ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

History of computer hardware

Okay kiddo, so a long time ago, people didn't have computers like we do today. Instead, they used things like abacuses (which looked kind of like a toy with beads on it), paper and pencils to do calculations.

But as time went on, people wanted to make things easier and faster. So, scientists and engineers started creating machines that could do calculations for them. The first machines were called calculating machines, and were able to do simple math problems.

Then, in the 1800s, a man named Charles Babbage came up with an idea for a machine that could do even more complex calculations. Babbage's machine was called the Analytical Engine, but unfortunately, it was never actually built!

Fast forward to the mid-1900s, and we see the invention of the first "modern" computers. These were big machines that took up entire rooms, and were mostly used by government agencies and big companies.

But as the years went on, computers got smaller and more accessible to regular people. In the 1970s, companies like Apple and Microsoft started making computers that people could have in their own homes.

As technology continues to advance, so does computer hardware. Nowadays, we have small and powerful laptops, tablets, and even smartphones that can do things that people back in the day could only dream of.

So that's the brief history of computer hardware, kiddo. Hope that helps!