Juan Monroy — Class 13, Digital Media

Bit
- binary digit
- fundamental building block of computing
- expressed…
  - 1
  - 0
- logical values
  - yes/no
  - true/false
  - +/-
  - on/off
Byte
- basic unit of digital information
  - usually eight bits
- basic meaningful computer unit
  - a letter of text
Storage
- Magnetic Storage
  - magnetic tape
  - magnetic disks
- Optical Storage
  - magento-optical drives
  - CD and DVD
Diodes
- vacuum tubes
- Thomas Edison 1883
- John Fleming 1904
- Lee deForest 1912
- ENIAC
  - electronic numerical integrator and calculator
  - processed calculations for the hydrogen bomb
- Transistors
  - Texas Instruments 1947
  - Minicomputers
    - cabinet sized computers
Microprocessors
- Intel 1971
- silicon switches
- microcomputers
Altair 8800
- microcomputer, 1975
- mail order
- Altair BASIC
  - written by Bill Gates
  - Microsoft’s first product
- specs
  - Intel 8080 processor
  - 256 bytes
  - front panel with lights
  - $400 kit. assembled for $500.
Alto
- Xerox PAC
- first personal computer
- 1973
- desktop metaphor
  - mouse
  - GUI
- Ethernet
  - high-speed LAN
  - Bob Metcalfe
Apple Computer
- Apple II
  - personal computer, 1977
  - Steve Jobs and Wozniak
- Macintosh
  - 1984
  - graphic user interface
  - Hypercard
    - linking on keywords or icons
International Business Machines
- IBM PC
- IBM PC, Jr.
Bulletin Board Systems
- exchange email
- post opinions
- upload and download information
Commercial Internet
- NSF withdrew funding
- opened network to commercial users in 1991
- post Cold War