The Ever Improving Personal Computer
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
(Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of now defunct Digital Equipment Corp., 1977)
Although comparing ENIAC to today's tiny calculator and seeing how Moore's Law has held true for decades both make a good point about how technology has changed in the last 60 years, this doesn't tell the whole story. It's what we do with the computer and how it has seemlessly been integrated into our lives that has made the difference.
The personal computing revolution effectively started in 1979. This is when Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston created a piece of software called VisiCalc, the first computer spreadsheet program. Packaged with an Apple II, this software suddenly allowed people to balance their checkbook on a computer or calculate their students' grades. A slew of Apple computers were sold because of VisiCalc.
Apple has continued to push the envelop, introducing and/or redefining everyday computing. It's quite stunning to see what has changed in 30 years.
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