Computer

BitDefender Antivirus

2011-03-01T22:05:00.000-08:00

BitDefender Antivirus

The demo version of this product is one of the best free antivirus (2011) applications available. The best feature of this antivirus software is the 'Performance Optimizer' which helps the user in knowing which all running apps are slowing down the system. It also includes 'Smarthelp' which lets the user create customized warnings and suggestions for satisfactory performance. You may have to be pay around $60 for a one-year pack that can run on one system.

AVG Antivirus 2011

2011-03-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

AVG Antivirus 2011

This application is believed to be the best antivirus for Windows XP or Mac. It mainly consists of the AVG LinkScanner which displays any untrusted links, and the AVG Surf-Shield that detects harmful websites. There are many other advanced technologies incorporated in the 2011 version which provides maximum PC protection. A year's protection on one PC is available for about $35.

Norton AntiVirus 2011

2011-03-01T21:59:00.000-08:00

Norton AntiVirus 2011

Norton AntiVirus software has received many awards and is famous for being the best antivirus application among PC users. The latest version offers overlapping protection that checks for virus and other inappropriate applications. Other features include bot detection, rootkit detection, and Norton bootable recovery tool. This antivirus software is available for about $40 for a year's protection.

Antivirus 2011

2011-03-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

Antivirus 2011

Antivirus software has become a very important requirement and a standard feature in any computer. This software is all the more essential if the computer is connected to the web or is normally used for data transfer with external storage devices. If you want utmost protection from viruses and other harmful programs, it is suggested that you go in for a good licensed version of the application instead of using its trial copy from the web for free. Remember that purchased versions always do come with reliability. Since there are many so called best antivirus available on the web and in computer shops, users get confused as to which is the most suitable alternative. Let us have a look at the best antivirus (2011) software, available for use.

Computer Network Security

2011-03-01T21:43:00.000-08:00

Computer Network Security

Computer networks are an integral part of any organization these days, as they facilitate the free flow of data and services to the authorized users. However, such networks also pose a security threat in case the data is classified and confidential, thus making network security a vital necessity. As the data is available only for authorized users, it is possible for hackers to pretend to be one, by providing the correct user name and password. Computer network security can be disrupted or encroached in the following ways:

* Denial of Service: Denial-of-service is meant to disable a computer or a network and can be executed with limited resources. It is one of the most common forms of attacks by hackers and can effectively disable the whole network of an organization. Denial of service attack makes a computer resource unavailable to its intended user. To carry out this kind of attack, hackers generally flood a network or the access routers with bogus traffic. They also make attempts to disrupt connections between two machines and prevent individuals from accessing a service.

* Trojan Horse: Trojan horse is common and one of the most potential threats to computer security. They are malicious and security-breaking programs, disguised as something which is considered as non-malicious by the security softwares. They are a useful tool for hackers who try to break into private networks. Hackers generally attach Trojan horse to a file, which triggers a virus or remotely controlled software, giving the hacker complete control over the computer.

* Viruses and Worms: Viruses and worms are well known for their destructive nature and the property of replicating themselves. They are basically pieces of computer program codes which are written by hackers and other computer geniuses.

* Sniffing: Sniffing is the act of intercepting TCP/IP packets while they are getting transferred on a network. The interception generally takes place through simple eavesdropping done by a hacker.

Computer Networking

2011-03-01T21:34:00.000-08:00

Computer Networking

So what is a computer network? It is, literally, a network of computers. Each computer in the network is connected thorough a transmission media such as ethernet cable wiring. There are many different kinds of computer networks, such a LAN, MAN or WAN. There are also many different types of network topologies (a.k.a backbone network structures). A LAN (local area network) typically consists of a fewer number of computers (hundred or even less). The computer network in any single establishment or building will have a local area network. A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network of many LAN's. For example, an MNC might have many buildings in the same area. Every building might have their individual LAN's. It would be highly essential to have a network between them. This is where a MAN comes into the picture. A city like New York or Chicago will definitely have many MAN's. When you connect all these networks together, you will get a WAN (wide area network). There are also ethernet protocols (such as TCP/IP, according to which communication in a computer network takes place). When all the above issues are taken care of, then you have a smooth running computer network.

