Famous Programming Inventions and their INVENTORS

In the last two centuries, several inventions have reshaped and redefined what the modern computer is now. Step by step, each development revolutionized the use and development of computers of different types. Without these inventions, it will be difficult to believe that computers will be as useful as they are in the world.

There are thousands of inventors that have invented several pieces of technology for the computer. However, only a handful of technologies were successfully implemented. Some of the famous inventions that contributed to the development of computers and their inventors are discussed below.

Mouse

Without a doubt, the mouse is one of the most important breakthroughs in the development of a computer system. This piece of technology allows users to perform simple navigation-related tasks, which are crucial for using a computer system. Once the mouse was fully developed, it replaced the four direction buttons on the keyboard that were used for navigation.

Doug Engelbart’s contribution to the development of the mouse is considered by most historians as the most impactful. Doug successfully designed and created the prototype of the mouse. Since the creation of the mouse, it has remained relevant and useful despite the development of touchscreens and trackpads. Even at that, some applications are best executed using a mouse.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Intel is considered the first company to successfully roll out an all-purpose CPU within a single computer chip. This cutting-edge technology – Intel 4004 – was released in 1971. It set the pace for the development of modern computers as they exist. For several years, Intel 4004 made Intel the leading CPU developer within the computer industry.

Behind the success, Federico Faggin is considered the brains behind the creation of Intel 4004. Federico was an engineer and a physicist who was the team leader for the creation of the first functional CPU chip to be sold commercially.

Hard Drive

The hard drive is another essential component of a computer system. This device allows for the storage of computer-based and user-defined data. The first functional commercial hard drive was created by IBM and was termed IBM 350. The creation of this device was spearheaded by Reynold Johnson.

The IBM 350 as the first hard drive looks nothing like the modern portable hard drives. This hard drive was big, and it occupied a large room.

Floppy Diskette

Although this technology is not widely used, at the moment, the floppy diskette remains one of the most important inventions of the computer system. The first commercial floppy diskette was first created by IBM, which was initially 8 inches. After years of development, the floppy disk design shrunk to 3 ½ inch floppy diskette. The use of the floppy diskette was made obsolete by the development of CDs and USB drives.

Yoshiro Nakamatsu is seen by many as the inventor of the floppy diskette. Nakamatsu claims to have sold the patent of the floppy disk to IBM.

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