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Computers have become indispensible in our modern day. We do everything with it – work, play, buy, sell – computers even help us sleep. It’s hard to imagine that it was just a lifetime ago where our grandparents had no access to computers – and it was only just 10 years ago that all of our computing was done on desktops and there were no laptops or smartphones to take on the go.

Here’s a quick look back at computers then and now:

- The first programmable computer was the Z1 which was created back in 1933 by Konrad Zuse in Germany. It was mechanical in nature and was programmed using a punch tape and could add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers. It weighed over 1000 kg.

- Although there is some dispute, the first digital computer is considered to be the ENIAC completed in 1946 to aid the US war efforts. It measured over 1800 square feet (167 sqm) and weighed almost 50 tons (45.3 tonnes).

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There has been much musing of late about what direction Apple computers are likely to take. While there was a recent Mac Mini refresh, the yearly Macbook Pro refresh has fallen behind schedule. Furthermore, the WWDC, or Worldwide Developers’ Conference, had next to no discussion of the Mac. All discussion was focused on the recently released Apple iPad and the rebranded iOS 4 for the iPhone. Steve Jobs has even been quoted as saying that the future of computing lays in tablets and mobile devices that can “do everything”. So the question is, amongst all of this hype about Apple’s mobile operating system, where does the Mac, Apple’s true computer, fit in?

There is much speculation on this topic. However, the majority of people believe that the Mac may soon be phased out in favour of a computer that is based on iOS. Based on Steve Jobs’ comments about the future of computing and the economics of the situation, this simply makes sense. 

For example, consider a typical Macbook Pro. Because these are high end computers and the OS comes bundled, Apple is able to make approximately a thirty percent margin on every sale. They might make a little bit more if people spring for Applecare. But after that, they make nothing. Apple has very low market share in terms of boxed software and because of the reliability of the product, rarely has to service a computer. This is a one-time revenue boost, but rarely offers money later.

In contrast, consider the iPhone and iPad. Apple makes a slightly smaller margin on the initial sale. Estimates say that this margin may be as little as 10%. However, after that sale, every single iOS device out there is a constant stream of money. There are no third-party applications, so Apple takes a cut of every application installed on such a device. Apple gets kickbacks on the cost of the service provided by the carrier. Apple makes money on upgrades to the installed software.

Therefore, this is the prevailing guess about the future of Apple computers: that Mac OSX is the end of the line for the Mac OS. It makes far more sense for Apple to port iOS over to be more friendly with a desktop or laptop computer. It is more economical and would unite two codebases that are expensive to maintain. And if Steve Jobs is correct, we will all own one within five years.



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A few years ago, we would have never thought that a computer would look so sleek and sophisticated. There is one interesting thing that you need to note about computers. While it was initially launched, it took several years to evolve. But in the 1990s and especially in the new millennium, there has been a great deal of evolution in its design as well as its performance.

Today computers are changing so fast, that by the time we buy one, and there is an advanced model in the market. Everyone is depending on computers today to work as well as for entertainment. If you go to an office or a home, you will find that all the information is stored in a computer. If the entire world’s computers were destroyed, it would leave many people without information.

No one can operate any business, or personal activities without the help of a computer. From communication to storing photographs, computers are used. Is this a good thing or not? Of course in many ways, the use of the computers has made life so easy for us. It is less complicated, and there is no need to keep bunching up boxes of information.

But it also has its dark side. This is the complete change in social life that it has created among most people, from the young to the old. As it also serves as a form of entertainment, no one seems to want to leave these creatures alone. There are various brands of computers available at various prices, and today a common man can afford to buy a laptop. Such has been the evolution of computers.

If the world has to live without computers today, many organizations and individuals would become handicapped. Computers have become an integral part of our daily lives.



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In general term Home computer means computer for personal use. It is also called as PC. It is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no dominant computer operator. A PC may be used at home, or may be found in an office. Personal comptuers can be connected to a local area network (LAN) either by a cable or wirelessly. While early PC owners usually had to write their own programs to do anything useful with the machines, today’s users have access to a wide range of commercial and non-commercial software which is provided in ready-to-run form. Since the 1980s, Microsoft and Intel have been dominating much of the personal computer market.

Personal Computer was a class of personal computer entering the market in 1977 and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as accessible personal computers, more capable than video game consoles. These computers typically cost much less than business, scientific or engineering-oriented desktop personal computers of the time, and were generally less powerful in terms of memory and expandability. However, a home computer often had better graphics and sound than contemporary business personal computers. Usually they were purchased for education, game play, and personal productivity use such as word processing.

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Types of Personal Computer – PC

A personal computer may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, tablet computer or a palmtop.

