Technological+Era

__**Technology, from 1970 to today**__ Created by Andrew Technology has been greatly changing over history. It has become a key component in this Generation Y, and is always changing and advancing. Technology has always been around, but started greatly advancing in the 1970's with the first commercially available microprocessor released in November 1971 by Intel. __**The Personal Computer**__


 * The Microprocessor**

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Computers have been around for a while, but the PC we know today came around much later when the technology became available. Microprocessors are a key component in a PC, and is required for the majority of the speed. Before we could create our PCs, we had to make the computer chips needed in it, one of the most important being the microprocessor. With the introduction of them, it also helped on the CPU. The first commercially available microprocessor was the Intel 4004 and had 4 bits of processing power and was released in 1971. Modern microprocessors are 64-bit and can contain multiple cores, allowing for more processing power than a single core. The 4 bits of processing power does not support the standard Graphics User Interface(GUI) that you may be use to today, but supported all text based programming. The first GUI came on a computer in 1984.====== The first 8 bit processor came out in 1972, also released by Intel called the Intel 8008. It had better performance than the 4004, but is still far off from what we have today. Intel released an upgrade version of the 8008 that was called the 8080, which Intel released in 1974. Another step up was the 12 bit processor contained in the Intersil 6100 family, and was used for military uses. The 16 bit processors came around in 1973 with the IMP-16. Many 16 bit processors were made, including the Intel 8086, which is in the x86 family. The x86 family powers many of today's computers. Following closely in release to the 16 bit processors were the 32 bit processors. The first fully 32 bit processor was in general production in 1982. It was created in the AT&T Bell Labs. 32 bit processors stayed around and were used in many computers for a long time. Intel's Pentium 32 bit microprocessors are well known and used quite often in computers. The 64 bit processor was created in the 1990's but was not used in PCs until the 2000's. Many operating systems made are for 32 bit but the upgrade 64 bit can take advantage of the slightly more power that the 64 bit processor can offer and more functions that it can have. The idea of multicore processing was around in the 1990's and were used in servers to help the speed. Now, many modern computers have dual or quad core processors(typically quad core), and higher end ones can have 6 or even 8 core processors. The introduction of more cores on a single microprocessor increases the speed of the machine and can allow it to process many more things. Also, because that the cores are on the same chip, they are much closer together and have a faster clocking speed compared to a system with multiple microprocessors.


 * The Graphics User Interface(GUI)**

The Graphics User Interface, commonly referred to as the GUI, is the graphics and pointer you see on the computer. Older computers did not have a GUI but would be controlled by a computer and have lines of text, which would perform multiple different commands(much like the script command computer developers use). All computer programming can be executed in a script command, and is now used for running programs where a GUI is not needed or unnecessary. Programs run always have coding, and one of the programs that most developers learn is called the "Hello world" program. It is the simplest form of developing one can learn, but can appear confusing for those who do not know programming. The earliest PCs did not have a GUI, but the first commercially successful computer that had a GUI running on it was the Apple Lisa and the Apple Macintosh, in 1984. The GUI started as simple and bland, and has evolved throughout time. As the microprocessors were used, new operating systems were introduced with different GUIs to run on the processors, such as the current 32 bit or 64 bit versions of Windows 7.


 * __ Uses of Technology in Society __**


 * Mobile Phones**

Technology has always been readily available to the public, and continues to become more and more available as it advances. In the 1970's, one of them very new in the 1970's were mobile telephones. The first call from a mobile phone was in 1973, and has continued advancing throughout the decades into more and more advanced machines. It has always been changing, from what they call the 1G, the first generation of cell phones. This changed into the 2G with introduction of new cellphones and having better support. As cellphones began changing, mobile internet came into demand, so they realized that they needed to change the way cellphones work, and so they changed the system and came out with the 3G. Once again demand on the mobile internet is changing, and streaming media has become popular, so came the release of the 4G network.


