Today computers do much more than simply compute: they can create art. To understand and appreciate the impact computers have in the art world, it is important to understand their evolution.     
    Digital computers were initially designed as calculating machines. The first fully electronic computer, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), was built by the U.S. military during World War II to produce ballistics tables for artillery in battle. Computers then were clumsy, hulking devices - the ENIAC had 18,000 vacuum tubes, and measured 50 x 30 feet - that did calculations for scientific research.
    As time progressed, the computer advanced, becoming more accessible for commercial use. This was particularly possible by its size reduction. The electronic digital computer was not introduced to the field of graphic design until the late 1970s and made a real change in the early 1980s.