Final answer:
The UNIX operating system was pivotal in allowing digital computers to process large amounts of information efficiently, leading to diverse and proprietary versions tailored to specific hardware.
Step-by-step explanation:
The device that made it possible for digital computers to efficiently process large amounts of information is known as UNIX. This operating system, initially developed by researchers and later commercialized, fundamentally changed how computers could handle interchangeable and substitute group information. The development of UNIX played a crucial role in the evolution of computer systems, allowing for a more open and flexible approach to managing computing resources. The competing interests of free, open resources and commerce influenced the landscape of operating systems, leading to a variety of proprietary versions like IBM's AIX, Microsoft's Xenix, Sun Microsystems' Solaris, and SGI's IRIX, all of which were based on the original UNIX but tailored to run on specific hardware, often at a high cost.