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Late Twentieth-Century Technology: The...
Summary
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Most of the development work for computers was done in the United States, though British university and government laboratories also played a significant role. Large businesses and government programs in the West first created the demand for calculating machines, which started to become available in the 1920s. Warfare also demanded computations beyond the abilities of any individual, particularly in targeting long-range weapons. The U.S. Army used the fist digital computer, ENIAC, for ballistics computations starting in 1946. By the 1980s, IBM and Apple Computer Corporation were producing desktop computers, and competing for market dominance. Individuals and nations that lack access to sufficient computers will be at an increasing disadvantage in the global economy.
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