machines were made by Konrad Zuse in the 1940s.

ENIAC - This machine was made my John Mauchly and J.Presper Eckert, and it was made for making firing tables in World War II. It was used in the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Herman Goldstine recruited Mauchly and Eckert for this project.

EDVAC - This machine was the upgraded version of the ENIAC, but it came out too late to be cutting edge, this machine was made with much heavier input from John van Neumann. There would be binary storage, stored programs, and programs would be in binary code.

IAS Computer - The IAS computer was made by John Van Neumann after the EDVAC in Princeton, and this machine was the beginning of Neumann’s First Draft papers.

The Manchester Baby - This machine was built by Max Newmann and Frederic Williams, and this machine also created a yew type of storage based off a cathode ray tube called the “Williams Tube”. It was never meant to be a full scale model, but a testing ground for the Williams Tubes. On June 21, 1948, the computer ran the first successful program.

The Manchester Mark 1 - This machine was the upgraded version of the Manchester Baby, and was created by the same people.

EDSAC - This machine was made by Maurice Wilkes, and used a mercury delay line instead of a William’s Tube. On May 6th 1949, it ran its first stored program.

UNIVAC - This machine was made by EMCC, and it was their first product. Because of poor business planning, the company lost money making the machine.

BINAC - This computer was built after EMCC realized that they were running out of money and that they needed to make a smaller computer that could save the company, however, after the computer failed with their clients, Northrup AIrlines, the fate of the company was sealed.

IBM 701 - This is part of the first wave of IBM computers announced in May 1952. This computer was created with the help of von Neumann, and is very similar in design to the IAS Computer, it used Williams Tubes for memory. It also could punched cards, and magnetic tape drives for storage.

IBM 702 - This is part of the first wave of IBM computers announced in May 1952. This computer was very similar to the 710, however it was focused towards data processing rather than scientific computing. It also could punched cards, and magnetic tape drives for storage.

IBM 650 - This is released a year after the first wave of IBM computers, in 1953, and it was far less expensive that the 701 or 702. It used a Magntic Drum for its memory. They also offered this computer a steep discount to universities in exchange for them teaching a programming course.

IBM 704 - This is an updated version of the IBM 701, and it used core memory instead of Williams Tubes for memory. It was also the first computer that could perform floating point arithmetic.

IBM 705 - This is an updated version of the IBM 702, and it used core memory instead of Williams Tubes for memory.

IBM 7090 - This is one of the first products of the IBM System/360 product line, and it used core memory and transistors and was intended for scientific use.

IBM 7094 - This is one of the first products of the IBM System/360 product line, and it used core memory and transistors and was intended for business use.

IBM 1401 - This is another product of the IBM System/360 line, and it was a smaller, less expensive machine intended for business applications.

Vacuum Tubes - This is a type of CPU in early computers like the ENIAC, and it used rapid electric pulsing to simulate counting.

Transistors - This was created at Bell Labs as a superior alternative to normal vacuum tubes. They were much smaller, more durable, and and power intensive than vacuum tubes. This technology came to computers in the end of the 1950s.

Microchips - This invention was independently created by Robert Noyce, and Jack Kilby in the late 1950s. It is a combination of multiple transistors into one block. But the 1970s, this technology displaced transistors. Since the 1970s, microchips have been used as memory and processors.

Delay Lines - This was an improved form of memory storage and it was used in the EDVAC and UNIVAC. It was a five foot long column of mercury, and it could store roughly 1000 bits of information. They used less electronics that vacuum tubes, however they were also toxic, and had to be heated to high temperatures to be used.

Williams Tubes - This was the memory storage unit of the Manchester Baby, IBM 701 and 702 and it was created by Frederic Williams. It has a stream of electrons fired from one end of the tube to another, creating a visible pattern.

Magnetic Drum Memory - This was another memory storage unit that was created around the same time as the Williams Tubes and Delay Lines. It would have a drum that rotates several hundred times per minute and read/write heads would skim the surface, reading and writing data. This type of storage was used in the IBM 650.

Core Memory - This was another improvement in memory technology. It had a small, donut shaped piece of magnetic material, and thousands of these cores are threaded onto a lattice of crisscrossing metal wires. When current is passed through, the wire is magnetized, and can be read as a 0 or 1. The specialty about this system is that data is preserved, even when the computer is powered off. Also, data could be read or written at the same speed. This is in contrast to relay lines, which have sequential access, the values are read as they appear in the Mercury column, which this type of storage uses random access memory(RAM).

