In "The Innovators," Walter Isaacson highlights the advancements in computing technology, particularly focusing on a groundbreaking machine that could process and store data at a remarkably low cost of $2 per digit. This innovation signifies a major step in the evolution of data handling and efficiency in technological development.

Isaacson also references Atanasoff's first computing device, which was capable of managing three thousand digits but came with a price tag of around $6,000. This illustrates the significant cost and complexity of early computing machines compared to later developments that aimed to optimize data processing economically.