From ENIAC to the IBM 701: The Evolution of Personal Computers

Personal computers have come a long way from the time they first became available to consumers in the 1990s, as detailed in a personal anecdote. In the early 1990s, a typical 486 PC with 4MB of RAM and a 100MB hard drive could be purchased for around $1400. By then, CD-ROM drives were still a luxury item, often costing around $80, and it took some time before modems and CD-ROM drives became more widely available.

Early Computing: ENIAC and Beyond

The origins of personal computers trace back much further than the 1990s. The first electronic computer, the ENIAC, was unveiled on February 15, 1946, at the University of Pennsylvania, funded by the United States government during World War II. This massive machine was not only physically enormous, weighing approximately 30 tons, but also required a vast amount of energy to operate. Despite its size and complexity, the ENIAC was primarily used for artillery firing table calculations for the US Army.

The First Commercial Computers

With the advent of electronic computers, the first commercial computers started appearing in the 1950s. One of the earliest commercial computers was the Ferranti Mark 1, which was delivered in February 1951 and was purchased by the Victoria University of Manchester. Another notable early computer, the Leo I, was delivered to J Lyons and Co. in 1951 and was built to run the company's payroll and inventory systems.

Other significant early delivery dates include:

UNIVAC I by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly in 1951, delivered to the Pentagon. IBM 701 in 1953, purchased by the University of California. LEO I in 1956, starting its time-share and outsourcing of payroll at Ford UK.

Among these, the IBM 701, delivered to the University of California in 1953, is often cited as one of the first computers delivered to a private entity, aside from the IBM corporation itself.

The Advent of Microcomputers

The microcomputer revolution of the 1970s marked a significant shift in the personal computing landscape. The 1974 marking the release of the Monte Carlo microcomputer, was a pioneering step forward, making personal computing more accessible to individual users and small businesses.

By the 1990s, personal computers were becoming more mainstream, with the introduction of Windows 3.0, which brought an enhanced graphical user interface (GUI) to DOS systems. Modems, CD-ROM drives, and other peripherals became standard, making it possible to access the burgeoning world of the Internet and share resources far beyond what was previously possible.

As the technology evolved, so did our computers, leading us to the modern era of smartphones, laptops, and cloud computing. The journey from the ENIAC to the IBM 701, and beyond, has been a fascinating one, shaping the way we live, work, and communicate in our interconnected world.