Computer Viruses

2011-03-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

Computer Viruses

Computer Virus is a kind of malicious software written intentionally to enter a computer without the user’s permission or knowledge, with an ability to replicate itself, thus continuing to spread. Some viruses do little but replicate others can cause severe harm or adversely effect program and performance of the system. A virus should never be assumed harmless and left on a system. Most common types of viruses are mentioned below

Resident Viruses, Direct Action Viruses, Overwrite Viruses, Boot Virus, Macro Virus, Directory Virus, Polymorphic Virus, File Infectors, Companion Viruses, FAT Virus , Worms, Trojans or Trojan Horses, Logic Bombs

Computer Devices

2011-03-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

Computer Devices

A programmable machine. The two principal characteristics of a computer are:

# It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner.

* It can execute a prerecorded list of instructions (a program).

Modern computers are electronic and digital. The actual machinery -- wires, transistors, and circuits -- is called hardware; the instructions and data are called software.

All general-purpose computers require the following hardware components:

# memory : Enables a computer to store, at least temporarily, data and programs.

# mass storage device : Allows a computer to permanently retain large amounts of data. Common mass storage devices include disk drives and tape drives.

# input device : Usually a keyboard and mouse, the input device is the conduit through which data and instructions enter a computer.

# output device : A display screen, printer, or other device that lets you see what the computer has accomplished.

# central processing unit (CPU): The heart of the computer, this is the component that actually executes instructions.

In addition to these components, many others make it possible for the basic components to work together efficiently. For example, every computer requires a bus that transmits data from one part of the computer to another.

Computers can be generally classified by size and power as follows, though there is considerable overlap:

# personal computer : A small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor. In addition to the microprocessor, a personal computer has a keyboard for entering data, a monitor for displaying information, and a storage device for saving data.

# workstation : A powerful, single-user computer. A workstation is like a personal computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor.

# minicomputer : A multi-user computer capable of supporting from 10 to hundreds of users simultaneously.

# mainframe : A powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously.

# supercomputer : An extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of instructions per second.

Hardware

2011-03-01T21:14:00.000-08:00

Hardware

Your PC (Personal Computer) is a system, consisting of many components. Some of those components, like Windows XP, and all your other programs, are software. The stuff you can actually see and touch, and would likely break if you threw it out a fifth-story window, is hardware.

Not everybody has exactly the same hardware. But those of you who have a desktop system, like the example shown in Figure 1, probably have most of the components shown in that same figure. Those of you with notebook computers probably have most of the same components. Only in your case the components are all integrated into a single book-sized portable unit.

Figure 1

The system unit is the actual computer; everything else is called a peripheral device. Your computer's system unit probably has at least one floppy disk drive, and one CD or DVD drive, into which you can insert floppy disks and CDs. There's another disk drive, called the hard disk inside the system unit, as shown in Figure 2. You can't remove that disk, or even see it. But it's there. And everything that's currently "in your computer" is actually stored on that hard disk. (We know this because there is no place else inside the computer where you can store information!).

he floppy drive and CD drive are often referred to as drives with removable media or removable drives for short, because you can remove whatever disk is currently in the drive, and replace it with another. Your computer's hard disk can store as much information as tens of thousands of floppy disks, so don't worry about running out of space on your hard disk any time soon. As a rule, you want to store everything you create or download on your hard disk. Use the floppy disks and CDs to send copies of files through the mail, or to make backup copies of important items.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

There's too much "stuff" on your computer's hard disk to use it all at the same time. During the average session sitting at the computer, you'll probably use only a small amount of all that's available. The stuff you're working with at any given moment is stored in random access memory (often abbreviated RAM, and often called simply "memory"). The advantage using RAM to store whatever you're working on at the moment is that RAM is very fast. Much faster than any disk. For you, "fast" translates to less time waiting and more time being productive.

So if RAM is so fast, why not put everything in it? Why have a hard disk at all? The answer to that lies in the fact that RAM is volatile. As soon as the computer is shut off, whether intentionally or by an accidental power outage, every thing in RAM disappears, just as quickly as a light bulb goes out when the plug is pulled. So you don't want to rely on RAM to hold everything. A disk, on the other hand, holds its information whether the power is on or off.

