Fourth Generation of Computers (1971 - Present):
- Microprocessors really defined the fourth generation -Made it possible to construct a computer that fits on a desktop - Later on more and more products began using microprocessors - Computers could compute billions of calculations per second - Computers became even more affordable, so much that they were starting to be used by people at home - Bill Gates (created the Microsoft Company) developed the BASIC programming language for computers - In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer to home users - In 1984 the Apple Company introduced the Macintosh - The smaller computers started to become more powerful, so much that they could be linked together to form networks - That eventually led to the development of the internet - In 1994 the IBM Simon Personal Communicator was the first ever "smartphone" created - It was overly priced, big, and clunky compared to today's standards - It had a touchscreen and apps, the touchscreen was better navigated with a stylus rather than a person's finger - The invention of the IBM "smartphone" spawned some of the famous companies that have developed their own smartphones - Apple and Samsung for example |