The Main Milestones of Computing in Brazil

Black and white photo of a man in a suit next to the UNIVAC 120 computer, a large-scale machine that occupies a room.

1957: Arrival of the UNIVAC 120

In this year, Brazil received its first large-scale computing machine. Installed in the São Paulo City Hall, it processed data such as taxes and payments using punched paper cards.

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Black and white photo of a woman next to USP's 'Patinho Feio' computer, pointing to its panel.

1972: The Birth of the "Patinho Feio"

Engineers from USP developed the first computer 100% designed in Brazil. It was nicknamed "Patinho Feio" (Ugly Duckling) because it was a simple national project, but it proved the country's technical knowledge, giving confidence to create its own industry.

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Aged, sepia-toned photo of a COBRA Computadores trade show booth, with people gathered around a terminal and the company's logo featured prominently.

1974: The Creation of COBRA

The government founded Computadores e Sistemas Brasileiros S.A. (COBRA). It was the first state-owned company focused on manufacturing computers, turning university projects into products to reduce dependence on foreign machines.

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Black and white photo of female workers on a factory assembly line, soldering and assembling circuit boards.

1977: The Market Reserve Policy

The government established a law that banned the import of most computers. This protection aimed to help national companies grow without competition and encourage the development of local technology.

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Aged, sepia-toned photo of the Cobra 530 minicomputer, showing its large cabinets and reel-to-reel magnetic tape drive.

1980: The Launch of the Cobra 530

The state-owned COBRA presented its first major commercial success. It was a minicomputer that, at the time, was the size of a refrigerator and functioned as a central machine for companies, banks, and universities.

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A Brazilian clone microcomputer from the 80s, by the brand Gradiente, with a monitor, keyboard, and two floppy disk drives.

The 80s: The Era of Clones

During this decade, the import ban generated a phenomenon of national copies. Brazilian companies learned how famous machines worked and created their own local versions.

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Screenshot of an old TV ad for an 'Micro IBM APTIVA' computer, showing the cash price of 4194.00 (plus shipping) and a telesales phone number.

1992: The End of the Market Reserve

President Fernando Collor ended the protectionist policy, as Brazil was falling technologically behind. Imports were liberalized, allowing the entry of modern, better, and cheaper computers.

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