The Hard Disk

All of the information that's "in your computer", so to speak, is stored on your computer's hard disk. You never see that actual hard disk because it's sealed inside a special housing and needs to stay that way. Unlike RAM, which is volatile, the hard disk can hold information forever -- with or without electricity. Most modern hard disks have tens of billions of bytes of storage space on them. Which, in English, means that you can create, save, and download files for months or years without using up all the storage space it provides.

In the unlikely event that you do manage to fill up your hard disk, Windows will start showing a little message on the screen that reads "You are running low on disk space" well in advance of any problems. In fact, if that message appears, it won't until you're down to about 800 MB of free space. And 800 MB of empty space is equal to about 600 blank floppy disks. That's still plenty of room!

The Mouse

Obviously you know how to use your mouse, since you must have used it to get here. But let's take a look at the facts and buzzwords anyway. Your mouse probably has at least two buttons on it. The button on the left is called the primary mouse button, the button on the right is called the secondary mouse button or just the right mouse button. I'll just refer to them as the left and right mouse buttons. Many mice have a small wheel between the two mouse buttons, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The idea is to rest your hand comfortably on the mouse, with your index finger touching (but not pressing on) the left mouse button. Then, as you move the mouse, the mouse pointer (the little arrow on the screen) moves in the same direction. When moving the mouse, try to keep the buttons aimed toward the monitor -- don't "twist" the mouse as that just makes it all the harder to control the position of the mouse pointer.

If you find yourself reaching too far to get the mouse pointer where you want it to be on the screen, just pick up the mouse, move it to where it's comfortable to hold it, and place it back down on the mousepad or desk. The buzzwords that describe how you use the mouse are as follows:

Point: To point to an item means to move the mouse pointer so that it's touching the item.
Click: Point to the item, then tap (press and release) the left mouse button.
Double-click: Point to the item, and tap the left mouse button twice in rapid succession - click-click as fast as you can.
Right-click: Point to the item, then tap the mouse button on the right.
Drag: Point to an item, then hold down the left mouse button as you move the mouse. To drop the item, release the left mouse button.
Right-drag: Point to an item, then hold down the right mouse button as you move the mouse. To drop the item, release the right mouse button.

The Keyboard

Like the mouse, the keyboard is a means of interacting with your computer. You really only need to use the keyboard when you're typing text. Most of the keys on the keyboard are laid out like the keys on a typewriter. But there are some special keys like Esc (Escape), Ctrl (Control), and Alt (Alternate). There are also some keys across the top of the keyboard labeled F1, F2, F3, and so forth. Those are called the function keys, and the exact role they play depends on which program you happen to be using at the moment.

Most keyboards also have a numeric keypad with the keys laid out like the keys on a typical adding machine. If you're accustomed to using an adding machine, you might want to use the numeric keypad, rather than the numbers across the top of the keyboard, to type numbers. It doesn't really matter which keys you use. The numeric keypad is just there as a convenience to people who are accustomed to adding machines.

Most keyboards also contain a set of navigation keys. You can use the navigation keys to move around around through text on the screen. The navigation keys won't move the mouse pointer. Only the mouse moves the mouse pointer.

On smaller keyboards where space is limited, such as on a notebook computer, the navigation keys and numeric keypad might be one in the same. There will be a Num Lock key on the keypad. When the Num Lock key is "on", the numeric keypad keys type numbers. When the Num Lock key is "off", the navigation keys come into play. The Num Lock key acts as a toggle. Which is to say, when you tap it, it switches to the opposite state. For example, if Num Lock is on, tapping that key turns it off. If Num Lock is off, tapping that key turns Num Lock on.

Combination Keystrokes (Shortcut keys)

Computer people

2011-03-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

Computer people
This section of Computer Hope has been designed as a location of location a basic overview of individuals who have contributed significantly to areas that relate to computers. Here you will be able to find an individuals date of birth, date of death if applicable, a small biography, and information about what contributions the individual has made.

