C. 2500 BCE: Sumerian abacus -- c. 700 BC: Scytale -- c. 150: Antikythera mechanism -- c. 60: Programmable robot -- c. 850: "On Deciphering Cryptographic Messages ...
"The graphics which appear in this volume were executed with the help of mechanical drawing apparatus --a still classic procedure. They date from spring 1972 and correspond to contemporary computer ...