Computer History Development Timeline: Microsoft Perspective

Quick Timeline 1000: The abacus gained widespread acceptance in Europe. 1617: John Napier, discoverer of logarithms, invented a calculating device based on them called Napier’s Bones. 1622: William Oughtred invented the slide rule, based on Napier’s work with logarithms. The slide rule is an “analog” computer and served as the primary computing device for engineers until 1972. Oughtred’s was circular, but here’s a straight on by Robert Bissaker (1654).