Dominic Gonzalez
Digital Revolution
Period 3
5­6­2015

The World at Our Fingertips
Ever since the invention of the microprocessor in 1971, the capabilities of computers have continued to grow, resulting in today’s “Information” or “Digital Age.”
Beginning back in the 1980s, computer companies like Apple and Microsoft competed to create more powerful, and fast­working computers. Around ten years later, the ever­growing popularity of the technology industry made Bill Gates, founder of
Microsoft, the richest man in the world. Not long after, Steve Jobs, founder of apple, joined in the success. Much of the success was due to several innovations within computers that made them the go­to devices for communication, information, and entertainment. Obviously, we’ve gained so much, thanks to this Digital revolution...but to every positive, there has to be a negative; What did we lose?
The transistor, which was introduced in 1947, paved the way for the development of advanced digital computers. The government, military, and other organizations of all kinds, made use of these computer systems during the mid 1900s. This eventually led to the creation of the World Wide Web. By the end of the decade, the computer became a familiar machine, and became a necessity for many jobs. The internet quickly became a normal part of most business operations, and by the late 1990s, the internet became a

part of everyday life for almost half of the American population. The Digital Revolution spread across the globe like wildfire, and in this day and age, the internet makes up more than 25 percent of the world’s population (techopedia.com). People caught on to the new and improved way to communicate, entertain, and learn.
Advances in telecommunications led to cellular or mobile phones. Though cellular phones existed in the 1970s and 1980s, it was not until the components of these devices were reduced in size, that cell phones became truly portable. Now, nearly 70 percent of the world's population owns a mobile phone (techopedia.com). Another form of communication was electronic mail, or more commonly referred to as e­mail. As the capacity of computers to transmit data increased, e­mail messages could carry photos, music, and even documents, making them a workable and quicker alternative being that there is no wait needed, just literally the click of a button. In 2001, the Apple Computer
Company introduced the iPod, which took the world by storm. This pocket­sized digital music player has since revolutionized the way we buy and listen to music, but this brings one problem to the digital revolution ­ illegal downloading. There is no way around the fact that in­store album sales have declined, especially since there are new applications that can be installed in your cellphone to get the music for free, like
Spotify
.
There are also illegal downloads that take place everyday, whether it be for music, or other forms of entertainment.
The search for knowledge is ever­growing, and with a single payment for a laptop, or computer, you have the world at your fingertips. Sure enough, some question the accuracy of much of the information available on