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
274
Background information
What do looms and computers have in common? History of computing part 2
Kevin Hofer
251
Background information
Now it's going digital: History of computing, part 3
Kevin Hofer
224
Guide
History of computing part 4: Transistors - thanks to them your computer runs
Kevin Hofer
214
Guide
The rise of a giant: History of Computing, Part 5
Kevin Hofer
305
Background information
How the "Fairchildren" founded Silicon Valley
Kevin Hofer
291
Background information
A question of size: the history of the hard disk
Kevin Hofer
6923
Background information
Intel 4004: A desktop calculator helps the microprocessor achieve a breakthrough
Kevin Hofer
8012
Background information
The microcomputer: success thanks to hobbyists and enthusiasts
Kevin Hofer
595
Background information
Gary Kildall: the almost-Gates
Kevin Hofer
5112
Background information
VisiCalc: The first killer app in computer history
Kevin Hofer
6314
Background information
Jack Tramiel: How the tough tycoon put Commodore on the road to success
Kevin Hofer
4117
Guide
Douglas Engelbart: more than just the father of the mouse
Kevin Hofer
6510
Background information
Xia Peisu: the mother of Chinese computing
Kevin Hofer
6917
Background information
Unplug the power supply: the story of Konrad Zuse
Kevin Hofer
7514
Background information
Sergey Lebedev and the first Soviet computer
Kevin Hofer
7016
Background information
50 Years of Floppy Disk: The Rise and Fall of a Storage Medium
Kevin Hofer
8743
Background information
Eben Upton and Raspberry Pi: a history of equal opportunities
Kevin Hofer
3212
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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