Final answer:
To simplify coding for digital computers, assembly language and higher-level programming languages were invented. The development of transistors and integrated circuits allowed for more efficient processing and smaller computer sizes, leading to the rise of minicomputers and personal computers.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the earliest digital computers, every instruction was coded as a long number. To make coding faster and less error-prone, people invented assembly language and higher-level programming languages eventually. These languages allowed programmers to write instructions using symbolic code words or 'mnemonics' instead of long sequences of binary numbers, which the computer would translate into machine code.
The invention of the transistor and later on, the integrated circuit (IC), revolutionized digital computer processing capabilities. Integrated circuits combined many transistors into a single silicon chip, enabling faster computation, lower power consumption, and smaller physical sizes, which reduced production costs significantly.
This innovation led to the development of the minicomputer, which made digital computing more accessible to smaller entities, paving the way for the personal computer revolution.
Technological advancements in computing continue to grow exponentially, often described by Moore's Law, leading to the powerful desktop and laptop machines we use today. Advances in digital computing also owe their acceleration to historic milestones such as the breaking of the Nazi Enigma code during World War II, which highlighted the potential of electronic computing devices for complex problem-solving.