During the 1950s, researchers at Stanford Research Institute invented ERMA, the first computerized system for processing banking transactions. ERMA automated check processing and account management. It also introduced magnetic ink character recognition to allow computers to read information from checks. In 1971, IBM introduced the first floppy disk, allowing for portable data storage and transportation between computers. In 1975, Steve Wozniak created one of the first personal computers, the Apple, along with Steve Jobs. Wozniak was inspired by early computer kits but found them too complex, so he set out to design an easy to use personal computer.

1. Flow of the Computer By: Darko Milenkovic Period 3 http://inventors.about.com/library/blcoindex.htm

3. During the 1950s, researchers at the Stanford Research Institute invented "ERMA", the Electronic Recording Method of Accounting computer processing system. ERMA began as a project for the Bank of America in an effort to computerize the banking industry. ERMA computerized the manual processing of checks and account management and automatically updated and posted checking accounts. Stanford Research Institute also invented MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) as part of ERMA. MICR allowed computers to read special numbers at the bottom of checks that allowed computerized tracking and accounting of check transactions.

4. In 1971, IBM introduced the first "memory disk", as it was called then, or the "floppy disk" as it is known today. The first floppy was an 8" plastic disk coated with magnetic iron oxide; data was written to and read from the disk's surface. The nickname "floppy" came from its flexibility. The floppy disk was considered a revolutionary device at the time for it's portability which provided a new and easy physical means of transporting data from computer to computer.

5. The first Apple was just a culmination of my whole life." - Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder Apple Computers Following the introduction of the Altair, a boom in personal computers occurred, and luckily for the consumer, the next round of home computers were considered useful and a joy to use. In 1975, Steve Wozniak was working for Hewlett Packard (calculator manufacturers) by day and playing computer hobbyist by night, tinkering with the early computer kits like the Altair. "All the little computer kits that were being touted to hobbyists in 1975 were square or rectangular boxes with non understandable switches on them..." claimed Wozniak. Wozniak realized that the prices of some computer parts (e.g. microprocessors and memory chips) had gotten so low that he could buy them with maybe a month's salary. Wozniak decided that, with some help from fellow hobbyist Steve Jobs, they could build their own computer.

6. The first Apple was just a culmination of my whole life." - Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder Apple Computers Following the introduction of the Altair, a boom in personal computers occurred, and luckily for the consumer, the next round of home computers were considered useful and a joy to use. In 1975, Steve Wozniak was working for Hewlett Packard (calculator manufacturers) by day and playing computer hobbyist by night, tinkering with the early computer kits like the Altair. "All the little computer kits that were being touted to hobbyists in 1975 were square or rectangular boxes with non understandable switches on them..." claimed Wozniak. Wozniak realized that the prices of some computer parts (e.g. microprocessors and memory chips) had gotten so low that he could buy them with maybe a month's salary. Wozniak decided that, with some help from fellow hobbyist Steve Jobs, they could build their own computer.

7. Computers from 2oth-21th Century Computer is undoubtedly one of the greatest inventions in the 20th century. In 2005, computer becomes more slick, faster and cheaper. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers unveiled a US$100, hand-cranked laptop computer on the World Information Society in Tunis Nov 16. The laptop is about the size of a textbook and operates at 500 MHz, about half the processor speed of commercial laptops. The charity organizations and governments will send them for free to impoverished schoolchildren in developing countries.