Computer hard disk

2011-03-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

Computer hard disk
Year Event
1890 Herman Hollerith developed a method for machines to to record and store information onto punch cards to be used for the US census. He later formed the company we know as IBM today.
1946 Freddie Williams applies for a patent on his cathode-ray tube (CRT) storing device in December. The device that later became known as the Williams tube is capable of storing between 512 and 1024 bits of data.
1946 The Selectron tube capable of storing 256 bits of information begins development.
1950 Before using disks, storage units used magnetic drums referred to as drum machines or drum-memory computers. The first commercial drum machine was developed by the Engineering Research Associates of Minneapolis and used by the U.S. Navy ERA 110. Drum machines were used throughout the early '50s.
1956 On September 13, 1956 the IBM 305 RAMAC is the first computer to be shipped with a hard disk drive that contained 50 24-inch platters and was capable of storing 5 million characters and weighed a ton.
1959 Chucking Grinder Co. begins working on disk drives.
1961 Chucking Grinder Co. moves to Walled Lake Michigan and becomes Bryant Computer Products, a subsidiary of Ex-Cello Corp.
1961 IBM introduces the IBM 1301 disk storage unit June 2, 1961, capable of storing 28 million characters
1962 On October 11, 1962 IBM introduced the IBM 1311 disk storage drive, which stored
1973 IBM ships the 3340 Winchester hard disk drive with two spindles and a capacity of 30MB. This drive was the first drive to utilize the Winchester technology.
1980 Seagate introduces the ST506 hard disk drive, the first hard disk drive developed for microcomputers
1980 The first Gigabyte hard disk drive is introduced by IBM and weighed 550lbs with a price of $44,000.
1986 The original SCSI, SCSI-1 is developed.
1990 SCSI-2 is approved.
1996 SCSI-3 is approved.
2002 Hitachi closes deal to purchase IBM's hard disk drive operation for $2.05 billion on December 31, 2002.

