Week 33 Summary Essay

            The inventions that I learned about this week were the Unix, the microprocessor, the video game console, and the VCR/VHS system. The inventors were Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, engineers at Intel, Ralph Baer, and Victor Company of Japan. I will tell you which invention was my favorite after I tell you about these inventions.

            The first invention I learned about this week was the Unix. Unix is a family of multitasking, multiuser computer operating systems. In other words, it is a small device where each part has its own job to do. It was invented by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie in 1969 who both worked for Alexander Graham Bell at Bell Labs. Unix was improved, and it led to iPads, iPhones, better computers, etc.

            The second invention in week thirty-three that I learned about was the microprocessor. Although many different people came up with the idea of the microprocessor, it was engineers at Intel who invented it. It is a small computer processor that someone can put in data as binary code, and the microprocessor then processes that code and puts out the information it is designed to put out. Because of the microprocessor, we have smaller, more efficient computers today.

            The third thing I learned about this week was the video game console. It was invented by Ralph Baer and was released in 1972. A video game console is an electronic, digital, or computer device that outputs a video signal or visual image to display a video game that one or more people can play. The invention sold well and was improved, and it has led to many other video game console designs such as today’s Nintendo Switch.

           The last inventions I learned about this week were the VCR and VHS tape. They was invented by Victor Company of Japan in the early 1970s. The VCR (videocassette recorder) is an electromechanical device that records analog audio and analog video from broadcast television or other source on a removable, magnetic tape videocassette, and can play back the recording. The VHS tape (video home system) is a magnetic tape that you can record sound and video on. The tape was put into a cassette, and then you could put it into a VCR to play the video on a television. The VHS/VCR system led to DVDs, BluRay, and eventually the streaming services through the internet that we have today.

           My favorite invention this week was probably the video game console. I like it because it is fun to use and I can play many different games on it! My parents do not let my siblings and I play many of the games out there, and we can only play games that teach us something and are not violent. I like to play video games, because they are exciting and can teach problem solving. I can’t wait to see which world-changing inventions I will be learning about next week.

Bonus Question If you wanted to become a video game programmer, what programming languages would you need to learn?

             The best programming languages to learn would be C++, C#, JavaScript, Java, Lua, and Python. I have done research and found that Python is the easiest for beginners. I personally want to program a video game, and I am going to use this program because of how great it sounds. I am sure that I will recommend this to other people who want to make video games too when I am done. It looked like such a great way to help people learn how to program video games that I got stuck reading about it! I am very grateful that this question was put on here because it helped me to find the perfect way to learn how to do what I want to do, and that is to program video games.