Advancement of Technology Throughout the Years

When the first computer was created, who knew technology would get this far? From the first freely programmable computer in 1936 to the IBM PC Home Computer in 1981, followed by the Microsoft MS-DOS Computer operating system, the same year to the Apple Lisa Computer in 1983, along with the Apple Macintosh Computer 1 year later, the advance of technology has been happening very quickly. Products are considerd "old" in a matter of months, as so much in being invented and developed. Take a look through our webpage as we talk about the advance of technology, how our world changed because of Apple and Microsoft, and information on different eletronic accessories. We will answer questions such as: Can products make a comebake? How has computers itself changed? And much, much more...So read on, and enjoy!

Two computer masterminds had both envisioned that their inventions to the computer industry will change how the world thinks. They were Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Inc. It can be said that both of their contributions have greatly impacted the world. If either Gates or Jobs had failed to reach their visions, our world's lifestyle would be entirely different. If they had failed, only industries and business will own computers. Gates and Jobs created the idea of personal computing, which allowed every house in the developed world to own a computer. Imagine giving a presentation without the help of Microsoft PowerPoint or manage budgets without Microsoft Excel. Microsoft Word is not the only word processor, but it is the most known and used word processor. It has saved hours of times from your life then if you had to write, erase and recopy on pieces of paper. Steve Jobs has even impacted the music industry with ipods, ipads, and itunes. Within 30 years, we have gone from typing command-lines, to clicking computer mouse, to taping and draging on a touch screen. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs' creations will furthermore change the future.

Technology has experienced many different stages in terms of its trending. Over the years, the main two electrical appliances that people recognize are the televsion and the computer. From the perspective of the general public, it seems that we are found of "the smaller the better" idea when it comes to computers. Gradually as technology has made its advances, many devices became smaller, flatter, or more portable. Look at the television sets of today comparded to the ones even from the 90's. Many families now are proud owners of 60-inch flat screen, plasma, HD TVs. When televisions first came out, it was a real treat to even get your hands on one of those black and white screened, wooden boxes. Also, another interesting aspect about technology is that if a trend has blown over, it has blown over. Usually, no technologies have made any comebacks, just improvements. For example, you go from the numeric keypad phone, to the flip phone, to the slide phone, and now the touch-screen phone. These changes have been made so the product can be more convenient to the user. So the chances of brining back an older model of any type of technology and reusing it in future generations are very low.

The development of the computer was surely a miraculous thing. Beginnine as an operating system, which you could interact with by typing commands, it evolved into a programmable machine with incredible graphics and a memory to store vast amounts of data. A command-line interface, or CLI, is the name for the mechanism that allows you to carry out various tasks by typing in commands. It requires typing in the instructions, then submitting them by pressing the "Enter" key, so the job can be carried out. It is rare now to see a computer operating with a command-line interface, instead most people would expect it to have a graphical user interface. Also called the GUI, it allows the person to interact with the computer through pictures. This types of interface involves the mouse, which appears as a cursor on the screen. This cursor allows the user to see where he or she "is" on the computer, and launch different programs by clicking on specific icons.

Besides these differences, there are many other contrasting factors between the two types of interfaces. This includes the ease of use, speed in carrying out tasks, and the ability to multi-task. It is safe to say that the GUI is much easier to pick up than the command-line interface. This may be because many people are visual learners, and seeing pictures tends to make things easier for us. The GUI is also better for multi-tasking because the user is able to click on different windows to switch between tasks, while the CLI doesn't offer the same ability. Speed is one factor which the GUI falls short on. Compared to the command-line interface, where typing commands is fast and easy, the GUI is slower because it involves using the mouse and keyboard to navigate through the system.

Looking back so many years, we realize just how much has changed. We have come to rely on computers, televisions, cell phones and etc. so much, that we are not able to imagine our lives without them. Technology has changed our lives - for the good or worse , that is debatable. As many companies continue to research and create, all we can do is wait; knowing that our technology will never be at a stand still, that no product will stay at the top for years without being beat. And that is fine, as it IS the advance of technology.

This webpage was created by: Divya Soni, Melissa Li, Nina Xu, and Raagave Maheswaran.

Bibliography: Sites: The history of GUI Wikipedia Command-line Interface and Graphical user Interface The history of Computers Microsoft changing the world Command line vs. GUI Films: Pirates of Silicon Valley Dir. Martyn Burke. Haft Entertainment, St. Nick Productions, Turner Network Television, 1999.

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