Computer processor history

2011-03-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

Computer processor history
Year Event
1971 Intel introduces the first microprocessor, the Intel 4004 on November 15, 1971.
1972 Intel introduces the 8008 processor on April 1, 1972.
1974 Intel's improved microprocessor chip is introduced April 1, 1974, the 8080 becomes a standard in the computer industry.
1976 Intel introduces the 8085 processor on March 1976.
1976 The Intel 8086 is introduced June 8, 1976.
1979 The Intel 8088 is released on June 1, 1979.
1982 The Intel 80286 is introduced February 1, 1982.
1985 Intel introduces the first 80386 in October 1985.
1987 The SPARC processor is first introduced by Sun.
1988 Intel 80386SX is introduced.
1991 AMD introduces the AM386 microprocessor family in March.
1991 Intel introduces the Intel 486SX chip in April in efforts to help bring a lower-cost processor to the PC market selling for $258.00.
1992 Intel releases the 486DX2 chip March 2 with a clock doubling ability that generates higher operating speeds.
1993 Intel releases the Pentium Processor on March 22 1993. The processor is a 60 MHz processor, incorporates 3.1 million transistors and sells for $878.00.
1994 Intel releases the second generation of Intel Pentium processors on March 7, 1994.
1995 Intel introduces the Intel Pentium Pro in November.
1996 Intel announces the availability of the Pentium 150 MHz with 60MHz bus and 166 MHz with 66 MHz bus on January 4th.
1997 Intel Pentium II is introduced on May 7, 1997.
1999 Intel releases the Celeron 366 MHz and 400 MHz processors on January 4th.
1999 The Intel Pentium III 500 MHz is released on February 26, 1999.
1999 The Intel Pentium III 550 MHz is released on May 17, 1999.
1999 The Intel Pentium III 600 MHz is released on August 2, 1999.
1999 The Intel Pentium III 533B and 600B MHz is released on September 27, 1999.
1999 The Intel Pentium III Coppermine series is first introduced on October 25, 1999.
2000 On January 5 AMD releases the 800 MHz Athlon processor.
2000 Intel releases the Celeron 533 MHz with a 66 MHz bus processor on January 4th.
2000 Intel announces on August 28th that it will recall its 1.3 GHz Pentium III processors due to a glitch. Users with these processors should contact their vendors for additional information about the recall.
2001 On January 3 Intel releases the 800 MHz Celeron processor with a 100 MHz bus.
2001 On January 3 Intel releases the 1.3 GHz Pentium 4 processor.
2001 On October 9, 2001 AMD announces a new branding scheme. Instead of identifying processors by their clock speed the AMD XP will bear monikers of 1800+, 1700+, 1600+ and 1500+, with each lower model number representing a lower clock speed.
2002 Intel releases the Celeron 1.3 GHz with a 100 MHz bus and 256 kB of level 2 cache.
2003 Intel Pentium M is introduced in March.
2006 Intel releases the Core2 Duo Processor E6320 (4M Cache, 1.86 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) April 22, 2006.
2006 Intel introduces the Intel Core 2 Duo processors with the Core2 Duo Processor E6300 (2M Cache, 1.86 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) July 27, 2006.
2007 Intel releases the Core2 Duo Processor E4300 (2M Cache, 1.80 GHz, 800 MHz FSB) January 21, 2007.
2007 Intel releases the Core2 Duo Processor E4400 (2M Cache, 2.00 GHz, 800 MHz FSB) April 22, 2007.
2007 Intel releases the Core2 Duo Processor E4500 (2M Cache, 2.20 GHz, 800 MHz FSB) July 22, 2007.
2007 Intel releases the Core2 Duo Processor E4500 (2M Cache, 2.20 GHz, 800 MHz FSB) July 22, 2007.
2007 Intel releases the Core2 Duo Processor E4600 (2M Cache, 2.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB) October 21, 2007.
2008 Intel releases the Core2 Duo Processor E4700 (2M Cache, 2.60 GHz, 800 MHz FSB) March 2, 2008.
2008 Intel releases the the Core 2 Duo E7200 (3M Cache, 2.53 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) on April 20, 2008.
2008 Intel releases the Core2 Duo Processor E7300 (3M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) August 10, 2008.
2008 Intel releases the Core2 Duo Processor E7400 (3M Cache, 2.80 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) October 19, 2008.
2009 Intel releases the Core2 Duo Processor E7500 (3M Cache, 2.93 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) January 18, 2009
2009 Intel releases the Core2 Duo Processor E7600 (3M Cache, 3.06 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) May 31, 2009

