The IT industry has seen impressive growth over the last 15 years. In our case, laptops also fall into the category of computers. Although computers first appeared in the mid-19th century, there has been a huge increase in "advanced" computers/laptops in recent times. From 1936 to 1980 computers were not used primarily by the public. The very first system wasn't even considered a computer, but a simple 30-ton digital calculator running through 18,000 vacuum tubes. “The first true computers were developed in the United States to perform the complex calculations needed to build the atomic and hydrogen bombs (WSW).” In the 60s and 70s the computer was still very similar; it was very large in size and not useful to the normal citizen. It was not until 1981 that IBM launched its Personal Computer. The computer was so vital to society; he was named "Person of the Year" by TIME magazine in 1982. At that time, people believed that the computer would revolutionize the way of thinking, and they were absolutely right. In TIME (1982), Charles Lecht quotes: "Computers help teach children to think. Beyond that, they motivate people to think." From the public perspective, it seems that Mac and PC are the main competitors. Because there are only one or two other operating systems in the industry, we can classify this industry as oligopolistic. As we discuss the computer industry, we will mainly focus on large and large companies in the United States, including Microsoft, Apple, etc. and Google. For starters, Microsoft supports approximately 54,000 jobs in the United States including sales, software engineering, human resources, information technology, finance, and many more… middle of paper… evolution in the field of technology. Works Cited: An Illustrated History of Computers http://www.computersciencelab.com/ComputerHistory/HistoryPt4.htmTIME Magazine http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/personoftheyear/archive/stories/1982 .htmlIntelhttp:// www.intel.com/learn/practical-advice/before-you-buy/evaluate/pc-vs-macDevdailyhttp://www.devdaily.com/business/revenue-per-employee-computer-services -industriaBloomberg-Businessweekhttp: //www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/oct2004/nf20041012_4018_PG2_db083.htmWorld Socialist Websitehttp://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/nov1999/micr-n11.shtmlBukisahttp://www.bukisa.com/articles /264872_the-downside-of-technologyFamily Safe Mediahttp://familysafemedia.com/pornography_statistics.html#anchor4Business Coursehttp://waddahjerk.com/2010/08/the-global-computer-industry-goes-green. html