Who Invented the Personal Computer (PC)

Ever since the abacus was invented thousands of years ago in China, humankind has been devising ways to process information. Today, the personal computer, an infant compared to the abacus, delivers and processes information to the masses in a split second. From calculating complex mathematical equations to delivering the latest news in real time over the Internet, the PC has evolved into a remarkable machine. But it wasn’t born overnight. The PC took generations to reach its current form.

Many believe the personal computer concept was conceived in 1837 by British math professor Charles Babbage described the “Analytical Engine,” a stored-program mechanical computer. This machine was never built.

A century passed before the next major technological breakthrough occurred. In 1939, an electronic digital computer, largely considered the first of its kind, was built using vacuum tubes, capacitors, and a rotating drum. This machine, Atanasoff-Berry Computer, or ABC, was designed by John V. Atanasoff and Clifford Berry at Iowa State University.

The ABC inspired a more functional machine, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, or ENIAC, in 1943. At the time, World War II was occurring and driving innovations in computer hardware and communications.

By 1951, the first commercial computer had arrived. The U.S. Census Bureau received the Universal Automatic Computer, UNIVAC, during this year. UNIVAC sold for over $1 million dollars each with 46 of these computers sold.

With price tags of over a million dollars and massive sizes that required huge spaces, computers were not practical for personal use until the microcomputer arrived in the 1980s. Technically, the term “personal computer” was used in 1970s to describe a noncommercial Xerox computer called Alto, it wasn’t until IBM introduced its IBM Personal Computer in 1981 that the term became a household name.

While the personal computer took its first steps into the mainstream, the World Wide Web was also in its infancy. By the mid 1990s, the personal computer and the “information super highway” had arrived. By the end of 2008, Forrester Research reported that over one billion PCs where in use worldwide.

Clearly, the personal computer has arrived and has transformed our world. An entire industry, the information technology industry, was born as a result. CBT Planet plays a part by offering computer training courses to end users and IT professionals alike. Its catalog is filled with courses that show users how to use their PCs and the latest software as well as courses covering professional IT certifications so that new and existing IT professionals are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed in today’s complex computing world. Certified instructors, convenient training formats, and both live and self-paced options make CBT Planet one of the best destinations for quality personal computer and IT training.