Book Description
The Computer traces the evolution of this vital machine from its earliest roots through its exciting application in code-breaking during the Second World War, and from its initial use in the workplace and home to its current status as a totally indispensable part of twenty-first century life. Along the way the author examines some colorful moments in the computer's development, from the key battle between Apple and IBM in the 1980s, to the use of computers in film and television such as the 1950s film The Forbidden Planet. The speed at which computer technology is progressing is staggering, and the final chapter looks forward to a time when computers will be on our wrists, in our cars ? and possibly in our bodies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Comuter: An Illustrated History
When I first opened the package that contained this book, I was absolutely amazed. I knew the book would be fairly big and that it was a hardcover. I knew it was about computers. I didn't expect it to be so artfully done. The cover is immediately striking and at about 4 lbs., this is a lot of book!

The Computer is an overview of the history of computing, from tabulation sticks which appeared 35,000 years ago straight through to a few years in the future. Mark Frauenfelder has compiled a massive collection of interesting pictures, wonderful historical tidbits and a solid background in what makes computers what they are - from ancient, gear driven devices to the dense microprocessors of today.

The Computer is comprised of a four page introduction and 10 chapters, concluding with an index.

Digital Dawn looks at the rise of computation, from ancient man to the counting machines of the 19th century.

Machines Learn to Remember looks at the genesis of computer memory, from external devices to punch cards.

Sparks of an Idea shows the beginning of vacuum tube technology, IBM and other binary processors.

Computers go to War looks at the Enigma Machine, Turing and others who helped to break codes, guide artillery and eventually track satellites.

Getting Down to Business starts with the invention of the transistor and ends with the first commercial leases of computers to corporations.

Getting Personal, as you might guess, covers the birth of the personal computer. The electronics clubs of the late 60's and early 70's give way to Xerox fumbling the ball which Apple and later Microsoft picked up and ran with.

Game On traces the history of computer gaming from the earliest mainframe games to home gaming consoles and persistent, massive multiplayer role playing games.

Jacking In brings us through the birth of the Internet and the World Wide Web with stops for email and cybersex. Also featured are a few other start ups you may have heard about, from Linux to Google.

Let me Entertain You shows us the computer's effect on the silver screen - for better and for worse, as well as the rise of the digital music player and peer to peer sharing.

The World of Tomorrow looks towards the future, focusing on robotics, personal computing shrinking to wearable levels and of course, nanotech.

This book is the kind of book I love to get my hands on. Give me a good technology book or a good history book and I'm happy. Chock it full of amazing and hard to find pictures, bits of trivia and quotes from the great minds featured in the book and I'm in heaven.

Even though this book is heavy, I took it to bed with me the first night I had gotten it just to finish it. My arms were tired but my mind was happy by the time I finally hit the index, sometime early yesterday morning.

The early mechanical computation devices are fascinating to look at, whether in plans like Davinci's or constructed like Babbage's machines, they invoke a sort of post-modern, steam punk feel. Except these were the real deal and not a SciFi author's fancy. I was fascinated pouring over the pictures and descriptions of differential machines and tabulators.

I really perked up however once the book hit the early 40's. Seeing over the course of a few hours reading how technology changed so rapidly over such a short amount of time - pretty much from the day my Dad was born until this moment, it's amazing. In less than one lifetime we've gone from clunky, vacuum tube driven behemoths to the razor sharp, tiny computers of today. If you've read any of my previous thoughts on where we're headed, you'll know I think that this is just the beginning! To see this all in detailed photos and descriptions. To live through the heady days of Apple, Atari, IBM PCs and Microsoft once again is very cool.

It's easy to tell that Frauenfelder loves this stuff even more than I do. He's put a lot of time and effort into crafting a book that I'm eagerly putting on my coffee table. I know that my friends and colleagues will head right for it when they come over!

If you're into big, artsy books about the history of computing, well you won't find one much better than The Computer. Cover to cover it is a fascinating read full of wonderful pictures. Even if this isn't your thing, if you know someone who adores the history of computers as much as the computers themselves, this book will be a welcome addition to their collection. ... Read more

Book Description
In the early days of computer science, the interactions of hardware, software, compilers, and operating system were simple enough to allow students to see an overall picture of how computers worked. With the increasing complexity of computer technology and the resulting specialization of knowledge, such clarity is often lost. Unlike other texts that cover only one aspect of the field, The Elements of Computing Systems gives students an integrated and rigorous picture of applied computer science, as its comes to play in the construction of a simple yet powerful computer system.

Indeed, the best way to understand how computers work is to build one from scratch, and this textbook leads students through twelve chapters and projects that gradually build a basic hardware platform and a modern software hierarchy from the ground up. In the process, the students gain hands-on knowledge of hardware architecture, operating systems, programming languages, compilers, data structures, algorithms, and software engineering. Using this constructive approach, the book exposes a significant body of computer science knowledge and demonstrates how theoretical and applied techniques taught in other courses fit into the overall picture.