Microsoft Windows history

2011-03-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Windows History
The Father of Microsoft windows Bill Gates, announces Microsoft Windows November 10, 1983.
Year Event
See the codename definition for a listing of Microsoft codenames.
1983 Bill Gates announces Microsoft Windows November 10, 1983.
1985 Microsoft Windows 1.0 is introduced in November 20, 1985 and is initially sold for $100.00.
1987 Microsoft Windows 2.0 was released December 9, 1987 and is initially sold for $100.00.
1987 Microsoft Windows/386 or Windows 386 is introduced December 9, 1987 and is initially sold for $100.00.
1988 Microsoft Windows/286 or Windows 286 is introduced June, 1988 and is initially sold for $100.00.
1990 Microsoft Windows 3.0 was released May, 22 1990. Microsoft Windows 3.0 full version was priced at $149.95 and the upgrade version was priced at $79.95.
1991 Following its decision not to develop operating systems cooperatively with IBM, Microsoft changes the name of OS/2 to Windows NT.
1991 Microsoft Windows 3.0 or Windows 3.0a with multimedia was released October, 1991.
1992 Microsoft Windows 3.1 was released April, 1992 and sells more than 1 Million copies within the first two months of its release.
1992 Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1 was released October, 1992.
1993 Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 was released July 27, 1993.
1993 Microsoft Windows 3.11, an update to Windows 3.1 is released December 31, 1993.
1993 The number of licensed users of Microsoft Windows now totals more than 25 Million.
1994 Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11 was released February, 1994.
1994 Microsoft Windows NT 3.5 was released September 21, 1994.
1995 Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 was released May 30, 1995.
1995 Microsoft Windows 95 was released August 24, 1995 and sells more than 1 Million copies within 4 days.
1995 Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 (4.00.950A) is released February 14, 1996.
1996 Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 was released July 29, 1996.
1996 Microsoft Windows 95 (4.00.950B) aka OSR2 with FAT32 and MMX support is released August 24, 1996.
1996 Microsoft Windows CE 1.0 was released November, 1996.
1997 Microsoft Windows CE 2.0 was released November, 1997.
1997 Microsoft Windows 95 (4.00.950C) aka OSR2.5 is released November 26, 1997.
1998 Microsoft Windows 98 was released June, 1998.
1998 Microsoft Windows CE 2.1 was released July, 1998.
1998 In October of 1998 Microsoft announced that future releases of Windows NT would no longer have the initials of NT and that the next edition would be Windows 2000.
1999 Microsoft Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) was released May 5, 1999.
1999 Microsoft Windows CE 3.0 was released 1999.
2000 On January 4th at CES Bill Gates announces the new version of Windows CE will be called Pocket PC.
2000 Microsoft Windows 2000 was released February 17, 2000.
2000 Microsoft Windows ME (Millennium) released June 19, 2000.
2001 Microsoft Windows XP is released October 25, 2001.
2001 Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition (Version 2002) for Itanium systems is released March 28, 2003.
2003 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 is released March 28, 2003.
2003 Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition (Version 2003) for Itanium 2 systems is released on March 28, 2003.
2003 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003 is released on December 18, 2003.
2004 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is released on October 12, 2004.
2005 Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is released on April 24, 2005.
2005 Microsoft announces it's next operating system, codenamed "Longhorn" will be named Windows Vista on July 23, 2005.
2006 Microsoft releases Microsoft Windows Vista to corporations on November 30, 2006.
2007 Microsoft releases Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 to the general public January 30, 2007.
2009 Microsoft releases Windows 7 October 22, 2009.

Microsoft DOS History

2011-03-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

Microsoft DOS History
since 1981 the computer programming on Dos system , Its further history detailed
Year Event
1981 MS-DOS 1.0 was released August, 1981.
1982 MS-DOS 1.25 was released August, 1982.
1983 MS-DOS 2.0 was released March, 1983.
1984 Microsoft introduces MS-DOS 3.0 for the IBM PC AT and MS-DOS 3.1 for networks.
1986 MS-DOS 3.2 was released April, 1986.
1987 MS-DOS 3.3 was released April, 1987.
1988 MS-DOS 4.0 was released July, 1988.
1988 MS-DOS 4.01 was released November, 1988.
1991 MS-DOS 5.0 was released June, 1991.
1993 MS-DOS 6.0 was released August, 1993.
1993 MS-DOS 6.2 was released November, 1993
1994 MS-DOS 6.21 was released March, 1994
1994 MS-DOS 6.22 was released April, 1994

