Fact sheet version. Back When Computers Were Fridges and Viruses Were Cute

🧠 Facts Nobody Asked For

The first 1GB hard drive, introduced by IBM in 1980.

• Model: IBM 3380
• Capacity: Roughly 1.26 GB
• Weight: Over 500 pounds (approx. 227 kg)
• Size: About the size of a refrigerator
• Price: Approximately $40,000 at launch, but could be higher depending on configuration, costing up to $142,000 in 1980 dollars
• Purpose: Designed for large-scale mainframe and corporate computing, not home use

In 1971, the first computer virus, “Creeper” was invented. Believing it to be a form of self-expression, it would display the phrase, “I’m the creeper, catch me if you can!”

• Creator: Bob Thomas, a researcher at Bold, Beranek, and Newman (BBN).
• Purpose: To test if a self-replicating program could move between computers on a network. It was an experiment, not malicious software.
• Operation: It would copy itself to other computers on the ARPANET, which was the precursor to the internet.
• Display: When it “infected” a new system, it would display the message “I’M THE CREEPER: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!” on the terminal.
• “Antivirus”: The first antivirus program, named “Reaper,” was created shortly after to find and remove Creeper.

The First Computer Game Was Made for an Oscilloscope

• Year: 1958
• Game: “Tennis for Two” by William Higinbotham
• Device: An oscilloscope — normally used to visualize electrical signals.
• Why: He wanted to make the Brookhaven National Lab open day less boring.
• Legacy: People queued for hours to play… proving gaming addiction started immediately.

The First Mouse Was Made of Wood

• Year: 1964
• Inventor: Douglas Engelbart
• Description: A clunky wooden block with two perpendicular wheels.
• Nickname: “The Bug.” (Yes, another bug.)
• Bonus: It had a single button — Apple didn’t invent minimalism, they just marketed it better.

The Internet Was Almost Called the “Intergalactic Network”

• Year: 1963
• Creator: J.C.R. Licklider
• Vision: A worldwide system connecting humans and computers like a digital galaxy.
• Reality: Bureaucrats renamed it “ARPANET.” (Boring.)
• Irony: Today’s online comments section makes “intergalactic” feel generous.

Microsoft Once Helped Apple Stay Alive

• Year: 1997
• Event: Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy.
• Twist: Microsoft invested $150 million to keep them afloat — and got booed when they announced it.
• Quote from Jobs: “We have to let go of the notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose.”
• Translation: “We’re broke, please clap.”

YouTube Started as a Dating Site

• Year: 2005
• Concept: “Tune In, Hook Up.” Users were supposed to upload videos introducing themselves.
• Problem: Nobody did.
• Pivot: They removed the dating angle and renamed it “YouTube.”
• First Upload: “Me at the Zoo.” The rest is meme history. It was uploaded on YouTube by co-founder Jawed Karim on April 23rd, 2005. Did you know the video is just 19-seconds long?

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