* Workstation

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Many people ask themselves “why is my computer so slow?” There are many who own computers but are not that computer savvy. So, it is only natural that they are not aware of some of the common problems that can slow down the performance of the computers. With a few simple tips, you will be well on your way to having your computer function at top performance in no time at all. The three top factors that can slow a computer down are Spyware, a cluttered registry and unwanted desktop items.

Spyware is one of the leading causes of a slow computer. These spyware programs are known as malicious programs that attach themselves to the back of your computer, so that its maker can monitor your internet activity. It would definitely help if you could invest in a good anti-spyware program to prevent this from happening. This usually comes with an anti-virus program which scans your system to remove the spyware and all other viruses. Once you have had the software installed, it is advisable for you to scan your computer at least once a week to remove and prevent these unwanted “pests” from affecting your computer and its performance.

Having a cluttered system registry can really slow one’s computer down as it is packed with unnecessary registry files. Registry files are very important to a computer as they contain preferences and settings for your computer. However, unwanted files get added into the system’s registry each time you add a new software or hardware into your computer. Unfortunately, they will clutter your system’s registry even after you remove or delete the software or hardware. This is because they usually remain in your registry long after you remove and delete the programs, and you might not even be aware of its existence. Nonetheless, you can fix this problem by using a registry cleaner software. A registry cleaner scans your computer and removes these unnecessary registry files. When a scan is done, it will generate a list of unneeded registry files for you to delete. This will help your computer run smoother and faster when you run applications and other programs the next time. A registry cleaner can thus help optimize your computer and improve its overall performance.

The last cause of a slow running computer can be found on your desktop. Many find that they love the convenience of having shortcuts on their desktops as well as high-resolution wallpaper and animated cursors. Unfortunately, all of these things can slow down your computer as it uses up valuable system resources. It is better to shut these items off and not use them when you are working on the computer. This will free up some memory space in your computer, letting it run more smoothly and efficiently

If you want your computer to work at its best, it is important that you take the necessary steps to reduce the occurrence of these problems. By cluttering up your registry, leaving spyware embedded in your computer and cluttering up your desktop, you can greatly affect the overall performance of your computer. So avoid them and carefully tend to these three factors to help your computer run like new again.



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The technological development of the computer over the ages is often referred to in terms of the different generations of computing devices. The very first ones occupied a lot of space. So much so that special janitorial services or commercial cleaning services were hired for their maintenance. Mainly, a generation is the state of improvement in the product development process; basically a certain ‘leap’ in the computer technology. This fundamentally changes the way computers operate.

With each successive generation, the internal circuitry has become smaller, more advanced and more versatile than in the preceding generation. As a result of the miniaturization; speed, power, and computer memory has proportionally increased. New discoveries are in progress that affect the way we live, work and do other chores. Currently there are five known generations of computer.

The first generation computers relied on vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory. These were enormous machines, taking up entire rooms. First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time.



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Desktop computers have gained an edge over than other line of desktop models in the market. There are certain things that do not have matched when it comes to quality and Acer laptop are set examples for the same.

Whether it the time, when you use your computer, hen you might wash for an instance where you must require a computer that possess extra working power. The computers have turned over as one of the most convenient ways to remain connected with the world outside at the same time having great time in your working hours.

Acer Desktop computers have become quite popular among the youth who desire to have the bets moving and fastest of device to sit and work upon. Here by on case you need to raise up the performance of your Acer Desktop computer like Acer Aspire EL1600, you can install it with Random Access Memory (RAM). Certainly this tip helps the users to fetch better performance from these kits that enable smoother and efficient functioning.



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This article explains the history of computers about how computers are developed gradually using new technologies and advancements.Initially computers were built with vacuum tubes by John Mauchly and John Presper Eckert at University of Pennsylvania.

It can be regarded as the first general purpose electronic digital computer with a weight of almost 30 tons occupying 1500 square feet of space and consuming almost 140 KW of power.It was able to do 5000 additions per second using decimal addition. Here the programs have to be entered and changed by hand as there was no representation of programs in the way appropriate for storing in the memory.

Then Von Neumann machine was developed with the method for storing the programs in the form of memory so that the computer can be able to retrieve its instructions from the memory and also the program can be altered though the memoryThis concept was called the stored program concept developed at Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies. This can be treated as the foundation stone for the coming generations of computers.

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The decade of the 1980′s saw an explosion in computer technology and computer usage that deeply changed society.  Today computers are a part of everyday life, they are in their simplest form a digital watch or more complexly computers manage power grids, telephone networks, and the money of the world.  Henry Grunwald, former US ambassador to Austria best describes the computer’s functions, “It enables the mind to ask questions, find answers, stockpile knowledge, and devise plans to move mountains, if not worlds.”   Society has embraced the computer and accepted it for its many powers which can be used for business, education, research, and warfare.

