High-Tech Advances From Simple Roots

High-tech devices have made significant advances since personal electronics began to be widely sold to the public in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Sony released the Walkman cassette player in 1979, and owners quickly learned how to take their music with them. Music was no longer limited to fixed appliances that were bulky and difficult to move. The dominant music players today are Apple’s iPods with their distinctive designs, flash hard drives, and small video screens.

Video games are worth several billion dollars today, but the Atari 2600 started the entire industry. The simple console used a microprocessor to provide computing horsepower, but it is now fit for collectors or museums. Popular video game platforms for today’s gamers include the Sony Playstation 3, the Microsoft Xbox 360, and mobile games from smartphones.

However, personal computers may have had the most significant influence on personal electronics. The Special Computer APL Machine Portable was the starting point for home computers, but IBM’s IBM 5100 helped open the floodgates. Personal computers are crucial for numerous tasks in contemporary society, and hundreds of manufacturers exist. The IBM 5100′s descendants include large desktop units, lighter laptops, and even mobile computers like smartphones and tablets.