Personal Computer: The Microprocessor And The Computer Industry

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1. Until very recently, computers were reserved only for the government and major companies; even the idea of a regular person owning a personal computer seemed ridiculous. They were too expensive and too large for the average person to own. However, this all changed with the invention of the microprocessor and the later development of personal computer kits (and subsequent hobbyist communities) and software. The microprocessor made the development of personal computers possible. According to Martin Campbell-Kelly and William Aspray in their book Computer: A History of the Information Machine, microprocessors were small and affordable enough that computers could be made smaller and cheaper, putting them within reach of the everyday person. Intel developed the microprocessor between 1969-1971 and by 1974, microprocessors were cheap enough that they could be put in personal computers (Campbell-Kelly). They also simplified the use of computers and led to many more innovations in the computer industry. While the microprocessor did in fact make personal …show more content…

In addition to surfing the internet, users could play computer games, watch movies, or use social media. Over the years, this obsession has culminated in, in some intense cases, computer addiction. The social repercussions of this trend are becoming more and more apparent, especially in the younger generations, as people are leaving the real world in favor of the virtual one. People are having a harder time communicating with others in real life and struggling in school because they are addicted to the internet (Ruiz). Cyberbullying has also become an increasingly unavoidable issue as a result of personal computers that facilitate bullying by allowing offenders can hide behind their screens. As many bullied adolescents are facing these problems both at school and at home, they face “school avoidance, depression, and suicide”

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