Internet History

2011-03-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

Internet History
Year Event
1960 AT&T introduces the dataphone and the first known MODEM.
1961 Leonard Kleinrock publishes his first paper entitled "Information Flow in Large Communication Nets" is published May 31, 1961.
1962 Leonard Kleinrock releases his paper talking about packetization.
1962 Paul Baran suggests transmission of data using fixed size message blocks.
1962 J.C.R. Licklider becomes the first Director of IPTO and gives his vision of a galactic network.
1964 Baran publishes reports "On Distributed Communications."
1964 Leonard Kleinrock publishes his first book on packet nets entitled Communication Nets: Stochastic Message Flow and Design.
1965 Lawrence G. Roberts with MIT performs the first long distant dial-up connection between a TX-2 computer in Massachusetts and Tom Marill with a Q-32 at SDC in California.
1965 Donald Davies coins the word "Packet."
1966 Lawrence G. Roberts and Tom Marill publish a paper about their earlier success at connecting over dial-up.
1966 Robert Taylor joins ARPA and brings Larry Roberts there to develop ARPANET.
1967 Donald Davies creates 1-node NPL packet net.
1967 Wes Clark suggests use of a minicomputer for network packet switch.
1968 Doug Englebart publicly demonstrates Hypertext on December 9, 1968.
1968 The first Network Working Group (NWG) meeting is held.
1968 Larry Roberts publishes ARPANET program plan on June 3, 1968.
1968 First RFP for a network goes out.
1968 UCLA is selected to be the first node on the Internet as we know it today and serve as the Network Msmnt Center.
1969 Steve Crocker releases RFC #1 on April 7, 1979 introducing the Host-to-Host and talking about the IMP software.
1969 UCLA puts out a press release introducing the public to the Internet on July 3, 1969.
1969 On August 29, 1969 the first network switch and the first piece of network equipment (called "IMP", which is short for Interface Message Processor) is sent to UCLA.
1969 On September 2, 1969 the first data moves from UCLA host to the IMP switch.
1969 CompuServe, the first commercial online service, is established.
1970 Steve Crocker and UCLA team releases NCP.
1971 Ray Tomlinson sends the first e-mail, the first messaging system to send messages across a network to other users.
1972 First public demo of ARPANET.
1972 Norm Abramson' Alohanet connected to ARPANET: packet radio nets.
1973 Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn design TCP during 1973 and later publish it with the help of Yogen Dalal and Carl Sunshine in December of 1974 in RFC 675.
1973 ARPA deploys SATNET the first international connection.
1973 Robert Metcalfe creates the Ethernet at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC).
1973 The first VoIP call is made.
1974 A commercial version of ARPANET known as Telenet is introduced and considered by many to be the first Internet Service Provider (ISP).
1978 TCP splits into TCP/IP driven by Danny Cohen, David Reed, and John Shoch to support real-time traffic. This allows the creation of UDP.
1978 John Shoch and Jon Hupp at Xerox PARC develop the first worm.
1981 BITNET is founded.
1983 ARPANET standardizes TCP/IP.
1984 Paul Mockapetris and Jon Postel introduce DNS.
1986 Eric Thomas develops the first Listserv.
1986 NSFNET is created.
1986 BITNET II is created.
1988 First T-1 backbone is added to ARPANET.
1988 Bitnet and CSNET merge to create CREN.
1990 ARPANET replaced by NSFNET.
1990 The first search engine Archie, written by Alan Emtage, Bill Heelan, and Mike Parker at McGill University in Montreal Canada is released on September 10, 1990
1991 Tim Berners-Lee introduces WWW to the public on August 6, 1991.
1991 NSF opens the Internet to commercial use.
1992 Internet Society formed.
1992 NSFNET upgraded to T-3 backbone.
1993 The NCSA releases the Mosaic browser.
1994 WXYC (89.3 FM Chapel Hill, NC USA) becomes first traditional radio station to announce broadcasting on the Internet November 7, 1994.
1995 The dot-com boom starts.
1995 The first VoIP software (Vocaltec) is released allowing end users to make voice calls over the Internet.
1996 Telecom Act deregulates data networks.
1996 More e-mail is sent than postal mail in USA.
1996 CREN ended its support and since then the network has cease to exist.
1997 Internet2 consortium is established.
1997 IEEE releases 802.11 (WiFi) standard.
1998 Internet weblogs begin to appear.
1999 Napster starts sharing files in September of 1999.
1999 On December 1, 1999 the most expensive Internet domain name business.com was sold by Marc Ostrofsky for $7.5 Million The domain was later sold on July 26, 2007 again to R.H. Donnelley for $345 Million USD.
2000 The dot-com bubble starts to burst.
2003 January 7, 2003 CREN's members decided to dissolve the organization.

First computer

2011-03-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

First computer
First programmable computer

The Z1 originally created by Germany's Konrad Zuse in his parents living room in 1936 to 1938 is considered to be the first electrical binary programmable computer.

See the Z1 definition for additional information about this computer.

The first digital computer

Short for Atanasoff-Berry Computer, the ABC started being developed by Professor John Vincent Atanasoff and graduate student Cliff Berry in 1937 and continued to be developed until 1942 at the Iowa State College (now Iowa State University). On October 19, 1973, US Federal Judge Earl R. Larson signed his decision that the ENIAC patent by Eckert and Mauchly was invalid and named Atanasoff the inventor of the electronic digital computer.

