Communication Technology Update and Fundamentals, 11th Edition

11

Personal Computers

Chris Roberts, Ph.D.^*.

Sometime in late 2006, someone, somewhere in the world, plugged in a box that represented the one billionth personal computer in use (Computer Industry Almanac, 2007). Still-thriving and long-gone companies have sold hundreds of millions of units since the first “personal computer” debuted in 1975, and it seems superfluous to recount the impact computers have on nearly every aspect of modern society. The current college-age generation is among the first wave of “digital natives,” whose lives, cultures, and identities are tied with computers and computer-mediated communication. Even people born before computers became common have seen their lives changed—usually for the better—because of the machines. ...