who invented the first computer games?
105604
The first game marketed for the public was PONG by Atari, in 1973. Nolan Bushnell, the CEO, and Al Alcorn, the programmer, created it based on an older game by Ralph Baer run on a non-commercial computer.
673382
1961 \n    * Valium invented.\n    * The nondairy creamer invented.\n\n1962 \n    * The audio cassette invented.\n    * The fiber-tip pen invented by Yukio Horie.\n    * Spacewar, the first computer video game invented.\n    * Dow Corp invents silicone breast implants.\n\n1963 \n    * The first videodisc invented.\n\n1964 \n    * Acrylic paint invented.\n    * Permanent-press fabric invented.\n    * BASIC (an early computer language) is invented by John George Kemeny and Tom Kurtz.\n\n1965 \n    * Astroturf invented.\n    * Soft contact lenses invented.\n    * NutraSweet invented.\n    * The compact disk invented by James Russell.\n    * Kevlar invented by Stephanie Louise Kwolek.\n\n1966 \n    * Electronic Fuel injection for cars invented.\n\n1967 \n    * The first handheld calculator invented.\n\n1968 \n    * The computer mouse invented by Douglas Engelbart.\n    * The first computer with integrated circuits made.\n    * Robert Dennard invented RAM (random access memory).\n\n1969 \n    * The arpanet (first internet) invented.\n    * The artificial heart invented.\n    * The ATM invented.\n    * The bar-code scanner is invented.
605012
The computer wasn't discovered; it was invented.  Check this out:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer#History_of_computing
276836
Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician, scientist, and theologian who lived between 1623-1662. In 1645, Pascal invented the first digital calculating machine, making him one of the founding fathers of microcomputer technology. In 1646, he invented the syringe and hydraulic press. \n\nIn 1648, Pascal proved that the level of mercury in a barometer is determined by a change in atmospheric pressure. This led to new insights in the studies of meteorology and fluid dynamics. It also led to Pascal's law, which states that fluids transmit pressure equally in all directions. \n\nThe International Standard (SI) unit for pressure was named after Pascal. Pascal is also honored in having one of the first computer programming languages named after him. \n\nPascal died at 39 years of age from stomach and brain cancer. One of his theological writings, Pensees (Thoughts) is still famous throughout the world.
519846
History of computing\n\n    Main article: History of computing\n\nENIAC — a milestone in computing history\nEnlarge\nENIAC — a milestone in computing history\n\nOriginally, the term "computer" referred to a person who performed numerical calculations, often with the aid of a mechanical calculating device. Examples of early calculating devices, the first ancestors of the computer, included the abacus and the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient Greek device for calculating the movements of planets, dating from about 87 BC.[1] The end of the Middle Ages saw a reinvigoration of European mathematics and engineering, and Wilhelm Schickard's 1623 device was the first of a number of European engineers to construct a mechanical calculator.[2] The abacus has been noted as being an early computer, as it was like a calculator in the past. Charles Babbage was the first to conceptualize and design a fully programmable computer as early as 1820, but due to a combination of the limits of the technology of the time, limited finance, and an inability to resist tinkering with his design, the device was never actually constructed in his lifetime. A number of technologies that would later prove useful in computing, such as the punch card and the vacuum tube had appeared by the end of the 19th century, and large-scale automated data processing using punch cards was performed by tabulating machines designed by Hermann Hollerith.\n\nDuring the first half of the 20th century, many scientific computing needs were met by increasingly sophisticated, special-purpose analog computers, which used a direct mechanical or electrical model of the problem as a basis for computation. These became increasingly rare after the development of the programmable digital computer.\n\nA succession of steadily more powerful and flexible computing devices were constructed in the 1930s and 1940s, gradually adding the key features of modern computers, such as the use of digital electronics (largely invented by Claude Shannon in 1937)[3] and more flexible programmability. Defining one point along this road as "the first digital electronic computer" is exceedingly difficult. Notable achievements include the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (1937), a special-purpose machine that used valve-driven (vacuum tube) computation, binary numbers, and regenerative memory; the secret British Colossus computer (1944), which had limited programmability but demonstrated that a device using thousands of valves could be made reliable and reprogrammed electronically; the Harvard Mark I, a large-scale electromechanical computer with limited programmability (1944); the decimal-based American ENIAC (1946) — which was the first general purpose electronic computer, but originally had an inflexible architecture that meant reprogramming it essentially required it to be rewired; and Konrad Zuse's Z machines, with the electromechanical Z3 (1941) being the first working machine featuring automatic binary arithmetic and feasible programmability.\n\nThe team who developed ENIAC, recognizing its flaws, came up with a far more flexible and elegant design, which has become known as the Von Neumann architecture (or "stored program architecture"), named for one of its principle designers. This stored program architecture became the basis for virtually all modern computers. A number of projects to develop computers based on the stored program architecture commenced in the mid to late-1940s; the first of these were completed in Britain. The first to be up and running was the Small-Scale Experimental Machine, but the EDSAC was perhaps the first practical version that was developed.\nThe Apple II, an early personal computer\nEnlarge\nThe Apple II, an early personal computer\n\nValve (tube) driven computer designs were in use throughout the 1950s, but were eventually replaced with transistor-based computers, which were smaller, faster, cheaper, and much more reliable, thus allowing
650841
If you don't count the abacus, which is ancient, then Blaise Pascal invented the first mechanical computation machine in France in 1642. Check it yo!\n\nhttp://www.thocp.net/hardware/pascaline.htm
1053880
While at Harvard, Gates developed a version of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer - the MITS Altair\nWhile in high school, he and Paul Allen founded Traf-O-Data, a company which sold traffic flow data systems to state governments. He also helped to create a payroll system in COBOL, for a company in Portland, Oregon.
