Interpreting Technologies

Of all the types of technology devices I can think of that exist today, none jump out at me more in terms of usefulness than computers. They have been around for a while, but they’ve come so far from their initial models, their intentions for us constantly growing and taking us very far as well. Although there are disputes as to who invented the first computer in what year and based on what definition of what constituted a “computer”, it is assumed that the first programmable computer was built from 1936-1938 in Germany and called Z1. The first digital computer was built from 1937-1942 at Iowa State University (then Iowa State College), and was called the ABC (Atanasoff-Berry Computer) named for its inventors, Prof. John Vincent Atanasoff and graduate student Cliff Berry. It weighed 700 pounds, had over 300 vacuum tubes, contained a mile of wire, and could perform 1 operation about every 15 seconds.
From Z1 and ABC until today, modern computers have gone through as much evolution as the human race. They are not even built the same way as their first ancestors. Computers have gone from being the size of a room to today’s claimed “smallest computer in the world”, the picotux 100 at 35x19x19mm. The first computers were basically experiments and not widely used, but they have gone from calculating and storing data to being used every day for the internet, research, medicine, science, art, and countless programs. Although the very first computers were not of great use and could only be studied by scientists, they fostered technology that lead to today’s computers opening up a world of possibilities to almost anyone, in unparalleled comparison to other media.
What my computer means to me is that I get to access a vast amount of information, explanations, opinions, ideas, and entertainment that I would have no access to otherwise. It allows me to reach people I wouldn’t be able to, to express creativity in a unique way through social networking sites, blogs, and the creating and sharing of digital art. I received the laptop I am writing this entry on as a 16th birthday present from my parents; until then I shared the big un-portable computer with them and didn’t have as much freedom to use it when I wanted. Getting my own computer for the first time opened up the world to me even more. I didn’t have to worry about how much time I was selfishly taking up to be online and write papers. I believe the affect computers have on most people today means these devices shape how they can view the whole world, have their voices heard potentially across the world, and participate in a number of engaging activities.