The Evolution of Computing: An Instructor's Narrative transcript (if you don't want to watch the video)

Did you know that the smartphone in your hand has billions of times more computing power than a building-sized computer from the mid-20th century?

It's an incredible thought. How could we possibly get from there to here in a single human lifetime?

The answer to that question is a story we are about to explore in our first official content section: The Evolution of Computer Hardware.

This isn't just a history lesson; it's an origin story, and it's crucial for one simple reason. In an age of cloud and AI, it's easy to forget a fundamental truth: every single piece of software needs to run on physical hardware, and the evolution of that hardware is what made today's software possible.

As hardware became smaller, cheaper, and more powerful, it enabled software to do much more than we ever thought possible before.

Think of it this way: hardware is the stage, and software is the play. As the stage grew, the plays written for it became more and more spectacular.

By learning this story, we will uncover the very DNA of modern technology. Understanding this evolution is a superpower. It allows you to see the long-term patterns of change, to appreciate the ingenuity that fit a supercomputer in your pocket, and to truly grasp the big picture of how we got here.

So, in the topics that follow, we are on an archeological dig, uncovering the very foundation of our digital world.

Let's begin.