We all know technology has come a long way, even in our own life spans. But have you ever thought about where technology started? Even modern technology can be traced back to the earliest times- all the way to the Bronze Age and even the invention of the wheel! But where did modern technology actually begin?

Modern Technology: a Timeline

- 1920’s : First Modern TV invented by Philo T. Farnsworth

- 1930’s Peter Goldmark coins the color TV

- 1959: IBM and General Motors develop the first computer as well as the first computer aided design, or CAD.

- 1960’s: First computer mouse created by Douglas Engelbart

- 1973: Martin Cooper creates the first handheld mobile phone

- 1973: Ethernet (what most modern computers use for internet) is invented by Robert Metcalfe

- 1976: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak launch computer giant Apple

- 1981: IBM releases Apple’s first rival, a PC.

- 1989: The World Wide Web is created by Tim Berners-Lee

- 1997: Revolutionary Wi-Fi goes world wide

- 2001: Apply invents its first iPod MP3 player

- 2007: Amazon.com launches the Kindle, the first e-book reader

- 2007: Apple launches the first touch screen phone, the iPhone

- 2010: Apple launches the first tablet computer, the iPad

- 2010: 3-D TV becomes readily available in stores

- 2015: Supercomputers become almost as powerful as the human brain.

With the last major discovery in 2015, we’re due for an ~upgrade~. It’s obvious we didn’t just randomly appear with a tablet and smart phone immediately after the discovery of Ethernet. But then there’s this to think about… where did the real developments begin?

Post home computer invention, Macintosh realized the “Macintosh” portable – or rather, the first laptop! Macintosh, or rather the company known as Apple, broke ground in creating work centered laptops in 1992 called Powerbooks. Ever evolving, Apple then had a new idea in 1993- the “Personal Assistant” or rather, the first machine to show similarities to a modern day tablet. Over the next few years tech giants like IBM and Sony would release their own versions of laptops.

Cell phones saw their own growth as well. Apple released the first iPhone in 2007, proving to be leaps and bounds ahead of the original camera phone invented in 2000. It wasn’t long before Apple put out the iPhone 4 featuring Retina Display giving us the first HD screen on a handheld device. From there it only got better for hand-held technology! We saw an iPad release in 2011 and an apple watch in 2015.

While it’s clear that Apple paved the way for more recent technology, it’s important to remember the variety it sparked. With laptops came thinner, lighter, and faster laptops and even the Acer Switch- a laptop AND a tablet! Desktops have seen a major evolution as well since we now have compact, slim computers and even All-In-Ones.

Technology is ever growing and ever expanding. What do you think we’ll see next?