Introduction
Main idea
The humanity dreams about innovative technologies and quantum machines, allowing to make the most complicated mathematical calculations in billionths of a second but forgets how quickly the progress of computers has occurred for the last forty years. Data volumes, sizes, and productivity of modern devices have been updated so much that ancestral forms can be called “dinosaurs” of informatics.
Thesis Statement
The modern computers are largely updated in comparison with the ancestral forms from 1980.
Pioneer among Computers
The development of electronics contributed to the appearance of a non-primitive computing device. By the second half of the twentieth-century, specialists already had at their disposal advanced resistors, relays, and chip elements by those standards of the time (Grudin, 2017). Thus, the first personal computers created for commercial sale to users were presented to the public in the mid-1970s: it was a small staffed device with a processor clock frequency of 1 MHz and RAM up to 48 kilobytes from Apple (Safian, 2018). Despite so few hardware features, this computer was a pioneer, expanding the field for creativity to all other companies.
Body Paragraph 1 – Discussion Point 1: Processor
Topic Sentence
Over forty years, processors have undergone enormous changes, acquiring considerable computing power.
Subject A – Supporting Detail 1
By the end of the 1970s, the market was filled with a wide variety of variations of eight-bit processors. The sales leaders were companies that deserved respect among modern consumers as well – Intel and Motorola (Zimmermann, 2017).
Subject A – Supporting Detail 2
Since 1980, there has been a revolution in the world of computer technologies, as 16-bit and even 32-bit models replaced the old processors (Grudin, 2017). Processors of that time were produced by the 3-micrometer technological processor, although in 1982, Intel brought this figure to 1.5 (Martindale, 2020). At the same time, the clock frequency of the processor did not exceed 10 MHz, and the bit rate of registers was 16 bits. The amount of data nested in the device was 1 Mbyte.
Subject B – Supporting Detail 1
In 2020, these parameters do not seem to be as grandiose. For comparison, the flagship line of 10th generation Intel Core i7 processors, which most adequately describes the achievements of modern circuits, has 14-nanometer lithography, a base clock frequency up to 2.60 GHz and 128 gigabytes of memory (Martindale, 2020). Such results allow us to achieve billions of calculated actions per second.
Subject B – Supporting Detail 2
However, it should be remembered that processors for computers, as a rule, are based on a microscopic silicon crystal, and silicon technology is rapidly approaching the limit of its physical capabilities. For this reason, the pace of processor development is gradually decreasing.
Body Paragraph 2 – Discussion Point 2: Memory
Topic Sentence
In general, RAM and ROM storages have tended to reduce their physical size while increasing the amount of accumulated data.
Subject A – Supporting Detail 1
In 1980, the first five-inch hard drive was produced in 1980 with a capacity of 1GB, but at that time, it weighed over half a ton (Zimmermann, 2017). At the time, RAM was measured in megabytes, which was enough for the job.
Subject A – Supporting Detail 2
Modern ROMs and RAMs should be as large as possible to provide the user with a smooth and uninterrupted workflow. Therefore, the current size of RAM is counted in tens of GB, and ROM has long passed the mark of terabytes.
Body Paragraph 3 – Discussion Point 3: Screen
Topic Sentence
Monitors, as one of the main components of computers, have undergone many modifications in the history of their existence.
Subject A – Supporting Detail 1
Even in the period up to 1980, electron-beam monitors were replaced by liquid crystal analogs.
Subject A – Supporting Detail 2
However, unlike modern versions of displays with a diagonal to 55 inches and 60-150 Hz refresh rate, versions from 1980 were much more primitive. For example, such monitors were monochrome and required a separate backlight.
Subject B – Supporting Detail 1
Just over the next five years, IBM and Apple have made significant improvements to the displays, adding color models, and improving transmission quality.
Body Paragraph 3 – Discussion Point 3: Mouse and Keyboard
Topic Sentence
Computer peripherals have undergone the most changes over the past forty years, not only in terms of the principle of operation but also in terms of appearance.
Subject A – Supporting Detail 1
Computer mice from the 1980s gradually replaced optical sensors with a rubber ball, but the concept of buttons remained unchanged.
Subject A – Supporting Detail 2
In the world of modern devices, there are two ways: either computer mice are replaced by the touchpad, or the mouse improves. New mouse models are usually based on laser systems. Wired mice are a thing of the past and are replaced by Bluetooth or USB devices.
Subject B – Supporting Detail 1
The first input devices developed in the 1980s were not separate from the central computer: the motherboard was located in one case with a keyboard. The number of keys was limited, and most of the function keys used today were not available.
Subject B – Supporting Detail 2
The most impressive features of 2020 include touchscreen keyboards, wireless keyboards with fingerprint sensors, and high functionality fully.
Conclusion
Restate Thesis
In conclusion, computers have undergone a significant number of transformations over the past forty years.
Opinion
Some have only changed the appearance and form factor, while others have entirely redefined the machine concept. From a comparative analysis, we can see that since 1980 the devices have had several trends for further evolution. Firstly, the chipboard portion has been updated as much as possible: the computing power of computers has increased millions of times. This makes it possible to perform more complex mathematical calculations in the tiniest fraction of a second. Secondly, due to the growing demand for computational power, computers have got more memory. Today, even the size of the clipboard is larger than the RAM of devices in 1980. Finally, the output and input devices have changed. Displays have become more qualitative, acquired different colors, and increased the density of pixels. The mouse and keyboard did not change their concept categorically but began to have a more convenient and organic design in addition to increased functionality.
References
Grudin, J. (2017). From tool to partner: The evolution of human-computer interaction.Synthesis Lectures on Human-Centered Interaction, 10(1), 1-183. Web.
Martindale, J. (2020). The best Intel processors for 2020. Digital trends. Web.
Safian, R. (2018). Why Apple Is the world’s most innovative company. Fast Company. Web.
Zimmermann, K. A. (2017). History of Computers: A Brief Timeline. Live Science. Web.