The 1970s :: Technology and Computing's Revolution

• 1970 :: The first automated teller machine in the U.S. is installed @ Citizens and Southern National Bank in Valdosta, GA. ALOHAnet is created by Norman Abramson. Development of the C programming language begins. SQL is created at IBM.
• 1971 :: The first advertisement for a microprocessor appears, the Intel 4004. The 8" floppy diskette appears. Ray Tomlinson invents email and the @ separator. The first laser printer is developed at Xerox.
• 1972 :: The historic Pong game and it's parent, Atari Video Games debuts.
• 1973 :: The TV Typewriter provided the first display of alpha numeric information on an ordinary television. The first personal computer based on an Intel 8008 microprocessor arrives. The Micral sold for $1750. Bob Metcalfe outlines Ethernet. The Xerox Alto is designed at Xerox PARC.
• 1974 :: Intel and Zilog introduce new processors 5 times faster then their predecessors. The Scelbi 8h is introduced.
• 1975 :: Telnet is born. The visual display module (VDM) prototype, designed in 1975 by Lee Felsenstein, marked the first implementation of a memory-mapped alphanumeric video display for personal computers. The Altair 8800 is released. Byte Magazine hits the stands.
• 1976 :: The Cray 1 becomes the first commercially successful vector processor. CP/M is developed, a popular operating system for personal computers. It was capable of running on a variety of computers that used 8 bit microprocessors.
• 1977 :: Apple Computer releases the Apple II to instant success. Packaged with all the needed components, it produced brilliant graphics when connected to a TV. The Tandy TRS-80 is introduced. TCP arrives. The Commodore PET is released. Oracle Corporation is founded.
• 1978 :: Texas Instruments produces the Speak N Spell. The popular children's toy is made for ages 7 and up and marks the first electronic duplication of the human vocal tract on a single silicon chip. The First BBS goes online.
• 1979 :: VisiCalc , a program designed to automate spreadsheets, debuts to enormous success. Scientists at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center discover the computer worm, a short program that searches networks for idle processors. This had the unintended effect of invading networks, creating a security threat. Usenet is created by college students. IBM introduces the System/38