Punched Cards - The ENIAC used this type of storage and was a manual process of storage.

Magnetic Tape Drives - This type of storage was used by the UNIVAC and the IBM 701 and 702. This type of storage was faster than punched cards because of speed, capacity and reusability.

Disk Storage - This type of storage was first proposed by Mauchly and Eckert, and the first practical version of this type of storage came in the 1956 at IBM. This type of storage also offered RAM. The first version of ths storage was fifty aluminum disks, each one twenty-four inches wide. They spun at 1200 RPM and had a combined storage of about 5 MB.

IBM System/360 - This was IBM’s unified version product line of computers that was introduced in 1964.

Project Whirlwind - This began as a flight simulation for the US Air Force, however, first the lead designer asked to make a working general purpose general calculator as the basis for the flight simulator. However it soon changed to build the fastest computer possible. It was about to lose funding, however, the Cold War was able to reinvigorate the need for computers, however it became more focused on air defense. It was operational by 1951, and used a Williams Tube memory, but was changed to core memory two years later. It also supported a CRT display screen, and a printer. This opened the possibility for interactive computers, and simple graphics.

IBM AN FSQ-7 - After developing Whirlwind, MIT transferred hte technology to IBM, who used it to market this computer.

SAGE - This was an Air Force system that was built off of AN/FSQ-7 computers, which was spread across 23 sites.

Teletype Keyboards - This invention was used by CTSS and was a combination of a printer and a keyboard, and they pioneered the use of the escape and control keys, it would interpret user commands and print them out on to paper.

General Electric 235 - This is the computer that the first version of BASIC were coded on.

GE 645 - This is the computer on which Multics was created on.

Programmed Data Procesor 1,7,8,11

PDP 1 - This computer was created in 1960 and used transistors and core memory. It was far cheaper than computers from other companies, even though it provided the same power output. However, it offered very little support for those who did not know how to use a computer, so it found a niche offering low-cost computers to technically savvy users.

PDP 7 - This is the computer that Unix was made on.

PDP 8 - This computer was in the PDP Line, and it sold for a mere $18,000, and it was only the size of a refrigerator. This was the first minicomputer. This was a commercial success and it sold over 30,000 units in the next 10 years.

PDP 11 - This is a computer in the PDP Line, and it sold over 100,000 units. It is one of the most influential computers of all time. Its OS accommodated in-house time-sharing rather than subscribing to a service, and it also included a modified version of the BASIC programming language. It also included many simple computer games and was also the computer that the C programming language was originally written.

Motorola 68000 - This microprocessor was patterned after PDP 11 architecture.

Interface Message Processor(IMP) - This was an inexpensive microcomputer that was used at each site of a computer network to serve as an intermediary between the host computer and the rest of the computer. This was soon replaced by TCP/IP.

Personal Computers - This was a revolutionary idea that was brought about by the small size of the Xerox PARC Alto.

Xerox PARC Alto - This is the first computer that was created by Xerox, and it had a bitmapped screen. It could display text and images together, and it had a keyboard and mouse for input.

Xerox Star - This was an improved version of the Xerox Alto, and it features a GUI that could run programs by selecting certain icons on the screen. However, it was not received well because of its late arrival and high price tag of 16,000 dollars.

Microprocessors - This advancement was brought about by the need for a Japanese Calculator Manufacturer that approached Intel and needed a specific calculator chip. Ted Hoff realized that rather than building a specialized chip, you could build a general chip, and add specialized code onto it.

Intel 4004 - This is Intel’s first computer chip that was released in 1971.

Intel 8008 and 8080 - These were the improved versions of the Intel 4004 microprocessor, and they were created by 1974.

Altair 8800 - This was an extremely inexpensive computer made by MITS, only coming at $400, and it was far cheaper than any other machine on the market. It used off-the-shelf parts, like the Intel 8080 chip. It was sold as a kit rather than a computer, it only had 256 bytes of memory, and no input or output. It was also expandable meaning that third-party companies could add to it. It had a version of BASIC that was created with Microsoft code.

Expansion Cards - These were devices that could be added onto the Altair 8800 to improve memory, storage, and the ability to connect to external devices.

Commodore PET - This was a large computer made by Commodore in the early 1970s, and it had a keyboard monitor, and cassette tape drive in one chassis. However, it felt like a calculator, which pushed away some users.

