The "History of computing" series of articles sheds light on different eras, personalities and products in the history of computing. On this overview page you will find all published articles.
Did you know that a woman is considered the world's first programmer? Or that computers fuelled similar fears in their early days as artificial intelligence does today? Have you ever heard of the Intel 4004? If not, you can find an overview of the articles on the history of computing that have already been published on this page. From the beginnings in the distant past, when traders used the abacus to perform calculations, to the modern age, when Intel helped the PC achieve its breakthrough with the microprocessor. If you know everything anyway, you can indulge in nostalgia and add your two cents in the comments column.
Background information
From the abacus to the arithmometer: The history of computing, part 1
Kevin Hofer
27 likes274 comments4
Background information
What do looms and computers have in common? History of computing part 2
Kevin Hofer
25 likes251 comment1
Background information
Now it's going digital: History of computing, part 3
Kevin Hofer
22 likes224 comments4
Guide
History of computing part 4: Transistors - thanks to them your computer runs
Kevin Hofer
21 likes214 comments4
Guide
The rise of a giant: History of Computing, Part 5
Kevin Hofer
30 likes305 comments5
Background information
How the "Fairchildren" founded Silicon Valley
Kevin Hofer
29 likes291 comment1
Background information
A question of size: the history of the hard disk
Kevin Hofer
69 likes6923 comments23
Background information
Intel 4004: A desktop calculator helps the microprocessor achieve a breakthrough
Kevin Hofer
80 likes8012 comments12
Background information
The microcomputer: success thanks to hobbyists and enthusiasts
Kevin Hofer
59 likes595 comments5
Background information
Gary Kildall: the almost-Gates
Kevin Hofer
51 likes5112 comments12
Background information
VisiCalc: The first killer app in computer history
Kevin Hofer
63 likes6314 comments14
Background information
Jack Tramiel: How the tough tycoon put Commodore on the road to success
Kevin Hofer
41 likes4117 comments17
Guide
Douglas Engelbart: more than just the father of the mouse
Kevin Hofer
65 likes6510 comments10
Background information
Xia Peisu: the mother of Chinese computing
Kevin Hofer
69 likes6917 comments17
Background information
Unplug the power supply: the story of Konrad Zuse
Kevin Hofer
75 likes7514 comments14
Background information
Sergey Lebedev and the first Soviet computer
Kevin Hofer
70 likes7016 comments16
Background information
50 Years of Floppy Disk: The Rise and Fall of a Storage Medium
Kevin Hofer
88 likes8843 comments43
Background information
Eben Upton and Raspberry Pi: a history of equal opportunities
Kevin Hofer
32 likes3212 comments12
In case you're wondering why the series was no longer titled "History of Computing" from part 6 onwards: The name is simply too unwieldy and too long.
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