The history of computing hardware spans developments from early devices used for simple calculations to today's complex computers, encompassing advances in both analog and digital technology.
The Ishango bone is thought to be a Paleolithic tally stick.
View through the back of Pascal's calculator. Pascal invented his machine in 1642.
A set of John Napier's calculating tables from around 1680
Detail of an arithmometer built before 1851. The one-digit multiplier cursor (ivory top) is the leftmost cursor.
The history of computing hardware starting at 1960 is marked by the conversion from vacuum tube to solid-state devices such as transistors and then integrated circuit chips. Around 1953 to 1959, discr
History of computing hardware
…History of computing History of computing hardware (1960s–present) History of laptops…
1969: Data General Nova
1976: Cray-1 supercomputer
Time-sharing computer terminals connected to central computers, such as the TeleVideo ASCII character mode smart terminal pictured here, were sometimes used before the advent of the PC.
1973: Micral N