Commodore VIC-20 - This was a follow-up to the Commodore PET and was released in 1980

Commodore 64 - This was a follow-up to the Commodore PET and was released in 1982. It is the highest-selling desktop computer of all time.

TRS-80 - This was a computer that was made by Radio Shack and it was able to use its vast network of stores to sell and service this computer, giving it a wide audience.

Apple II - This was designed by computer pioneers Steve Jobs, and Wozniak, and was the first computer that Apple produced. It had color graphics, and it was ideal for playing video games.

Apple Lisa - This was one of Apple’s computers that was released in 1983, however, it was far too expensive for home users, similar to the Xerox Star.

Apple Macintosh - This was a computer that Apple made that reduced many aspects of its design to decrease the cost. Some of these changes include eliminating the hard disk, only leaving a 3.5 inch floppy disk, no expansion slots, 128 KB of memory, and only 10 inches in size. This computer sold well and was the first computer to bring the concept of a mouse into the mainstream.

IBM PC - This is IBM's attempt at making a personal computer, and it was a latecomer to the personal computing arena, entering in August 1981, it still performed extremely well.

IMB PS/2 - This is IBM’s second version of the IBM PC, and it was released in April 1987, along with OS/2, which was made by Microsoft.

Intel 80386 - This microprocessor was a successor to the Intel 8088 which was used in the IBM PC. This microprocessor also allowed for the success of Windows 3.0.

NExT Computer - After creating the successful brand of the Macintosh, Steve Jobs created another company, and this company created its own computers. These computers were high-end, however, their high price tag slowed their adoption. By 1992, it was clear that the company and the product were struggling. However, one interesting footnote is that Tim Berners Lee used this computer to create the World Wide Web.

iMac - This is the successor to the Macintosh, it came in a bright blue, round shell, and it did not have a floppy disk drive. It became the company’s fastest-selling product and a third of the sales were from people who had not owned a computer before.

Osborne 1 - This was the first portable computer. It has a 5-inch screen, runs the CP/M Operating System, weighs 23 pounds, and looks like a suitcase when folded up.

GRiD Compass 1101 - This was the first laptop computer. However, its custom OS and high price tag($8,000) limited its use.

Compaq Portable Computer - This was the first portable computer that was compatible with IBM computers. It was created in 1982, by the company that reverse-engineered IBM’s BIOS.

Psion Organizer II - This was the first PDA, and it was released in 1986.

Apple Newton - This was Apple’s first attempt at a PDA, and it had a stylus and handwriting recognition, however, it did not sell well due to its bulky size and cost.

Palm Pilot - This was a popular PDA that had a stylus, but rather than having handwriting recognition, it had a system for a gesture-based alphabet called graffiti. It also had programming tools, and it had many third-party additions to it.

BlackBerry - This PDA was released by Research In Motion, a company from Canada, in 1999. It was known for its fast wireless email and its easy-to-use keyboard. Soon, the phones moved beyond just email, and included telephones.

GPS - This term stands for Global Positioning System, and it refers to a cluster of satellites launched by the US in the 1970s. They were first an expensive option for luxury cars in the 1990s.

TomTom Go - This was the first standalone navigation device, and it was released in 2004.

Garmin - This was TomTom’s largest competitor also creating navigation systems.

Sony Walkman - This was a popular small cassette player to which headphones could be attached.

iPod - This was the most popular portable music player which was released by Apple. It debuted in 2001.

Handspring Treo - This was an early “all-in-one” PDA, and it was released in 2002. It combined a PDA with a cellphone, and the following year, a camera was added. Early models ran the Palm Pilot OS, but soon they had an option to run a scaled-down version of Windows.

Nokia - This was a company that was a long-time manufacturer of cell phones, soon, they also began to make smartphones. They used an OS called Symbian, which was derived from the early Psion PDAs.

iPhone - This was a game-changer in the smartphone industry and it was released in 2007 by Apple. By 2010, it had sold over 10 million units.

Android - This was a company acquired by Google that made phones with the Linux OS. It is the second largest phone brain after the iPhone.

Tablet PC - This was an older Windows machine that had a stylus and handwriting recognition software.

iPad - This was a product that was released by Apple in 2010 and was essentially a with a large screen but without phone capabilities.

Microsoft Surface - This is a product that was made by Microsoft, and has achieved relative success as a tablet with a detachable keyboard, and is an alternative to a conventional laptop.

Multicore Processors - This was an innovation created by Intel in 2006 that let them slow down the clock speeds of the processors, but still increase performance.