Who Invented the Computer

If I were given the question 'Who invented the computer?' as a school project I would have to say that the question is posed knowing that there is no shorthand answer, perhaps no one answer at all, but lots to debate about

An invention is “A new device, method, or process developed from study and experimentation:” Common sense tells us that if the invention under discussion is a device, which a computer is, it has not been invented until a working version has been produced. A computer is “a programmable machine that performs high-speed processing of numbers, as well as of text, graphics, symbols, and sound.
So the question is ‘who produced the first working programmable machine that computed at high speed?’ so lets rule out the abacus or mechanical devices by Archimedes,

Some say the first computer is the "difference engine." Such a device was conceived in 1782 by J. H. Smith but it was never built. Ruled out then

Difference engines were forgotten and then rediscovered in 1822 by Englishman Charles Babbage... This machine used the decimal numbers system and was powered by cranking a handle. The British government first financed the project but then later cut off support. Babbage went on to design his much more general analytical engine but later returned and produced an improved design (his "Difference Engine No. 2") between 1834 and 1869.It is said that he failed to build a complete machine. The most widely accepted reason for this failure is that Victorian mechanical engineering were not sufficiently developed to produce parts with sufficient precision.
It all sounds to me to be abacus-like and I would rule it out. Babbage may be known as "the Father of the Computer" but he is certainly not the inventor of what we now call a computer

The first non programmable electronic computer was invented by Dr John Vincent Atanasoff assisted by one of his students Clifford Berry. He named it the Anatasoff Berry Computer, or the ABC.

Who Invented the Computer continues

However, I have to conclude that what we know as a ‘computer’ is an Electronic Computer which is programmable and its inventor was a man called Alan Turing from Cambridge UK

Memorial of Alan Turing

Turing was drafted in to Bletchley Park secret base where they worked at cracking the World War II enigma codes that the Germans used every day. It is said that the actual design of Collosus, the world's first programmable, digital, electronic, computing device was by a member of Turing's team Tommy Flowers.
The Collosus Marks I /II 1943/1944,were made from thousands of valves and were kept top secret up until the 1970's. They were smashed to pieces at the end of the war.
The buildings at Bletchley Park have now been restored as a tourist attraction

So, who invented the computer?

I’m going for Alan Turing / Tommy Flowers for the same reason as I go for Joseph Swan as the inventor of the light bulb (as against Thomas Edison who brought the light bulb to the masses.) They were both British and under resourced and have been overshadowed by those producing subsequently better resourced and commercially practical American versions

This 'Who invented the computer' blog page is copyright Jon Bratton 2009

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Apple Computers

Apple Computers, tho' not by that name, was established on 1st April, 1976

Steve Wozniak hand built the Apple I personal computer and along with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne sold them at a price of $667... that's a staggering $2,500 in today's money terms.
Ronald Wayne sold his shares to the other two for $800 and multi-millionaire Mike Markkula provided much needed business expertise and funding of $250,000 during the incorporation of Apple.

In December 1980, Apple Computers launched the initial public offering of its stock to the investing public and it generated more capital than any IPO since the Ford Motor Company in 1956 and instantly created more millionaires (about 300) than any company in history. Several venture capitalists reaped billions in long-term capital gains.

In 1984, (the year that student Michael Dell had $1000 and a dream), Apple launched the Macintosh. Its debut was announced by the now famous $1.5 million television commercial,"1984" and is now considered a watershed event for Apple's success and a "masterpiece"

The Macintosh initially sold well, but follow-up sales were not strong. This was because of the high price tag, as well as limited software titles. The Mac was particularly powerful in the graphics market

In 1985, Steve Jobs resigned from Apple .

In 1996 Steve Jobs came back to Apple as an advisor.. In 1997 Steve Jobs announced that Apple would join Microsoft to release new versions of Microsoft Office for the Macintosh, and that Microsoft made a $150 million investment in non-voting Apple stock.

Between early 2003 and 2006, the price of Apple's stock increased more than tenfold, from around $6 per share (split-adjusted) to over $80. In January 2006, Apple surpassed Dell. Nine years prior, Michael Dell said that if he ran Apple he would "shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders."

Although Apple's market share in computers has grown, it remains far behind competitor Microsoft, with only about 8 percent of desktops and laptops in the U.S.

On January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs announced that Apple Computer, Inc. would from that point on be known as Apple Inc. The iPhone was also announced^] The following day, Apple shares hit $97.80, an all-time high at that point. In May, Apple's share price passed the $100 mark.

This Apple Computers blog page is copyright jon Bratton 2009

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Dell Computers

Dell Computers was founded by student Michael Dell in 1984 as PC's Limited with capital of $1000.

Operating from his dorm room he sought to sell PCs, built from stock components directly to customers, thereby having a better understanding of customers' needs and provide the most effective solutions to meet those needs.

He borrowed about $300,000 from his family and dropped out of school to build his business.

By 1985, the company was selling PCs, through ads in magazines, directly to customers, and assembled each PC according to options selected by the customer. This offered buyers prices lower prices than those of retail brands. It worked...the company took $70 million in its first year

By 1992, Dell Computer Corporation was in Fortune's list of the largest 500 companies in the World.

By 1996, Dell began selling computers via its web site.

By 2007 Dell's 23 year journey had taken it from $1000 in a student's dorm to an annual turnover in excess of $50 billion

Ah the American Dream

This Dell Computers blogpage is copyright Jon Bratton 2009

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