Computers can be classified according to their architecture, size and intended use. Major categories include mainframes, designed to process large amounts of data for major organisations; minicomputers, historically used in scientific laboratories, universities and industry; and microcomputers, which led to the development of modern personal computers.
Game consoles are another specialised form of computing system, designed primarily for graphics, real-time interaction and video games.
This category explores the major families of computers, their architectures and their technological evolution throughout the history of computing.
The Commodore 64, usually shortened to C64, is one of the most iconic home computers of the 1980s. Commodore unveiled it in January 1982 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and commercial sales began later that year.The machine combines a fairly conventional 8-bit processor with two remarkable custom chips. The VIC-II handles graphics…
PDP-1: the interactive computer that brought Spacewar! to life At the beginning of the 1960s, using a computer still often meant preparing a program, handing it to an operator, and waiting for the printed results. Programmers rarely interacted directly with the machine: they submitted a job and received the output later. The PDP-1, or Programmed…
