Using the same approach as the popular Milestones in Science and Technology and Milestones in Health and Medicine, this unique reference features more than 600 concise entries describing the most significant advances in the field of computer science and information technology. Arranged in a convenient A-to-Z format, entries explain topics in a wide variety of categories, including hardware, software, theory, mathematics, programming, languages, memory, architecture, applications, and graphics.

Each entry presents a history of the topic's milestones, describes its current status, and recommends a source for additional research. Entries link key developments and discoveries to notable researchers and companies, from the famous figures like Alan Turing and Bill Gates to lesser-known names like Gordon Moore and Zuse. More than 30 illustrations, helpful cross-references, four indexes, and selected sources for additional reading help users navigate this reference and supplement their research. Whether you're researching cutting-edge technologies such as MP3, data encryption, and Beowulf clusters, or historical topics like Fortran, Packard Bell, and the Alto computer, students from high school and college, scholars, and the general public can easily find the facts and dates surrounding the most significant developments in the history of computing.