The first mechanical calculator, a system of moving beads called the abacus, was invented in Babylonia around 500 BC. The abacus provided the fastest method of calculating until 1642, when the French scientist Pascal invented a calculator made of wheels and cogs.  The concept of the modern computer was first outlined in 1833 by the British mathematician Charles Babbage.  His design of an analytical engine contained all of the necessary components of a modern computer: input devices, a memory, a control unit, and output devices.  Most of the actions of the analytical engine were to be done through the use of punched cards.  Even though Babbage worked on the analytical engine for nearly 40 years, he never actually made a working machine.

In 1889 Herman Hollerith, an American inventor, patented a calculating machine that counted, collated, and sorted information stored on punched cards.  His machine was first used to help sort statistical information for the 1890 United States census.  In 1896 Hollerith founded the Tabulating Machine Company to produce similar machines. In 1924, the company changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation. IBM made punch-card office machinery that dominated business until the late 1960s, when a new generation of computers made the punch card machines obsolete.

The first fully electronic computer used vacuum tubes, and was so secret that its existence was not revealed until decades after it was built.  Invented by the English mathematician Alan Turing and in 1943, the Colossus was the computer that British cryptographers used to break secret German military codes. The first modern general-purpose electronic computer was ENIAC or the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator. Designed by two American engineers, John Mauchly and Presper Eckert, Jr., ENIAC was first used at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946.

The invention of the transistor in 1948 brought about a revolution in computer development, vacuum tubes were replaced by small transistors that generated little heat and functioned perfectly as switches. Another big breakthrough in computer miniaturization came in 1958, when Jack Kilby designed the first integrated circuit. It was a wafer that included transistors, resistors, and capacitors the major components of electronic circuitry. Using less expensive silicon chips, engineers succeeded in putting more and more electronic components on each chip. Another revolution in microchip technology occurred in 1971 when the American engineer Marcian Hoff combined the basic elements of a computer on one tiny silicon chip, which he called a microprocessor. This microprocessor the Intel 4004 and the hundreds of variations that followed are the dedicated computers that operate thousands of modern products and form the heart of almost every general-purpose electronic computer.

By the mid-1970s, microchips and microprocessors had reduced the cost of the thousands of electronic components required in a computer. The first affordable desktop computer designed specifically for personal use was called the Altair 8800, first sold in 1974.  In 1977 Tandy Corporation became the first major electronics firm to produce a personal computer.  Soon afterward, a company named Apple Computer, founded by Stephen Wozniak and Steven Jobs, began producing computers.  IBM introduced its Personal Computer, or PC, in 1981, and  as a result of competition from the makers of clones the price of personal computers fell drastically.  Just recently Apple Computer allowed its computers to be cloned by competitors.

During this long time of computer evolution, business has grasped at the computer, hoping to use it to increase productivity and minimize costs.  The computer has been put on assembly lines, controlling robots.  In offices computers have popped up everywhere, sending information and allowing numbers to easily be processed.  Two key words that apply today are downsizing and productivity.  Companies hope the increase worker productivity, meaning less working which then allows for downsizing.  The computer is supposed to be the magic wand that will make productivity shoot through the roof, but in some cases the computer was a waste of time and money.

Reliance Insurance is an example of computer technology falling flat on its face, wasting a great deal of money, while producing little or no results.  “Paper Free in 1983″  was the slogan Reliance used because the it had just spent millions of dollars to put computers everywhere and network them.  The employees had E-mail and other programs that where to eliminate paper and increase productivity.  The company chiefs sat back and waited for a boom in productivity that never arrived.

Other examples of the disappointments of computer are not hard to find.  Citicorp bank lost $200 million dollars developing a system in the 1980′s that gave up to the  minute updates on oil prices.  Knight-Ridder tried to develop a home shopping network on the television, and lost $50 million.  Wang laboratories almost went under when they put all of their resources toward developing imaging technology that no one wanted.  Ben & Jerry’s ice cream put in an E-mail system and out of 200 employees less than 30% used the system.  Everything attempted then is currently very common today; on-line services provide stock and commodities quotes, QVC is a home shopping channel on cable television, almost every picture in a magazine has been retouched with imaging technology, and even JRHS has an E-mail system that seems to be valuable.

Other corporations have seized computer technology and used it to reduce costs, but usually the human factor is lost. The McDonalds fast food chain is an example of a company that has embraced computers to help productivity and lower operating costs.  The McDonalds kitchen has become a computer timed machine, “You don’t have to know how to cook, you don’t have to know how to think.  There’s a procedure for everything and you just follow the procedure” .  The workers have in essence become robots controlled by the computer to achieve maximum productivity.  The computer knows the procedure and alerts the worker of events in the procedure and all the worker must do is execute what the beeper of buzzer means.  With such little knowledge of the making of the food, workers have become disposable, “It takes a special kind of person to be able to move before he can think.  We find people like that and use them until they quit.” .



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