While some people would take the beginning of modern computing as far back as the Babylonians or the room sized ENIAC, I find that most people need know about the present to be able to best understand the past. That being said, the beginning of the personal computer is generally traced back to the Apple I (Apple One).
The Apple I is widely considered the first computer the "average person" could buy and operate. It was sold at the... interesting price of $666.66, and did not include a case, power supply, power switch, keyboard or monitor. Imagine buying a car with no chassis, battery, ignition, steering wheel, windshield or mirrors! Not very "user friendly" is it?
Thankfully, in only 36 years we've come by leaps and bounds in many aspects. Today's small electronics like smart phones and music players contain much more computing power than we used to put a man on the Moon. Yet, some things stay the same. Going all the way back to the Babylonians and the abacus, computers and computing have always been about counting. As hard as it might seem, every electronic device and computer you use comes down to counting numbers. More on that next time!
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