The digital revolution

...an introduction

Since 1977 ,when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak marketed their first Apple I, to today’s netbook revolution, computers have become increasingly sophisticated , now even making it possible for immense pieces of software to be stored in small hard-drives called USBs. Our generation has experienced a similar revolutionary overhaul, affecting society on multiple levels, much like plumbing and running water in the Victorian ages.

Our revolution, however, has sped up faster and in a slightly more diverse way than our predecessors. Computers have transformed from bulky pricey boxes into easy-to-carry laptops and netbooks slim enough to rival DVD cases and affordable at a few hundred pounds. It is funny how, even though our lives circle around computers, we know so preciously little about them.

An interesting example is how we all know what RAM is, however only few people could actually tell you that it means random access memory. The term encompasses the idea of data being stored “randomly” with easier types of access points than old storage modes which required rewinding or fast forwarding to find a particular area of information.

Computers now mostly come in comprehensive packages, which include all necessary hardware such as graphics cards, which translate data into imagery, and most of your essential software previously installed. Each system can be enhanced with additional equipment like webcams or identity recognition systems. External hard-drives are also a popular piece of hardware.

As users are now increasingly choosing to save data on external storage websites, a new level of computers have emerged with far less bulk, smaller hard-drives, and consecutively tinier sized laptops ready for easy transport. A new trend of tiny laptops called netbooks for simply accessing the web have taken the market by storm, making “cloud” computing, where most documents and programs are kept online and accessed remotely, a new standard.