 * Video Games**

Video games came out in the 50's and 60's, but the major console gaming began coming out in the 1970's. The first video game system was not released by a name you may now, such as Nintendo, Sony, or even Atari, but was a Magnavox Odyssey that was released in the USA in 1972. The Magnavox used cartridges, allowing the person to play multiple different games on the same system, unlike before. It didn't work how more modern cartridges worked, which are programmable, but instead changed around the circuitry to play different games that were already on the Magnavox. The release of games actually available on cartridges became available with the Fairchild Video Entertainment System. The systems name was later changed to the Channel F. The Channel F was released in 1976.In the same generation of consoles as the Channel F was the Atari 2600, and was very successful when the port of Space Invaders came out for it. The third generation of the console games came out with the consoles that many of us know today, including the Nintendo Entertainment System(NES). The NES was bundled with Super Mario Bros and became an instant success in its generation of video games. The fourth generation of video games saw the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System(SNES). They were both popular in that generation. The fifth generation came out with many different companies competing for the best console. These systems were now 32 and 64 bit machines, and could perform better and have better graphics than they previously could. Sony's Playstation came out in this generation, and outsold many competitors, with the exception of the older SNES, which still had support from different companies. Nintendo eventually came out with its Nintendo 64(which stands for 64 bit) and it's flagship game was Super Mario 64, which was a very defining game in 3D platforms. Many great games came out for the N64, including GoldenEye 007 and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Ocarina of Time is considered to be the highest critically acclaimed title in all time. The Playstation had some great titles of it's own, one of them being the first survival horror game, Resident Evil. The Playstation also had the advantage over the N64 of using CDs instead of cartridges. The CDs had more space available on them and could be produced cheaper, which is the reason why Final Fantasy was moved to the Playstation for Final Fantasy VII. Although Nintendo came into this generation strong, Sony and it's Playstation had the best selling product. The sixth generation of videos finally came around with the release of Sega's Dreamcast. The Dreamcast was the first console to have a built in modem and that supported online play. It was successful, at first, but fell when Sony announced their next system, the Playstation 2. This system completely took over the market and became the best selling console. Even with the release of Nintendo's GameCube, Sony was still ahead in the console wars as it had games that were targeted at a more mature audience than the games released by Nintendo. Nintendo also lacked support from other companies to develop games for its system. Later came the Xbox, which was created by Windows. When the Xbox came out, according to Microsoft, they were selling it for a loss to get a foothold into the video game market and was planning on making a profit from selling video games in the years to come. By the end of the generation, it had caught up to Nintendo's GameCube, and because almost all of the Xbox sales were in North America, pushed the GameCube to 3rd places in the USA. The seventh generation of video games was started in consoles by Microsoft with their Xbox 360, with Sony following a year later with their Playstation 3. These systems really started the generation, going for HD graphics with hard drive storage, online play and many other things. The Nintendo released the Wii shortly after the PS3, and though it contained lower technical specs, it had the design for the new motion control. PS3 also decided that the motion control by the Wii was a good idea and created and released the Move. Microsoft decided to try to do one better where "You are the controller" and created the Xbox Kinect.

__**Impact of this Era**__

This era of technology is greatly influential of how we live today. It is still changing today and is always in our day to day lives. Technology has had many positive and negative effects on us. It has helped us in our quest for knowledge with the internet, we can learn things much easier and quicker than we have in the past. A consequence of the internet though is cyber-bullying. Video games has also helped us by giving some people in the USA or in other countries a job, giving them work to do day to day while providing us entertainment. However, it also has made our society more lazy, instead of heading outside we will stay inside and play some video games or watch some TV. Technology is also important in many other fields besides just at home. It allows us to have a better military, to protect our country with missiles that can target onto threats to protect the citizens of the United States. It also helps in politics, to count elections, or to have televised debates, or to have advertisements for certain candidates.

Overall, technology is extremely important in our lives. We use our phone all the time, or the computer, when 40 years ago much of what we do today with the capabilities of our technology would be impossible. Technology has had a very large impact not just in American's lives, but in many other countries as well.