Microcomputer facts for kids
A microcomputer is a small, affordable computer. It has a main "brain" called a central processing unit (CPU) that is made from a special chip called a microprocessor. These computers also have memory and parts for input/output (I/O), all built onto a printed circuit board (PCB).
Microcomputers became very popular in the 1970s and 1980s. This happened as microprocessors became more powerful and easier to make. Before microcomputers, there were huge and expensive mainframes and minicomputers. Many microcomputers are also known as personal computers, especially when they have a keyboard and screen. The word "micro" was common in the 70s and 80s, but people don't use it much anymore.
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What Are Microcomputers?
The word microcomputer became popular after minicomputers came out. The big difference was that a microcomputer used just one chip (the microprocessor) for its CPU. Older minicomputers needed many separate parts for their CPU.
In 1973, a French company called R2E created the first microcomputer that people could buy. It was called the Micral N. It used an Intel 8008 microprocessor. They even patented the term "Micro-ordinateur," which means "Microcomputer."
In the US, some of the first microcomputers, like the Altair 8800, were sold as kits. You had to put them together yourself! They often had very little RAM (only 256 bytes) and no screen or keyboard. They just had lights and switches to show what they could do.
How Microcomputers Got Better
As microprocessors and semiconductor memory became cheaper, microcomputers also became more affordable and easier to use.
- Easier to use: Cheaper chips allowed for better user interfaces, like keyboards. Before, you had to flip switches to enter information!
- Saving information: You could use audio cassettes to save your programs. This was much better than typing in your program every time you turned the computer on.
- Built-in programs: Special memory chips called ROMs allowed microcomputers to store important programs. These programs could automatically load other software, making the computers much simpler to start and use.
- Screens for everyone: RAM became cheap enough to create a video display controller that could show text or simple graphics on a regular TV. This replaced expensive and slow teletypewriters.
All these improvements made microcomputers incredibly popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Many companies started making microcomputers for small businesses. These computers helped businesses with things like accounting and word processing. This meant small businesses could use computers without needing to hire a full-time computer expert.
Today, many devices are microcomputers! This includes modern desktop computers, video game consoles, laptops, tablet PCs, and even mobile phones.
Why We Say "PC" Now
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By the early 2000s, people stopped using the word "microcomputer" very often. It's mostly remembered for the popular 8-bit home computers like the Apple II, ZX Spectrum, and Commodore 64.
Now, we usually say "personal computer" or "PC." A personal computer is designed for one person to use at a time. IBM helped make the term "personal computer" popular when they released their IBM PC in 1981. They wanted to show it was different from their huge mainframes. Many other companies started making computers similar to the IBM PC, and soon "PC" became the common name for these types of computers.
How a Microcomputer Works
A microcomputer system usually includes a screen (monitor), a keyboard, and other devices for putting information in and getting it out. The RAM and at least one other storage device are usually connected to the CPU on a main system bus.
Other parts of a complete microcomputer system can include batteries, a power supply unit, and various human interface devices like printers. Microcomputers are designed for one user at a time. However, with special software or hardware, they can sometimes be used by more than one person.
Microcomputers are small enough to fit on or under desks. Bigger computers like minicomputers and mainframes need large cabinets or even entire rooms!
Most microcomputers have at least one type of data storage, usually RAM. While some very early microcomputers used only RAM, most need a way to save information permanently. In the early days, this was often a cassette deck (like a tape player). Later, things like floppy disk and hard disk drives were built right into the computer.
A Brief History of Microcomputers
Even before microprocessors, some machines were like early microcomputers. For example, Hewlett-Packard calculators from 1968 could be programmed in simple ways. The Datapoint 2200 from 1970 was also similar. It didn't have a microprocessor, but its design later inspired the Intel 8008 chip. The Kenbak-1, released in 1971, was another early system, but it wasn't very successful.
The First Microcomputers
In late 1972, a French team created the Micral-N, which used the Intel 8008 microprocessor. It was sold in early 1973 for science and control tasks. Around the same time, a team at Sacramento State University built the Sac State 8008 computer. It could manage patient records and had a hard drive and color display!
In Japan, Sord Computer Corporation made the SMP80/08 in late 1972, also using the Intel 8008. When the more powerful Intel 8080 microprocessor came out in 1974, Sord quickly released the SMP80/x, the first microcomputer to use it.
Many early microcomputers were just boxes with lights and switches. You had to know how to use binary numbers to program them! The MITS Altair 8800 (1975) is a famous example. Most of these were sold as kits that buyers had to solder together.
The years from 1971 to 1976 are sometimes called the first generation of microcomputers. Companies like DEC and Texas Instruments made microcomputers for controlling machines. The Processor Technology SOL-20 (1975) was special because it had all its parts on one board and built-in software. The Altair 8800 helped start a huge interest in computers, leading to companies like Microsoft and Apple Computer.
The Rise of Home Computers
By 1977, the second generation of microcomputers arrived: home computers. These were much easier to use. You could connect them to a monitor or TV, and they often came with the BASIC programming language, which was simpler to learn.
In 1979, the VisiCalc spreadsheet program came out for the Apple II. This was a big deal because it turned microcomputers from a hobby into a useful business tool. After IBM released its IBM PC in 1981, the term personal computer became common for any computer that worked like the IBM PC.
See also
- History of computing hardware (1960s–present)
- Lists of microcomputers
- Mainframe computer
- Minicomputer
- Personal computer
Images for kids
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Microcomputer module LSI-11/2