649108
Charles Babbage helped us along in several ways.  As a pioneer in the path to computers he helped us with an adding machine that was quite miraculous.  His difference engine was used to help compute mathematical tables which were used in multiple places.  His efforts were essential to the path to the modern digital computer.\n\nMore directly, stores used to use mechanical adding machines to ring up groceries or hardware when I was a child.  The were crude compared to what we have today, but they did help a cashier effectively add a customer's order up.
390942
Lots of stuff:\n\nColossus, the world's first totally electronic and digital computer was built\n\nFirst supersonic flight by Chuck Yeager on October 14, 1947\n\nENIAC invented (another computer)\n\nQuantum electrodynamics developed by Feynman, Dyson, Schwinger, and Tomonaga\n\nMathematics: cybernetics, game theory, cryptology were devised\n\nWorld War II ended in 1945\n\nUnited Nations established in 1945\n\nNATO founded in 1949\n\nThe Chinese Civil War ended\n\nThe Marshall Plan was implemented by the United States, giving billions of dollars in aid to reconstruct the war-devastated economies of Europe\n\nInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) was formed (debatable whether that's a good thing :>)\n\nWorld Bank was formed (same again)\n\nFrank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" was released (great movie)\n\nThe NBA was formed\n\nRock and roll and Rhythm and blues emerged, thus forming the genesis of all modern 'popular' music
330985
For the keyboard question, click on the link below:\n\nhttp://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bltypewriter.htm\n\nAs for the weight of the first generation of computers...they varied.  ENIAC (an acronym for Electronic Numerator, Integrator, Analyser and Computer) was a leviathan in the computing world and weighed in at over 30,000kg (the average small car is 1000kg). This beast occupied over 90 sq/m (1,000 square feet) of floor space.  It has over 17,000 thermionic valves and needed thousands of kilowatts of electricity to operate.  It has 20, 10 digit accumulators, clocked at 100Hz and could do 5,000 additions and over 300 multiplications per second.  ENIAC was built for the US Army's Ballistics Research Labs but came in too late for major use in World War 2 (1945) and was way over budget.\n\nI did an assignment for this in 2001 and it was a fascinating subject.  Incidentally, the abacus is considered by many to be the worlds first computing device...invented over 4000 years ago.
1100615
Charles Babbage was the first to conceptualize and design a fully programmable computer as early as 1820, but due to a combination of the limits of the technology of the time, limited finance, and an inability to resist tinkering with his design, the device was never actually constructed in his lifetime. A number of technologies that would later prove useful in computing, such as the punch card and the vacuum tube had appeared by the end of the 19th century, and large-scale automated data processing using punch cards was performed by tabulating machines designed by Hermann Hollerith.
194075
You'd need knowledge of programming languages like Java, C++, and other GUI based programs to create a game. Extensive knowledge, I mean like years of studying Java.\n\nI reccommend starting with C first if you're new to programming. It will be fairly easy if you get a good book, but you should master C, then C++ (an extension of C, so it'll be easier) which will help you make basic command line and interface programs.\n\nThen go to HTML for web programming, it's really easy you could pick up basic HTML in a week.\n\nThen learn Java. This is harder: get some books, read up, then get books on Java game programming to learn about sprites.
119668
Atari was one of the first home console manufacturers. Pong was one of the first games. Pong was like ping-pong... a ball bounced back and forth across a line and the players had to bounce it back to their opponent using paddles that moved vertically at the edges of the screen.\n\nAtari also began making coin operated machines which sprung up in pizza parlors and video arcades.\n\nSpace Invaders was another very popular game, in which aliens marched down the screen and you controlled a shooter to blast them away. PacMan, a maze game where a little round guy evaded ghosts until swallowing a special pill making him poisonous to them, didn't arrive until 1980.\n\nTank, Asteroids, and Lunar Lander were other games introduced during the 1970s.
918105
well, you don't need programming knowledge to write freeware games.  Go check out ScummVM at SourceForge (see source)\n\nIf you do want to learn a language, start with C.  Plenty of free compilers out there and it's not as hard as most would have you believe.\n\nJava is NOT a good suggestion.  It's hardly a revolution considering its age.  Furthermore, the only games I've ever seen written in Java are web-based.
938743
i suppose it depends on what you are looking for as a definition of computer.\n\nYou could say the abacus.\nOr if you're looking for something programmable then in 1801 Joseph Jacquard developed a weaving loom whose weaving process was based on holes punched in a card.\nHerman Hollerith used a hole punch card to speed up census tabulation for the 1890 US census - which led to the creation of IBM\n\nBut these wer all based on inventions that used gears to represent data invented by Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)  Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716) and Charles Babbage (1792-1871)\n\nAugusta Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace is accredited as being the first programmer in regards to charles babbage's analytical engine during the mid to late 1830's.\n\nHope this information helps
184095
when microsoft came about
764278
Most of us could not afford Cell Phones, The really good computer games were in arcades and took quarters, they replaced pinball.\n\nHome game systems (Atari) were O.K.\n\nThe personal computer made the most difference, and even more importantly the understandable Operating systems and affordable Internet connections that made the computers really come alive and useful.\n\n(Asteroids was my favorite)\n\nI am feeling old now!\n\nHave a great weekend!