History of Computer Mini Era (1959-1970)

1.    The Mini Era began with the development of the integrated circuit in 1959 by Texas Instruments and Fairchild Semiconductor.

2.    Ivan Sutherland demonstrates a program called Sketchpad (makes engineering drawings with a light pen) on a TX-2 mainframe at MIT’s Lincoln Labs in 1962.

3.    By 1965, an integrated circuit that cost $1,000 in 1959 now costs less than $10.

4.    Doug Engelbart demonstrates a word processor in 1968.

5.    Also in 1968, Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce founded a company called Intel.

6.    Xerox creates its Palo Alto Research Center (Xerox PARC) in 1969.

7.    Fairchild Semiconductor introduces a 256-bit RAM chip in 1970.

8.    In late 1970 Intel introduces a 1K RAM chip and the 4004, a 4-bit microprocessor. Two years later comes the 8008, an 8-bit processor.