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Reference number: CH000984
When was the first computer invented?
Question:
When was the first computer invented?
Answer:
Unfortunately this question has no easy answer because of all the
different types of classifications and types of
computers. Therefore
this document has been created with a listing of each of the first
computers starting with the first programmable computer leading up
to the computers of today. Keep in mind that early inventions such
as the abacus, calculators, tablet machines, difference machine,
etc. are not accounted for in this document.
First programmable computer
The Z1 originally created by Germany's Konrad Zuse in his parents
living room in 1936 to 1938 is
considered to be the first electrical binary programmable computer.
See our Z1 dictionary
definition for additional information about this computer.
The first digital computer
Short for Atanasoff-Berry Computer, the ABC started
being developed by Professor John Vincent Atanasoff and graduate
student Cliff Berry in 1937 and
continued to be developed until 1942 at the Iowa State College (now
Iowa State University). On October 19, 1973, US Federal Judge Earl
R. Larson signed his decision that the ENIAC patent by Eckert and
Mauchly was invalid and named Atanasoff the inventor of the
electronic digital computer.
See our ABC dictionary
definition for additional information about this computer.
The ENIAC was invented by J. Presper Eckert and John
Mauchly at the University of Pennsylvania and began construction in
1943
and was not completed until 1946.
It occupied about 1,800 square feet and used about 18,000 vacuum
tubes, weighing almost 50 tons. Although the Judge ruled that the
ABC computer was the first digital computer many still consider the
ENIAC to be the first digital computer.
See our ENIAC
dictionary definition for additional information about this
computer.
Because of the Judge ruling and because the case was never
appealed like most we consider the ABC to be the first
digital computer. However, because the ABC was never fully
functional we consider the first functional digital computer
to be the ENIAC.
The first stored program computer
The early British computer known as the
EDSAC is considered to be
the first stored program electronic computer. The computer performed
its first calculation on May 6,
1949 and was the computer
that ran the first graphical computer
game.
See our EDSAC
dictionary definition for additional information about this
computer.
The first personal computer
In 1975 Ed Roberts coined the term personal computer when he
introduced the Altair 8800.
Although the first personal computer is considered to be the
Kenback-1, which was first introduced for $750 in 1971. The computer
relied on a series of switches for inputting data and output data by
turning on and off a series of lights.
The Micral is considered the be the first commercial non-assembly
computer. The computer used the Intel 8008 processor and sold for
$1,750 in 1973.
The first workstation
Although never sold the first
workstation is considered to be the
Xerox Alto, introduced in 1974. The computer was revolutionary
for its time and included a fully functional computer, display, and
mouse. The computer operated
like many computers today utilizing
windows,
menus and
icons as an interface to its
operating system.
The first laptop or portable computer
The first portable computer or
laptop is considered to be the Osborne I, a
portable computer developed by Adam Osborne that weighed 24 pounds,
a 5-inch display, 64 KB of memory, two 5 1/4" floppy drives, and a
modem.
The first PC (IBM compatible) computer
In 1953 IBM shipped its first electric computer, the
701.
Later IBM introduced its first personal computer called the "IBM PC"
in 1981. The computer was code named and still sometimes referred to
as the "Acorn" and had a 8088 processor,
16 KB of memory, which was expandable to 256 and utilizing
MS-DOS.
The first PC clone
The first PC clone was
developed by Compaq, the "Compaq
Portable" was release in March 1983 and was 100% compatible with IBM
computers and software that ran on IBM computers.
See the below other major computer companies first for other IBM
compatible computers
The first Apple computer
Steve Wozniak designed the first
Apple known as the Apple I computer in
1976.
The first computer company
The first computer company was the Electronic Controls Company
and was founded in 1949 by J. Presper
Eckert and John Mauchly, the same individuals who helped create the
ENIAC computer. The company was later renamed to EMCC or
Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation and released a series of
mainframe computers under the
UNIVAC name.
The first multimedia computer
In 1992 Tandy Radio Shack
becomes one of the first companies to release a computer
based on the MPC standard with its
introduction of the M2500 XL/2 and M4020 SX computers.
Other major computer company firsts
Below is a listing of some of the major computers
companies first computers.
Compaq - March 1983
Compaq released its first computer
and the first 100% IBM compatible computer the "Compaq Portable".
Digital - In 1960 Digital
Equipment Corporation released its first of many PDP computers
the "PDP-1".
Dell - In 1985
Dell introduced its first computer,
the "Turbo PC".
Hewlett Packard - In 1966 Hewlett Packard released its first general computer,
the "HP-2115".
NEC - In 1958
NEC builds its first computer the "NEAC
1101".
Toshiba - In 1954
Toshiba introduces its first
computer, the "TAC" digital computer.
Additional information:
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