The first devices resembling a modern computer were developed in the mid-20th century (1940–1945), although similar machines had been constructed earlier. The first electronic computers were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers (PC).[1] Modern computers based on tiny integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more capable than the early machines, and occupy a fraction of the space.[2] Simple computers are small enough to fit into a wristwatch, and can be powered by a watch battery. Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information Age, what most people think of as a "computer", but the embedded computers found in devices ranging from fighter aircraft to industrial robots, digital cameras, and children's toys are the most numerous.
