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A Brief History of Office Machines
- 1900
- Brownie Camera
Eastman Kodak launches the hand-held simple-to use box Brownie camera.
- Paperclip
A Norwegian, Johann Waaler invents the paperclip.
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1904
- Offset Printing
Ira Rubel, in NY, invents offset printing - a process in
which the image is transferred from the inked plate onto an intermediate
rubber surface before being rolled onto paper.
- 1907
- Facsimile Transmission
Five years after the technique had been invented in
Germany - the first photograph is sent by facsimile transmission from Paris
to London.
- 1916
- Tele-Typewriter
A tele-typewriter to send written messages over the
phone lines is invented in Chicago, but it was not until 1931 that a system
was launches nationally by Bell Systems. Called Telex (for teleprinter
exchange), it gradually spread worldwide to the benefit mainly of business
and newspapers.
- 1917
- Laser
Albert Einstein proposes how, when atoms are hit by
radiation, they might be triggered into emitting radiation of their own; the
theory behind the laser.
- 1926
- Mechanical Television System
John Logie Baird uses Nipkow discs to
demonstrate a mechanical television system to members of the Royal Inst.
- 1927
- Film Stock (sound and image)
Film stock is invented that can
simultaneously record both image and sound.
- 1930
- Full-Color Movie
Full-color movie film is introduced by Technicolor.
- 1931
- Iconoscope Television Camera
Vladimir Zworykin produces the first
practical electronic television camera: Iconoscope, which converts an
optical image into electrical pulses.
- 1938
- Photocopy
Chester Carlson duplicates the first, blurred photocopy
image.
- 1939
- Photocomposition Machine
American, Willaim Heubner devises a
photocomposition machine that projects characters onto film at the tap of a
key.
- 1940
- Ball Point Pen
Ball point pen invented by Hungarian journalist Lazlo
Biro. In 1953 French firm Bic developed mass production process.
- 1943
- Colossus
The British mathemitician Alan Turing's Colossus is
proclaimed as the first computer used to decode enemy messages.
- 1947
- Polaroid Camera
Processes instantly developed photos, color available in
1963.
- 1951
- Color Televsion
In the United States.
- 1956
- 2nd Generation Computer
Using transistors, the 2nd generation computer is launched.
- Video Recorder
Ampex of California launches the first available video recorder; 3M
launches 1st. video tape.
- Transatlantic Cable
The first transatlantic cable is laid.
- 1960
- Ruby Laser
In California, Theodore Maiman demonstrates his ruby laser with applications
in surgery, machining and communications.
- Communications Satellite
The world's first experimental
communications satellite, Echo 1 is launched.
- 1963
- Instamatic
Kodak produces Instamatic, the world's first
commercially successful camera with easy loading cartridge film.
- 1970
- Microprocessor
The microprocessor is invented and includes all the
essential parts of a computer on a chip.
- 1974
- Upgrade Standard
The United Nations established an international XMSN
standard that encouraged manufacturers to make their machines computable. An
upgraded standard, allowing for XMSN at the rate of one page per minutewas
set in 1980.
- 1979
- Mobile Cellular Phone
Mobile cellular phone is launched.
- 1980
- Laser Scanning of Bar Codes
Laser scanning of bar codes is perfected
by IBM in the U.S. and NEC in Japan.
- 1982
- Compact Disk
The compact disk is invented.
- 1984
- Apple MacIntosh
Apple MacIntosh launched.
- 1985
- Desktop Publishing
Desktop publishing becomes a reality with the launch of
Page Maker.
- 1992
- Subcompact Printer
The subcompact printer was invented.
- 1994
- Color Printer
The color printer is launched.
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