The Analytical and Difference Engines (1835-1869): The English

mathematician Charles a!!age (1"9#-18"1) ne$er g%t t% !&ild his

in$enti%n' !&t his design had an &ncanny resem!lance t% the
m%dern c%m(&ter) Ada *%$elace' *%rd yr%n+s da&ghter' ,r%te
el%-&ently a!%&t the de$ice and ,as hist%ry+s first (r%grammer)
The AC (Atanas%ff erry C%m(&ter) (1938): .%hn Atanas%ff and
Cliff%rd erry designed the first electr%nic digital c%m(&ter at
/%,a 0tate' and &rged the &ni$ersity t% (atent their design)
1%thing ,as e$er d%ne and milli%ns in (%tential r%yalties ,ere
l%st) The (r%2ect ,as a!and%ned in 193# ,ith%&t !&ilding the
c%m(&ter)
The E1/AC (Electr%nic 1&merical /ntegrat%r and Calc&lat%r)
(1936): ,as !&ilt at the 4ni$ersity %f 5ennsyl$ania !y .%hn 6)
7a&chly and .) 5res(er Ec8ert) 9ec%gni:ed as the first
%(erati%nal electr%nic c%m(&ter' it c%&ld (erf%rm 5';;; additi%ns
(er sec%nd' ,eighed 3; t%ns' and re-&ired 1'5;; s-&are feet %f
fl%%r s(ace)
41/<AC / (4ni$ersal A&t%matic C%m(&ter) (1951): The ,%rld+s first
c%mmercial c%m(&ter (a t%tal %f 15 ,ere s%ld) gained (&!lic
rec%gniti%n ,hen it ,as &sed !y C0 t% (redict Eisenh%,er+s 195#
(residential electi%n) The %riginal 41/<AC ,as %fficially retired
%n =ct%!er 3' 1963' after "3';;; h%&rs %f %(erati%n' and is n%,
%n dis(lay at the 0miths%nian /nstit&ti%n)
The /7 36; (1963): The 36; series (i%neered the c%nce(t %f
&(,ard c%m(ati!ility ,here!y a &ser c%&ld &(grade fr%m %ne
c%m(&ter t% the ne>t ,ith%&t ha$ing t% re(r%gram e>isting
a((licati%ns) The machine ,as $ie,ed as an en%rm%&s financial
gam!le' !&t (aid %ff hands%mely as it ga$e /7 a d%minance in
mainframes ,hich it has ne$er relin-&ished)
Altair 88;; (19"5): The .an&ary 19"5 iss&e %f 5%(&lar Electr%nics
feat&red the Altair 88;; %n its c%$er: the first (ers%nal
c%m(&ter and a machine that the h%!!yist c%&ld !&ild fr%m a 8it)
#;;; ad$ent&r%&s readers sent in their %rders (sight &nseen) f%r
a 8it that c%st ?339) The Altair had n% 8ey!%ard %r m%nit%r and
n% a$aila!le s%ft,are and ,as (r%grammed !y s,itches %n the fr%nt
(anel)
A((le // (19""): The A((le /l ,as a f&lly assem!led h%me c%m(&ter
in an attracti$e case' c%m(lete ,ith 8ey!%ard' c%nnecti%n t% a T<
screen' c%l%r' mem%ry t% 63@!' and A0/C inter(reter) The machine
,as t% la&nch the (ers%nal c%m(&ter re$%l&ti%n and $a&lt its
f%&nders' 0te$e 6%:nia8 and 0te$e .%!s' fr%m garage t% gl%ry)
/7 5C (1981): /7 ,as neither first n%r techn%l%gically
inn%$ati$e' !&t their ann%&ncement (&t the (ers%nal c%m(&ter %n
the des8s %f America+s !&siness (e%(le' 2&st as A((le had (&t the
c%m(&ter in the h%me) y 1985 /7 had man&fact&red its three
milli%nth 5C' and had s(a,ned an entire ind&stry in the (r%cess)
A((le 7acint%sh (1983): The 7acint%sh ,as far fr%m an instant
s&ccess' !&t %nce A((le g%t the !&gs %&t and added an internal
hard dis8' laser (rinter' and e>(anded mem%ry' the machine t%%8
%ff) /t+s ease %f &se and gra(hical interface %ffered an entirely
different (ers(ecti$e %n c%m(&ting)
The 5C T%day (1996): The march %f techn%l%gy is relentless and
ast%&nding and t%dayAs 5C r&ns rings ar%&nd its (redecess%r)
T%day y%& can !&y a 5enti&m (r%cess%r ,ith 167 %f 9A7' a 5;;7
hard dri$e' a 15-inch s&(er-<BA m%nit%r' a -&ad-s(eed CD-9=7' and
a s%&nd card' all f%r a((r%>imately ?#';;;)