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Unit 23 - P1 - HCI Timeline
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- Pearson (PEARSON)
This is P21 of Unit 23 - Human computer interaction, this is a detailed timeline with descriptions of developments in HCI, including HCI adaptations for disabilities.
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History of Human-Computer InteractionHuman-computer interaction (HCI) is the interaction between people and computers, HCI developments
make computers easier and more enjoyable for users to interact with – this area of study incorporates
various study sectors such as psychology and physiology, which need to be implemented to understand
how humans think and act, to be able to create the most effective interfaces. This includes the
development of hardware and software that allows computerised technology to function, as well as the
technology used in theme parks and to assist users with disabilities. The following is a brief timeline
showing some of these developments.
1832 – Punch Cards:
The earliest form of computers stored data on paper cards that have holes
punched into them via a punch card machine or by hand – these holes
represent data. The holes are punched into each column of the punch card,
with their placement showing what value the hole is; a punch card reader is
used to read the data by reading vertically down each column.
1873 – QWERTY Layout:
It is believed the typewriter was developed to have its keys set out in the
QWERTY layout to prevent the metal arms inside from clashing and getting
stuck. QWERTY is used today by nearly all English computers and any other
layout is very difficult for people to use as QWERTY has been natural since
they were born.
1949 – The First Modem:
In 1949, a system was created that modulates digital data into recreated and demodulates sound into
digital data for transfer. The modem was created at the Air Force Cambridge Research Center near Boston,
Massachusetts, which was used in the SAGE Air Defense System ten years later to communicate with
multiple radar stations and military. The modem was the start to the development of telephones, TV, and
playing digital music.
1952 – Trackball:
The first trackball was invented by two Canadian engineers who
wanted to create a better coordinate target data for their radar
system. The trackball was a 4-inch Canadian duck pin bowling ball set
in a socket with four disk and several rollers for movement and
support, the device was developed and used in the military for
weapon targeting which provided fast and precise movements. They
were eventually used in a few video game controllers and computer
mice, some computer mice still use trackballs as users do not have to
move their hand but only their fingers which is preferred or
beneficial to certain audiences, including those with disabilities in
their hands.
1952 – A-O Compiler:
Grace Hopper created the first compiler, this allowed computer programs to use English letters and words
to create programs instead of just numbers. People in the industry did not believe and did not change their
arithmetic methods till two years later.
,1955 – Light pen:
Light pens were created as wired pens that lit up at the end, they were used on Cathode ray tube (CRT)
displays which when scanned by CRT electron beams, it senses the change in brightness of pixels and
allows users to accurately draw on the screen. This first version of stylus and touch-screen similarities was
available on some PCs but died out in the late 80s due to the uncomfortable position it puts users in and
other developments.
1965 - Multics OS
One of the first operating systems, created as a project
by multiple organisations including MIT and General
Electrics. It managed a computer’s hardware and
included hundreds of programs and compilers that had
been formed from multiple programming languages that
had been developed by 1965 such as FORTRAM, COBOL,
and BASIC. The first operating systems could only be used by
computer scientist as they are the only ones that computers
available to them and could understand how to use one as
they only completed calculations which had to be
programmed each time a user wanted to access data.
1969 – Unix OS:
The Unix OS was built with Multics OS as inspiration, Unix became very popular and was used by most
computers at the time and was updated by the source being written in C in 1972. Modern operating
systems like Windows are based on Unix.
1969 – Computer Networks:
The first network to connect differing computers together to communicate and possibly share resources
was called ARPAnet. Computer networks allowed organisation’s employees to efficiently work together
and developed into LANs/WANs that are in workplaces and at home whether they are wired or wireless.
1970 – ATM:
Automated telling machines were first installed at a Barclay’s bank
branch in Enfield, North London that took cheques, allowing consumers
to use a computer to deposit and withdraw money instead of people,
millions are installed outside or inside banks worldwide, which can often
be, used 24/7.
1971 – Mass Market Webs:
In 1972, unused sections of the TV signal were used to broadcast information that was available on certain
TV channels. This was the first concept of the World-Wide Web that inspired a system that allows anyone
with a connection to access information they can interact with.
, 1971 – Arcade machines
Computer space, by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, was the first commercially
available arcade machine. It’s a controversial fact whether Galaxy Game or
Computer Space were the first arcade game as Computer space released a
prototype a month before Galaxy Game released, however, they are also both
made from the inspiration of the game ‘Spacewar’. The creators decided to
make their own custom computer for the machine as computers were too
expensive to use. The controls were left, and right rotational buttons, with 2
other buttons to fire and thrust.
1972 – Magnavox Odyssey
The Magnavox Odyssey, known as the brown box, was the first ever commercial video game console, it
was only capable of display 3 square dots on the screen in black and white, with no sound. The dots would
be used with overlays on a TV screen to create visuals for simple games such as ‘Tennis for two’ to be
played. The dots would be moved by the 2 controllers which had 2 knobs on each side and a button to
control the dots.
1977 – Atari 2600
The first console to popularize the use of ROM cartridges to hold the
video-game’s code, and hardware that uses micro-processor; allowing
more visually complex games including, E.T the Extra Terrestrial, Pac-
Man, Breakout, and Combat. The console came with 2 joystick
controllers with a button and conjoined paddle controllers that had a
wheel and trigger buttons. It also had a dial-up service to be able to download
games over the telephone line with an installed modem and empty cartridge in
their console.
1980 – Nintendo Game & Watch
Game & Watch was Nintendo’s first big success and the first portable gaming devices,
they were a series of hand-held devices, that could only contain 1 game for each device as
they were pre-printed; with games, such as ball, manhole, and Popeye – but eventually
releasing Nintendo exclusives like Mario Super bros., Donkey Kong, and Zelda. There were
59 games, some games had a single LCD screen with left and right buttons, then Game A,
Game B (faster, higher difficulty), and a button to show the time. Other versions had a
folded, clamshell design with 2 LCD screens and a directional pad – the first of its kind.
1981 - France Minitel & Online Services:
A free Minitel terminal was offered to every France Telecom phone subscriber, which included several
millions of people being on the Minitel network by the end of the decade. This network featured online
services shared amongst the users including train times, newspapers, email, chatrooms, and
advertisements– this demonstrated the first successful mass web. Users were charged per minute spent on
the network by their phone. Meanwhile in North America, small online resources were available on
networks that were hosted on individual’s computers, they were difficult to connect to but ambitious users
which led to over two million Americans using online networks for news, email, forums, and even
shopping.
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