10 Top Products Of The Past 4 Decades Tweet

If you feel that the present tech world is rapidly changing, with addition of new iterations to the products every now and then, then think again. Like every trend has some beginning, the tech world had one too, and it was seeded around 45 years back.

These innovations changed the way we live and run our businesses, the way we thought, communicated, bond over, the real and virtual worlds, all changed-- incited a new era in human evolution all together.    

Read on to know the 10 best innovations in the past 45 years, compiled by ComputerWorld.

#10 Computers

The invention of computer itself is a big thing, but the show stealer was not PC, not main frame, not even Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine(1849) or Konrad Zuse’s electromechanical Z3(1942). It was the most groundbreaking computer- ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer). The device was first electronic general-purpose computer, conceived and designed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert of the University of Pennsylvania; unveiled on February 14, 1946. It was capable of being reprogrammed to solve a full range of computing problems, and was designed to calculate artillery firing tables for the United States Army's Ballistic Research Laboratory. Later other "automatic" computers followed it, relieving actual human calculations on paper, ranging from simple math to artillery trajectories.

#9 Word Processor

Wang Laboratories, a computer company founded by Dr. An Wang and Dr. G. Y. Chu Wang in 1951.  The company’s first attempt at a word processor was the Wang 1200(1971). Harold Koplow had written the microcode to perform word processing functions instead of number crunching, breaking new ground between typewriters and mainframes. Later WordStar for TRS-80(1979) put word processing onto personal computers. Something which made fingers just type on, than scribing it on paper.

#8 Delete Key

This simple innovation helped us to correct our mistakes without much fuss. It also reduced need for WhiteOuts, erasers, OS reboots and aftermath apologies; just press and undo.

#7 UNIX

UNIX is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system developed by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs in 1969. The OS simplified the execution of computer programs on machines, before which the program had to converted it to punch cards and give them to MIS, which was then fed to the mainframe.

The whole new world of product based software took the roots in IT industry, powering even those with law IT skills to write programs. The programs were line-of-business applications and large-scale ERP, CRM and SCP systems; which eventually moved to the cloud and took the form of Salesforce.com, Facebook and World of Warcraft.

#6 Local Area Network

ARCNET was the first widely available networking system for microcomputers. It was developed by principal development engineer John Murphy at Datapoint Corporation, provided first commercial LAN in 1977. It answered the people’s need to share files, printers and WAN connections at affordable prices, and with greater speeds.

#5 Acoustic Coupler

The external acoustic-coupler modem (1965) is the first device which converted analog signals from ordinary phone to turn huge computers of the time into network interfaces with blazing 300bps. Though it was included in PC World’s “Ugliest Product in Tech History” list, it defiantly paved way for modern ultra fast internet.

#4 Mobile Phones

The mobile phones were active as early as 1983 when commercial cell networks debuted in. Though at that time mobile phones were not sleek to fit into pockets or have multimedia functions, instead are huge and confined to vehicles, nevertheless the purpose of talking on the go was achieved.

#3 America Online

Steve Case founded AOL (American Online) the commercial ISP, introduced millions of people to internet and chat-rooms; the new experience unveiled. In 1989 when speed in kbps was norm, AOL brought in broadband, and started new online era. AOL led to CompuServe, which led to Web, which led to social networks like Facebook.

#2 Apple Newton

Apple’s Newton was first personal digital assistant (or PDA). Debuted in 1992, it changed the way a user managed personal data, and defined how convenient computer automation should be, making available the data whenever we wanted, in a portable user friendly device.  

#1 Wi-Fi Home Router

Before the advent of Fastwed, an Italian ISP Wi-Fi in 2001, building networks with cable modems was too complex, and expensive. Now Wi-Fi has turned into a domestic necessity of households like a water heater or cooker.

And also,

The Web

Tim Berners-Lee invented HTTP, HTML, and the URL in 1991. It was something which changed forever the way the information was exchanged, led to World Wide Web era, something indispensible in today’s personal or business life.