The Personal Computer (PC)
Evolution of the Computer
The computer we know of today or more commonly known as a PC was not always as convenient or complex as they are today. There are three different evolutions of the modern day computer starting with the computer age, post war innovation, and the invention of the modern day PC. These three times are ones that I thought would be important to highlight as seen through an article done by the History Channel.
The Rise of the First Computer (1946): During the computer age, the first computers were created and they were large to the point where they took up whole rooms, were expensive, and looked nothing like the modern day personal computer. The first and most famous computer was used to do military calculations during WWII and was a huge advancement for technology. Although it was expensive it woke up Universities and other businesses to see what that potential could be. The ENIAC was the computer that proved to these businesses how worth it it was. It was able to do what man could do in less time and do a better job as well. (History, 2019)
Innovation Excels (1971): During this time we were able to see the development of the microprocessor which completely eliminated the need for the integrated-circuit chip that was created by TI in 1971. The computers shrunk vastly in size and completed changed in size. The one component that made computers so large up until this point was the microprocessor. An engineer who worked for Intel invented the integrated-circuit in 1971.
The Impact of the PC on Humanity
Now that you know some of the history of the PC it is important to know what the impact was and how it is shaping us as humanity today. Although these computers were vastly different compared to what they used to look like, they still weigh in on our everyday lives. Personal Computers now are not just desktop computers or laptops, but they are phones and tablets as well. They allow you to have access to the internet no matter where you are.
One quote from a US News article that I found interesting was this "In the U.S., we now see there are more software developers and programmers than there are lawyers or automobile mechanics. This makes up for one big block of growing jobs." - David Dorn (US News, 2016)
This struck me because the jobs that used to be the foundation and the building blocks of America are not the same anymore. Now we need people who know about computers because even cars are becoming more complex. Lawyers now may need to know more about computers to deal with cyber crimes and privacy issues instead of what they learned in law school.
We can argue that computers have allowed us all to be better at what we do, but do they have other negative effects on us as humans? I think there are pros and cons to computers, but one thing I know for certain is that they are not going away and we need to adapt to the changing world. I personally see this with some smaller businesses who get hurt because they do not have a strong internet presence. Will robots and computers take over the things we do today or will there still be a need for human touch? These are questions that I think about daily when I see new advances in technology.
Do you think computers have helped or hurt society?
Sources
https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-08-12/productivity-inequality-and-the-profound-impact-of-the-personal-computer
https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/invention-of-the-pc
https://www.teknogadyet.com/2018/07/modern-pc-powered-by-windows-and-intel.html
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/education/k12/the-journey-inside/explore-the-curriculum/microprocessors.html
https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/birth-of-the-computer/4/78
http://www.hoylen.com/photos/2009-west/06-computer-history/pic5.html
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