See the ABC definition for additional information about this computer.

The ENIAC was invented by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly at the University of Pennsylvania and began construction in 1943 and was not completed until 1946. It occupied about 1,800 square feet and used about 18,000 vacuum tubes, weighing almost 50 tons. Although the Judge ruled that the ABC computer was the first digital computer many still consider the ENIAC to be the first digital computer.

See the ENIAC definition for additional information about this computer.

Because of the Judge ruling and because the case was never appealed like most we consider the ABC to be the first digital computer. However, because the ABC was never fully functional we consider the first functional digital computer to be the ENIAC.

The first computer with RAM

MIT introduces the Whirlwind machine March 8, 1955, a revolutionary computer that was the first digital computer with magnetic core RAM and real-time graphics.

The first transistor computer

The TX-O (Transistorized Experimental computer) and first transistorized computer is demonstrated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1956.

The first stored program computer

The early British computer known as the EDSAC is considered to be the first stored program electronic computer. The computer performed its first calculation on May 6, 1949 and was the computer that ran the first graphical computer game.

See the EDSAC dictionary definition for additional information about this computer.

The first minicomputer

In 1960 Digital Equipment Corporation released its first of many PDP computers the PDP-1.

The first personal computer

In 1975 Ed Roberts coined the term personal computer when he introduced the Altair 8800. Although the first personal computer is considered to be the Kenback-1, which was first introduced for $750 in 1971. The computer relied on a series of switches for inputting data and output data by turning on and off a series of lights.

The Micral is considered the be the first commercial non-assembly computer. The computer used the Intel 8008 processor and sold for $1,750 in 1973.

The first workstation

Although never sold the first workstation is considered to be the Xerox Alto, introduced in 1974. The computer was revolutionary for its time and included a fully functional computer, display, and mouse. The computer operated like many computers today utilizing windows, menus and icons as an interface to its operating system.

The first laptop or portable computer

The IBM 5100 is the first portable computer, which was released on September 1975. The computer weighed 55 pounds and had a five inch CRT display, tape drive, 1.9MHz PALM processor, and 64KB of RAM.

The first truly portable computer or laptop is considered to be the Osborne I, which was released on April 1981. The Osborne I was developed by Adam Osborne and weighed 24 pounds, had a 5-inch display, 64 KB of memory, two 5 1/4" floppy drives, and a modem.

IBM PCD later released the IBM portable in 1984, it's first portable computer that weighed in at 30 pounds. IBM PCD later announced in 1986 it's first laptop computer, the PC Convertible, weighing 12 pounds. And in 1994 introduces the IBM ThinkPad 775CD, the first notebook with an integrated CD-ROM.

The first PC (IBM compatible) computer

On April 7, 1953 IBM publicly introduced the 701, its first electric computer and first mass produced computer. Later IBM introduced its first personal computer called the "IBM PC" in 1981. The computer was code named and still sometimes referred to as the "Acorn" and had a 8088 processor, 16 KB of memory, which was expandable to 256 and utilizing MS-DOS.

The first PC clone

The first PC clone was developed by Compaq, the "Compaq Portable" was release in March 1983 and was 100% compatible with IBM computers and software that ran on IBM computers.

See the below other major computer companies first for other IBM compatible computers

The first Apple computer

Steve Wozniak designed the first Apple known as the Apple I computer in 1976.

The first computer company

The first computer company was the Electronic Controls Company and was founded in 1949 by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, the same individuals who helped create the ENIAC computer. The company was later renamed to EMCC or Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation and released a series of mainframe computers under the UNIVAC name.

Computer History

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The Computer History section of Computer Hope is another section and added bonus of using Computer Hopes free service. Within our time line you will find a very detailed section listing key events to the evolution of computers.

In addition to creating the Computer History pages Computer Hope has integrated all of the years located throughout its database into the History pages. Meaning if you see a year listed anywhere on Computer Hope you can click on that year to get to the appropriate History information as well as other related history information.

While we like to believe our research is 100% accurate, Computer Hope cannot claim 100% accuracy. If you have information you would like to add to our Computer History timeline, or you have found information that is incorrect,