In the early 1990’s, only those people with plenty of extra money had a computer in their home. By the mid 90’s that demographic had changed and only the very poor did not have one. Now, twenty years later, not only do the majority of Americans have one computer in their home, they have several.
Students are required to have computers for their schoolwork at younger ages than ever, and a person almost can’t survive in a digital world without access to the internet. With all of these changes that make computers more accessible, there are also changes that make computers increasingly more necessary to everyday lives.
Since personal computers have become an integral part of day-to-day living, they are required to be easy to use as well as increasingly more efficient. To keep up with the constant technological advancements, designers have made significant changes to computers.
The desktop, which was once the most common type of computer found in American households, has now been outstripped in the majority of homes by laptops. Laptops, however, are also on the way out as tablets become increasingly more popular.
The goal is to make the computer as small and portable as possible. To this end, several advancements have been made. For example:
- Longer battery life: Laptops are not very portable if you have to take the power cable with you everywhere. They are not useful at all if the battery dies while you are away from home either. As a result, developers have designed batteries that now last up to nine hours at a time. This enables users to get the most time as possible out of their computers.
- Reduced size: Laptops are becoming smaller and smaller, with some of the smallest being the netbooks that are only roughly twelve inches in length. This small size makes them more easily portable, and thus more convenient.
- Touch screens: Users like to be able to interact with their computers as much as they can. As technology has increased, so has the capability for user interaction. The more a user can do by touching the screen, the more realistic it feels and the easier it is to use. Touch screens eliminate the need to press a ton of buttons to get your program to show up.
- Versatility: Today, a standard computer is not the only device considered a computer. Now, with smart phones, users are able to combine their phone and their computer into one, small, easy-to-carry package. While smart phones do not have all the same capabilities as computers, they do provide users with the essentials, ensuring that if they need something, they will have access to it.
As you can see, computers have come a long way from where they started, and they are continuing to progress. There are virtually unlimited possibilities for those designing the capabilities of computers. Therefore, users can sit back, relax, and wait for the next improvement to arrive.
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