PDP-1

1959 - No generation identified

The PDP-1 (Programmed Data Processor-1) is one of the first transistorized computers, developed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) and was first released in 1960. It was aimed at the scientific, engineering and business market and was a direct competitor to other computers of the time such as the IBM 704 and the UNIVAC 1103. The PDP-1 featured a 18-bit word length and a memory capacity of 4K words of magnetic core memory, expandable to 64K words. It had a clock speed of around 100,000 instructions per second and used magnetic tape storage. It was also one of the first computers to feature a CRT display and a keyboard, which allowed for interactive computing. The PDP-1 was notable for its use in early computer graphics, notably the first computer game "Spacewar!", which was created on the PDP-1 by a group of MIT students in 1962. The PDP-1 was also used for various scientific and engineering research, and it was also used in a number of universities and research institutions. The PDP-1 was in production for only four years, and it was eventually discontinued in 1964. However, it was influential in the development of later computer systems, and it was a key early machine in the history of computers, as it helped to pave the way for the development of more advanced and powerful computer systems that followed. The PDP-1 was one of the first computers to be used for interactive computer graphics and gaming. The first computer game, "Spacewar!", was created on the PDP-1 by a group of MIT students in 1962. Spacewar! was a two-player game that simulated a space battle between two spaceships, controlled by the players, as they navigated around a central star and fired torpedoes at each other. It was a simple but engaging game, and it was one of the first computer games to feature interactive graphics. Spacewar! was widely distributed and became popular among the computer science community, it was also an inspiration for many other games and it was the first computer game that was shared on multiple computer systems. Other games that were developed for the PDP-1 include "Expensive Planetarium" and "Mouse in the Maze", both games were interactive simulations that were used for educational and research purposes. It's worth noting that games for the PDP-1 were relatively scarce, and they were developed by a small number of enthusiasts and researchers, and it was not a commercial platform like current gaming consoles and computers.