How Has Technology Changed Over 50 Years? You Might Be Shocked!

2020 is already a month old, and a lot can change in that time – especially when it comes to technology. To celebrate 2020, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at just how far tech has come in the past 50 years.

Let’s start from 1970…

1970s

In 1970, computing was rapidly changing. New advancements were coming all the time and were actively being implemented by businesses and individuals alike. Some of the technology we would have a nice chuckle at today, but they continued the trend of invention. Some of these may surprise you when you see just how long they’ve been around.
 ATM introduced
 First email sent
 First laser printer
 Apple II released
 LaserDisc storage
 First wireless network

1980s

In the 80s, it became clear that the future of computing would surround the idea of the personal computer. Several manufacturers came to market, each bringing a level of innovation that kept the industry pushing ahead.
•  3½-inch Floppy Disk
•  First hard drive (5MB)
•  MS-DOS introduced
•  Apple Macintosh
•  Lotus 1-2-3
•  Birth of CD-ROM

1990s

When you get into the 1990s, you begin to see technology that looks a lot like the technology that we all use today. The growth of the Internet and the establishment of affordable wireless technologies defines 1990s technology, and sets the stage for the mobile world that we now enjoy.
 World Wide Web (1990)
 JPEG images
 First Solid State Drive
 Palm Pilot
 Wi-Fi introduced
 MS Windows ‘95

2000s

Leading up to the turn of the century, there were fears that software wouldn’t port to the new millennium. After Y2K, the rest of the decade produced some of the more remarkable technology ever produced, like smartphones, streaming video services, and social media. Here’s a list:
 USB Flash Drive
 Camera phone
 iTunes, iPhone
 Facebook, Google
 BitTorrent file sharing
 Bitcoin, blockchain

2010s

The past decade can be defined by the immense amount of innovation that happened. The 2010s saw AI become useful and social media spread everywhere, while smartphones become the predominant device for accessing the Internet as well as taking pictures, monitoring your health, scheduling your appointments, controlling your lights, and more. Here’s a short list of what happened in the 2010s:

 IBM’s Watson
 Apple iPad
 Spotify
 Internet of Things
 Virtual Assistants
 GDPR data privacy law

Future Tech

For all of the amazing technology,  laws, and strategies that are now used, it is sure to be equally astonishing what will be possible in 2070, 50 years
from now.