Monday, September 23, 2013

The Incredible Shrinking Computer

I remember back in 1998, when I purchased my first Hewlett Packard desktop computer.

It was HUGE and BULKY.

The computer monitor took up so much space on my desk that I barely had any working room in front of it. Also, the hard drive was MASSIVE.

Lately I’ve been thinking about how much computers have evolved over the past 15 years. They’ve gone from BIG to small yet, have gotten more advanced.

Doesn’t it amaze you how computers have shrunken over the years?

And not only desktops, but laptops as well.

I think Mr. Apple (Steve Jobs) had much to do with that because he liked things very streamlined, almost Zen-looking. Mac computers are designed like a piece of artwork.

However, I have both an HP desktop and laptop computer, which I love.

But I’ve got to say that I’m not someone who uses my laptop much, other than if I travel or need it in an emergency situation when I lose my Internet service and go to a coffee shop to use their WiFi. I prefer using my desktop with a wider monitor and keyboard. If I’m going to spend a lot of time on my computer, I like something that feels more spacious. A laptop feels too confining for me. I also prefer using a mouse rather than a trackpad. The only trackpad I like are the ones on Mac laptops because they’re so easy to use.

Let’s take a journey through the incredible shrinking computer…

Colossus, the world's first electronic computer.

 Early computer by Philco.

The HP desktop above is exactly like the first one I had. The one below it is what I have now.

The evolution of the Mac desktop.

The evolution of the Mac laptop.

Now we have iPads, which are even smaller than a laptop.

And what is even more mind blowing is this new wearable computer they call, Google Glass.

I remember as a kid watching the cartoon, The Jetsons, and thinking how cool it was because of all the advanced technology they used; believing it was just a made up fantasy.

But when I look at that cartoon now, I see that it was actually a premonition of what was to come.

The George Jetson computer age...

Happy Monday everyone!