Everything Everywhere Daily The History of Personal Computing
Oct 9, 2025
Explore the fascinating journey of personal computing, from gigantic early machines to the sleek devices we use today. Discover Vannevar Bush's ambitious Memex concept and how DEC's PDP-8 paved the way for interactive computing. Dive into Douglas Engelbart's groundbreaking 1968 demo featuring the mouse and hypertext. Learn how the Altair 8800 sparked a hobbyist movement, leading to the creation of Apple by Wozniak and Jobs. Witness the evolution of software with Microsoft and how personal computers revolutionized everyday life.
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From Room-Sized To Personal Vision
- Early computing was centralized in governments, universities, and corporations with massive machines and specialist operators.
- Visionaries like Vannevar Bush and J.C.R. Licklider imagined personal, interactive information tools decades before hardware made them feasible.
Engelbart's Demo Predicted Modern PCs
- Researchers like Douglas Engelbart and his Mother of All Demos previewed personal workstations with mouse-driven GUIs decades early.
- These demonstrations showed the human-computer partnership Licklider predicted, foreshadowing later consumer interfaces.
Microprocessors Made PCs Possible
- The Intel 4004 microprocessor (1971) condensed processing power into a single chip, enabling compact, affordable machines.
- Microprocessors shifted computing from large installations to devices accessible to individuals and small organizations.
