Start here · Essential guide
The Development of the Electronic Computer
How calculating machines moved from gears and relays to electronics in the 1930s and 1940s, and why several groups in several countries share the credit.
Machines and Interfaces
Early Machines
ENIAC, early electronic and commercial computers, and the mainframe era.
How the ENIAC Paved the Way for Modern Computing
ENIAC was built at the University of Pennsylvania for wartime artillery calculations. Here is who built it, how it worked and how it influenced later designs.
The Development of the First Commercial Computers
In the early 1950s computers moved from laboratories to businesses and governments. This article covers the competing claims to be first and what the machines did.
The Rise and Fall of the Mainframe Computer
Mainframes dominated large organizations from the 1950s to the 1970s. Smaller machines reduced their role, but mainframes never disappeared. Here is the real story.
The Role of the IBM 701 in Computing History
The IBM 701 was an early 1950s scientific computer. Learn what it was built for, who used it and how it helped IBM move toward commercial computing.
Related topics
More in machines and interfaces
Hardware and Systems From vacuum tubes to chips: the machines and the system software that ran them. Interfaces and Input How people came to talk to computers through keyboards, mice and screens. Personal Computers How microprocessors and hobby kits led to computers at home. Mobile Computing Laptops, phones and handheld devices. Storage and Displays The media that held data and the screens that showed it, from cards to flash.