The Invention of Floppy Disks

Remember the square disk that we used to carry around as if our lives depended on it? That’s the floppy disk. Before the USB and portable hard drives were invented, people used to store their data on these disks. Maybe some of you have used it. But for those who haven’t, I’ll give you an idea. It’s similar to the save icon used in Microsoft programs but of a bigger size.

It was in 1971 when the floppy disks were invented. Alan Shugart of Shugart Associates teamed up with the engineers over at IBM to create something that would allow users to transport data with ease. They came up with a rectangular-shaped memory disk. It was later known as a floppy disk because of its flexibility. But the first disk they created was not the one that we’re used to carrying around. It was bigger, around eight inches. Coated with a magnetic iron oxide, it was first used by IBM to load data into a larger disk pack file. They used it for loading and transferring data to the controller of the IBM 3330.

Over at Wang Laboratories, they found that this floppy disk has some other potential. They realized that it can be used to transfer data from one computer to another. But there is one problem – the size. Wang wanted a smaller version that would work well with their desktop computers. So he called on Shugart to create a smaller floppy disk. Thus, the five-inch disk was created.

Over time, the popularity of floppy disks rose. People find it convenient. They could now carry their files wherever they go. It became the go-to medium for file storage. To respond to the rising demand for floppy disks, Sony created the three and a half inch floppy disks with a larger storage capacity.

But with all inventions, there were advancements in technology and soon, other mediums for file storage were created. CDs, DVDs and USBs were invented that pushed floppy disks out of the competition. Despite this, nobody can deny that the creation of floppy disks marked a great breakthrough in the history of computers. It was the first portable file storage medium and thus, paved the way for further advancements of its kind.

Arpanet: The First Internet

Can you ever imagine a world without internet? I don’t think it’s even possible. We have become too reliant on it – calls, updates from family and friends, business emails, information across different topics and even money transfer. But the internet that we know today has come a long way. It wasn’t always like this. The initial internet was different. It was called Arpanet.

Arpanet stands for Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. It is the first packet switching network that became the foundation upon which today’s internet has evolved from. Developed by ARPA, short for Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arpanet became the first wide area network. It became the link that connected research centers and universities. But one of the main reasons for its creation is for the military to have better communication and to establish a more connected database. This makes perfect sense given that ARPA is part of the military that is focused on the development of specialized weapons.

When they created Arpanet, they were able to incorporate a number of innovations that do not seem possible at that time. When they started designing Arpanet, it was clear that they wanted to ensure that the flow of information can be controlled and protected. They achieved this through the use of network control protocol. All computers connected to the network should function with this network control protocol. The creation of Arpanet truly marked an advancement in the history of computers. They were the first to make use of distributed computation of routing tables. Even in the event that the whole network malfunctions, information will not be lost.

Once the design was complete, they went on to test if it is indeed functioning. They tested Arpanet in the computers in four universities – University of California, Los Angeles, Stanford Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara and University of Utah.

After several crashes and rework, Arpanet became fully operational. Over time, more and more computers were able to stay connected through Arpanet. It brought about a number of innovations like emails and file transfers. Truly, Arpanet was a success and a great advancement in the history of computers.

The Invention and Subsequent Evolution of the Mouse

Ever wonder why a computer hardware was named after an animal? Well, it’s simple. That’s because they resemble each other. I’m talking about the mouse – an invention that revolutionized the world of computers towards graphical user interface.

Before the invention of mouse, everything has to be typed into the keyboard. Every action that you want to do in the computer has to be entered through a command. It was very time-consuming. So imagine the relief of all the users when the mouse entered the picture.

It was in 1964 when Douglas Engelbart created the mouse. At that time, he was working at the Augmentation Research Center at the Stanford Research Institute where he committed himself to multiple projects aimed at improving the interaction of humans in computers. His projects were geared towards making computers as user-friendly as possible. The invention of the mouse was one of them.

But the mouse that was first invented is not the one we know today. It consisted of a wooden outer shell, a circuit board and two metal wheels. It is connected to the computer with a cord. Looking at it, it resembles a typical mouse hence, the name. But Engelbart was not the only one who thought of the device although the invention was attributed to him. Over at Telefunken, Rainer Mallebrein introduced a similar device named Rollkugel, a German name given that Telefunken is a German company. But the difference with Engelbart’s mouse is that this one uses a ball instead of two metal wheels.

A few years later, Bill English at Xerox Parc improved the model of the mouse. Both previous models were not patented so it was easier for English to carry on with the improvements. Although Rollkugel has a ball, it was not moveable. So English designed the mouse to include a moveable ball. The ball can monitor any movement regardless of direction and speed. It was only later on when the mouse was further developed to eliminate the ball altogether. And the optical mouse was born.

The mouse proved to be a blessing to users. It enabled them to have more control and ease of access. Truly, it has become a major game changer for all computer users.

Spacewar! and the Start of Computer Games

Remember “Spacewar!”? Probably not. It’s been around for about half a century ago so some of you may have not yet been born or some of you may probably still be a toddler. Regardless of that, here’s a brief background on what it’s all about and how it influenced the world of computers.

It was in 1961 when Spacewar! was introduced. It was around the time when computers are still undergoing improvements to their systems and hardware. Digital games were not popular then. The only thing that comes close to a computer is the PDP-1 that was really huge and noisy every time you turn it on. But it was fascinating especially to students of Computer Science. PDP-1, in actuality, was boring to use but it was intriguing enough to get the students thinking. One of them was Steve Russell. Russell decided to use PDP-1 as platform to create something more interesting. He settled on a two-dimensional game of spaceships in the galaxy. Russell worked closely with Peter Samson in developing the game into something more substantial. By the start of 1962, the work was completed and Spacewar! was born.

If you look at Spacewar! closely, you’ll realize that the first game that became popular is so different to what our games look like nowadays. There are just so many dots, patterns and two bigger blotches that came to represent spaceships. It’s a two-player game. There are two ships and they’re maneuvered to shoot missiles at each another. Each ship has a specific number of missiles and they have to move around the galaxy in a limited time. It’s a very simple game but in the world of computers, it’s a good start. It marked the start of the evolution of digital games.

At that time, there are no copyright available to programmers so when Spacewar! was launched, other programmers went on to improve the game. They wrote their codes to include more features like mines and other weapons. Others went on to create other games. Over time, as computers evolve so does the world of digital games.