Considered the paragon of human technological evolution, the modern high-performance computer is the product of a long chain of discoveries and inventions. The roots of the modern computer lie in mankind’s use of numbers and mathematical calculations. The most basic mechanical tools were likely used as early as 1,000 BC and earlier but the most rapid technological progress was achieved in the modern era. In 1623 Wilhelm Schickard constructed a calculating clock for the performance of basic arithmetic operations. This was followed around 200 years later by the analytical engine, an invention of the Briton Charles Babbage that stands as an important forerunner to the modern computer.

The beginning of the digital age, however, was signaled with Konrad Zuse’s construction of the first universally programmable computer, the Z3, in 1941. Within the space of a few decades, modern data processing technology had infiltrated almost every field of human activity. Starting in the 1980s, the personal computer (PC) evolved into an affordable consumer product that combined a range of organisational and entertainment functions. The PC market has been dominated primarily by the US corporations Microsoft and Apple as a result of generations of their user-friendly operating systems. Smartphones and tablet computers today offer an even broader range of services for the average consumer, from message sending applications, to e-books and map navigation software.