Computers have not been along very long at all when compared to the history of man. There has been a huge amount of technological development and expansion over the last 50 years. One major component of this technology is the personal computer. There are a few companies that played a major role in getting the personal computer to where it is today and it is hard to imagine a world in which everyone doesn’t have a smart phone in their pocket and a laptop in their backpack. This high volume of electronics in every aspect of our lives plays a huge role in how people interact with each other and live their lives.
Personal computers have come a long way since their invention in the early 20th century. At first personal computers were only for hobbyists …show more content…
In the next 20 years the amount of households with computers rose 51% (U.S. Department of Commerce). There were a multitude of companies trying to get their foot in the door on the personal computer market like Atari with the 400 and Sinclair with the ZX80. But the two most successful were IBM and Apple. The two companies had very different fundamental approaches to the personal computer. IBM’s approach was to create a technically complex and cost effective product. Whereas Apple’s products were user friendly and elegant. For example in 1981 IBM released what they called the IBM PC which “was designed by technologists for use by technologists” (Hagedoorn). Meaning that the PC was very difficult to use and wasn’t developed for the everyday man. It required someone with a technical understanding of computers in order to change parts or modify the system. IBM took one step further than the hobbyist kits in which you had to construct everything and made it so you only had to assemble a few parts. On the other hand an Apple product was “conceived as a single integrated unit, with the monitor, disk drive, and central processing unit (CPU) contained in a single case. Other peripheral devices, such as printers, could be connected via pre-installed ports, instead of inserting the interface cards directly into the computer main board” (Hagedoorn). This allowed people to buy the computer and …show more content…
Every aspect of life started being taken over by computers. Take the ability for mass communication and information, because of this “our global consciousness rises as international events become our instant headlines and new intra- and international frictions flare as class and cultural tensions are exacerbated and physical distance becomes increasingly irrelevant” (Dertouzos). People now have the ability to know what happens anywhere in the world instantly and are able to communicate through emails and web pages. This allows for the world to become a much smaller place. Dertouzos predicts that in “the future, information technology will not only affect how we work and play, but [also] how we receive health care, how our children learn, how the elderly remain connected to society, how governments conduct their affairs, how ethnic groups preserve their heritage, whose voices are heard, even how nations are formed" (Dertouzos). Even though the World Wide Web and internet had only been around for seven or so years Dertouzos is able to accurately predict the capabilities of these incredible devices. He later goes on to say how “no matter how powerful and pervasive a technological force may be, it will face some immutable human traits that will always act to conserve the constancy and stability of our species"
Personal computers have come a long way since their invention in the early 20th century. At first personal computers were only for hobbyists …show more content…
In the next 20 years the amount of households with computers rose 51% (U.S. Department of Commerce). There were a multitude of companies trying to get their foot in the door on the personal computer market like Atari with the 400 and Sinclair with the ZX80. But the two most successful were IBM and Apple. The two companies had very different fundamental approaches to the personal computer. IBM’s approach was to create a technically complex and cost effective product. Whereas Apple’s products were user friendly and elegant. For example in 1981 IBM released what they called the IBM PC which “was designed by technologists for use by technologists” (Hagedoorn). Meaning that the PC was very difficult to use and wasn’t developed for the everyday man. It required someone with a technical understanding of computers in order to change parts or modify the system. IBM took one step further than the hobbyist kits in which you had to construct everything and made it so you only had to assemble a few parts. On the other hand an Apple product was “conceived as a single integrated unit, with the monitor, disk drive, and central processing unit (CPU) contained in a single case. Other peripheral devices, such as printers, could be connected via pre-installed ports, instead of inserting the interface cards directly into the computer main board” (Hagedoorn). This allowed people to buy the computer and …show more content…
Every aspect of life started being taken over by computers. Take the ability for mass communication and information, because of this “our global consciousness rises as international events become our instant headlines and new intra- and international frictions flare as class and cultural tensions are exacerbated and physical distance becomes increasingly irrelevant” (Dertouzos). People now have the ability to know what happens anywhere in the world instantly and are able to communicate through emails and web pages. This allows for the world to become a much smaller place. Dertouzos predicts that in “the future, information technology will not only affect how we work and play, but [also] how we receive health care, how our children learn, how the elderly remain connected to society, how governments conduct their affairs, how ethnic groups preserve their heritage, whose voices are heard, even how nations are formed" (Dertouzos). Even though the World Wide Web and internet had only been around for seven or so years Dertouzos is able to accurately predict the capabilities of these incredible devices. He later goes on to say how “no matter how powerful and pervasive a technological force may be, it will face some immutable human traits that will always act to conserve the constancy and stability of our species"