Gallery: A Brief History of IBM Computing Innovations

The OG still in the game.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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IBM has been around more than a century: it was founded in 1911 as Computing Tabulating Recording Company, and changed its name to International Business Machines in 1924. The dudes over at IBM are serious about improving computing: the company has 12 research laboratories around the globe and holds the record for most patents generated by a company for two decades straight, as of 2013. While other companies are busy making things look pretty, IBM is more focused on the brain power behing their technology, and they have the human brain power to back it up, since IBM employees have earned five Nobel Prizes, six Turing Awards, five National Medals of Science, and ten National Medals of Technology. How do you like dem apples? Here is A Brief History of IBM Computing Innovations you may not have known they had a hand in. 

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IBM bought the patents to the electric typewriter in 1933, and released an improved version in 1935.

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IBM introduced the first hard drive in 1956, called the 305 RAMAC, which looked much different than today's drives.

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IBM changed the way information was saved and moved when they introduced floppy disks in 1967.

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They partnered with American Airlines and American Express to create the first airline ticket vending kiosk in 1970.

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The company created the first modern ATM, the IBM 2984, in 1972.

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IBM developed the UPC code, which was first used in 1974 at Marsh’s supermarket in Ohio.

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The magnetic strip on credit cards and driver licenses was developed by the company.

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IBM developed the Scanning Tunneling Microscope, an instrument for imaging surfaces at the atomic level.

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Lasik eye surgery was developed by engineers at the company.

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Watson artificial intelligence, which is able to smash humans at Jeopardy.

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