How much was the first computer?
Cost of the first computer? You have to be more specific.
The first digital computer?
The first electric analog computer?
The first "personal" computer (PET)?
The first mechanical analog computer?
The earliest computers were room-sized machines that cost millions of dollars. The earliest ones rented for $2700 to $115,000 per month! The first mini computer sold for about $20,000. In 1977, Apple made a home computer and sold it for about $1,200. When I got my first computer, a Commodore 64, in the early 1980s, I paid about $600 for it.
Check these sites for more information about computer history.
http://www.pbs.org/nerds/timeline/
http://www.pc-history.org/comm.htm
The cost of the first computer depends on which type of computer you are referring to. There have been various types of computers throughout history with different costs associated with them.
The first digital computer: The first digital computer, called the ENIAC, was completed in 1945. It was a room-sized machine that cost approximately $487,000. However, it is important to note that the ENIAC was primarily designed for military use and was not available for commercial purchase.
The first electric analog computer: The first electric analog computer, known as the Differential Analyzer, was developed in the early 1930s by Vannevar Bush. It was a complex machine that was primarily used for scientific and engineering calculations. The cost of the Differential Analyzer is not readily available, but given its complexity and the time period it was developed in, it is safe to assume that it would have been a very expensive machine.
The first "personal" computer (PET): The first personal computer, called the Commodore PET, was released in 1977. It had a starting price of around $595. The PET was one of the early home computers and was targeted towards individual consumers.
The first mechanical analog computer: The first mechanical analog computer, known as the Antikythera mechanism, dates back to ancient Greece and was built around 100 BCE. Its cost is not known, as it was not a commercial product, but rather a unique device used for astronomical calculations.
If you are interested in learning more about the history of computers and their costs, I recommend checking out the provided websites. They provide detailed timelines and information about the evolution of computers.
The cost of the first computer varied depending on the specific type of computer being referred to. Here is some information on the cost of different types of early computers:
1. The first mechanical analog computer: The earliest mechanical analog computers were built in the 19th century and were mainly used for scientific calculations. These machines were expensive and often custom-built, typically costing thousands of dollars or more.
2. The first digital computer: The first digital computers, such as the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) built in the 1940s, were massive machines that occupied entire rooms. The cost of these early digital computers was in the range of millions of dollars. For example, the ENIAC project was funded by the U.S. government at a cost of around $500,000 (equivalent to several million dollars today).
3. The first electric analog computer: Electric analog computers, which were capable of solving continuous mathematical problems, were developed in the mid-20th century. These machines were also custom-built and expensive. The cost of electric analog computers in the 1950s and 1960s ranged from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
4. The first "personal" computer (PET): The concept of a personal computer emerged in the 1970s with computers like the Commodore PET (Personal Electronic Transactor). The first PET was priced around $800.
5. The first mini computer: In the 1960s and 1970s, mini computers were introduced as smaller and more affordable alternatives to the larger mainframe computers. The first mini computer, the DEC PDP-8, was released in 1965 at a price of around $18,000.
It's important to note that these prices are rough estimates and can vary depending on factors such as time, location, and specific models.