Computers That Get Progressively Smaller Over Time
We're used to carrying a pretty fast and internet-connected computer in our pockets wherever we go, but that used to be pure science fiction a couple of decades ago. The very first computers ever created in the forties and fifties used to need an entire room to fit all of their components, so it wasn't a common sight at all.
After some development, computers started to process a lot more information a lot faster while also being smaller, heading towards the personal space. The seventies saw a lot of computer labs in college, and the eighties brought the first personal computers to people's homes. Then, in the blink of an eye, the nineties had laptops, and the 2000s saw the rise of smartphones in an exponential evolution like we've never seen before.
So, let's take a look back to see what computers used to look like at the beginning, and what they can look like now that size is not an issue.
Z3 Deutsches
This German computer was the world's first working programmable, fully automatic digital computer in 1941.
ENIAC
Built in the 40s, the first computers needed an entire room to process a couple of bytes.
Illiac I
This is what a computer looked like in 1957.
FOSDIC
In the sixties, computers were very primitive and would only read information on punch cards.
Datasaab D-21
PDP-10
In the seventies, this created tons of computer nerds.
NEAC 2203
LINC-8
This was considered a “mini” computer back in the day.
Belleville Personal Computer
IBM Personal Computer
Commodore Amiga 500
The most popular computer in the 80s.
Unisys ICON 1
Accord Computer
Your typical office space in the 90s.
TRS 80 PC
Radio Shack did that.
Apple Macintosh SE-30
Apple was pushing for smaller and smaller technology since the 80s.
Apple II Plus
A staple of its era.
Smaky 100
Scrib portable computer
Yes, this was portable in the 70s.
Brother WP1
Some computers were only text processors, so there was no need for a big screen.
Compaq Portable
Looks right out of an Alien movie.
Computer Room
This was the computer of the 90s.
iMac
As thin as it gets.
Toy Computers
They weren't much smaller than an actual laptop.
Apple Newton
PDAs were the predecessors of smartphones, but were too early to the party.
Apple Watch
A tiny computer on your wrist, imagine the possibilities.