Computers: Then , Now, and the Future

Perhaps no one could imagine in 1970’s that computers will penetrate into different spheres of our life and will become inalienable tool and means in different spheres of human activity. The development of electronics and micro controller technology made a revolution in computer industry and the development of computer industry and engineering was fastened several times in 1980’s and in 1990’s. The simple concept proposed by IBM in 1980’s gave the birth to the generation of computers which changed the life of humanity-to personal computers. After IBM decided that they’ll develop only main computer platforms and microprocessors and will make the architecture of the computer open so that other manufactures could develop different peripheral devices the computer industry was no longer stopped by domination of giant corporations in electronics (Campbell-Kelly, 101). The concept of making a computer personal had widened the range of application: from simple computer gaming and entertainment to a platform for the solution of different applied problems. Personal computers since 1980’s has made a great progress from being used as very expensive tools for database processing and different sorts of complicated calculations to a usual multi-functional electronic device which is owned nearly by every business and every family.
The common characteristics for a computer in early 1980’s were 3-10 MHz processor, 64-640 KB Ram and 10-20 MB hard drive. According to Shurkin These were the standard characteristics of the first PC computer: IBM model 5150 (97). This computer had lower characteristics than existing Apple models, but in comparison to Apple computers it had open architecture so that PC users could upgrade and install different additional types of hardware and peripheral devices if they had a need. It outlined PC’s individuality and flexibility so it became available for multi-purpose activity and became affordable for a bigger number of potential buyers. In 1983 IBM introduced a new model IBM AT (advanced technology) with Intel 80286 processor, then Intel 80386 and so on (Campbell-Kelly, 129). After the AT model was introduced, the growth of PC industry became so fast that sometimes it is impossible to outline the most important events. PC model with Intel processor 286, made computer architecture universal and open so that a number of other manufacturers began to specialize in the assembling PCs: small enterprises had a lot of options as they didn’t have to spend a lot of funds of hardware and devices which could become outdated every moment. The use of computers in 1980’s was already wide, but nevertheless they were not universally spread: entertainment (computer games with 2D graphics), data processing and engineering calculations. The opportunities of such computer were limited in order to make it universal: operation systems such as DOS and different Dos shells were rather complicated for inexperienced users, in addition there existed a number of compatibility problems of different software. Only after 486 Intel platforms allowed multi-task operation system windows to be run.
The development of computer market in 1990’s in the development of multi-task operation systems (different versions of Windows) and development of Pentium processors (and its clones AMD, Celeron, etc). Multi-task windows operation system widened the range of personal computer use: as user could run different program at the same time, switching between windows. It made PC easy to use for traditional gaming, office applications, graphics, etc. Besides, since early 1990’s PC began to be used for internet surfing, moving a lot of data online and at the same time moving some sorts of businesses online especially those which are related with IT. Computers of 1990’s became faster and more reliable than in 1980’s and 1970’s as the industry became for available and had developed greatly. Plug and play windows technology allowed to use different external devices with compute such as digital cameras, camcorders, audio systems, etc (Abbate 365). So it created a symbiosis of technology on the base of opportunities which personal computer has. The rapid development of IT and computer industry continues nowadays, at the faster rate if compared to previous years. The new trend in computer technology is development of compact computers, lap-tops and integrated computers in the cell phones which are often called smart phones. The growth of integrated technologies in cell phone industry is dictated by time as the access to different sorts of information (from the storage source or online) is often vital nowadays.
Computers in the nearest future wouldn’t change much, but already now there is trend in computer technology for the manufacturing of quantum computers( which will have a different mechanism and their work would be based on conjectures). This technology will reduce the size of computers as every working element would have the size of atom or molecule (Abbate 101). From the other side, the most recent forecasts for future of computer software is that it will create a virtual reality of the sounding world and lots of functions of today’s reality would be transformed in the “cyber world” (Ahl 12).
Making a conclusion it’s important to note that rapid computer revolution had changed a lot of concepts of our world and made us to revise a lot of values, as computers not only freed people from routine mechanic world but also crated an alternative for existing working principles. It became possible only because of constant developing of exiting electronics technologies: making a progress from the computers of the bookcase size in 1970’s to computers with the size of the cell phone nowadays.

References:
1. Campbell-Kelly, Martin and William Aspray. Computer: A History of the Information Machine. New York: Basic Books, 1996.
2. A Bibliographic Guide to the History of Computer Applications, 1950-1990. Bibliographies and Indexes in Science and Technology. 10. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996.
3. Shurkin, Joel. Engines of the Mind: The Evolution of the Computer from Mainframes to Microprocessors. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1984 (revised 1999).
4. Abbate, Janet. The Electrical Century: Inventing the Web. Proceedings of the IEEE 87 (November 1999): 1999-2002.
5. Ahl, David H. “Computer Games: History.” In Encyclopedia of Computer Science, 4th ed., eds. Anthony Ralston, Edwin D. Reilly, and David Hemmendinger, 357-60. London: Nature Publishing Group, 2000.