Designed to support one- or two-semester courses, the book is based on an abstraction-implementation paradigm; each chapter presents a key hardware or software abstraction, a proposed implementation that makes it concrete, and an actual project. The emerging computer system can be built by following the chapters, although this is only one option, since the projects are self-contained and can be done or skipped in any order. All the computer science knowledge necessary for completing the projects is embedded in the book, the only pre-requisite being a programming experience.

The book's web site provides all tools and materials necessary to build all the hardware and software systems described in the text, including two hundred test programs for the twelve projects. The projects and systems can be modified to meet various teaching needs, and all the supplied software is open-source. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An educational masterpiece
Mozart had his Requiem.Michelangelo had the Sistine Chapel.Michael Jordan has game 5 of the 1997 finals.And Nisan and Schocken have The Elements of Computing Systems.

Forgive me if I'm being too enthusiastic.I began this book just before Thanksgiving, building a not gate from nand gates, and by mid-January I had finished making the operating system for a real computer that can play Tetris.There were no frustrating gaps in the exposition or unclear explanations that impeded my progress.Everything works, everything is crystal clear, everything is perfect.

This book is great for college freshman, as it has been used at Harvard. It's great for working engineers like myself who want to understand computers and computer science better.Something somewhat less obvious is that it would also be great for enthusiastic high school or even middle school students who already know how to program.

I would like to see an open source community develop around this book, creating extra chapters and projects and extending the software to support them.For example, I would love an extra chapter that (following a suggestion in chapter 13) shows how to connect this computer to the internet.

Fantastic book--Ideal for self-study
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in learning about computer science. The book is organized around the idea of building a computer from the fundamental logic gates up--starting with the hardware (combinational logic gates, arithmetic logic units, sequential logic gates, the CPU and memory) and then through the software hierarchy (starting with the machine language, and working up through the assembler, a virtual machine, a compiler for a high-level language, and an operating system). As a "by-product," one learns, by very relevant examples, many fundamental concepts of computer science.

You can just read the book, but the best idea is to follow the authors' advice and do the projects where you implement every necessary piece of the computer system yourself. The projects are all very well organized. All the software necessary to emulate any part of the computer is available for free download from the authors' web-site. It all works beautifully. If you want to skip any of the projects, you can, because the software is organized in such a way that it will use built-in modules instead of the ones you built if necessary.

The authors seem to have extensively tested the whole approach through the courses they have taught using this material. I also noticed that Harvard's Computer Science 101 course is being taught based on this book. I have been using the book for self-study with absolutely no problems--in fact I have never had such a great experience with a self-study course. All you need is a Windows or Linux (edit: Mac OS X works fine too) computer and access to the internet, and you can give yourself a wonderful education in computer science.

In terms of prerequisites, you only really need to have some experience with programming (e.g. with C, or ideally with Java or Python). I think that the book should work well for students or hobbyists who don't have any more experience than that, but it is also great for much more experienced students, as a kind of integrative summary of the field. I also think the book is perfect for graduate students or researchers from other fields who want to learn how digital hardware and software systems are actually engineered.

Finally, I just want to compliment the authors on the extraordinary care that they have taken with the whole project. The computer design that you build up is wonderfully elegant--at every stage the design is just as simple as it can be while being sufficient. Every piece of emulation software works as advertised. Even the extra powerpoint or .pdf tutorials are nicely done. This is really quality work, and using it is just a real pleasure. Finally, the source code for all the software provided by the authors is available, so if you wanted to extend the provided emulators, you could do that.

In summary, I give this book my unqualified highest recommendation.

spans hardware and software
As computers have gotten more powerful, the field of computer science has split into two. One deals with hardware design, the other with software. The problem is that a student can effectively major mostly in one of these fields, without enough of an appreciation of its counterpart.

Nisan tries to alleviate this trend by offering a solid technical overview of both. While conceptually the book aspires to building a computer from the ground up, in practice this may be overstated. The reality may be more that the book serves a useful purpose by binding together an understanding of hardware and software. So that, for example, a programmer has some appreciation of the workings of a Neumann machine, and of assembly language. This example is deliberate. For there are many more programmers than VLSI designers, and the greater pool of ignorance can be amongst the former. ... Read more

Book Description
This book is an exciting history of the personal computer revolution. Early personal computing, the "first" personal computer, invention of the micrprocessor at Intel and the first microcomputer are detailed. It also traces the evolution of the personal computer from the software hacker, to its use as a consumer appliance on the Internet. This is the only book that provides such comprehensive coverage. It not only describes the hardware and software, but also the companies and people who made it happen.Download Description
This book is an exciting history of the personal computer revolution. Early personal computing, the "first" personal computer, invention of the microprocessor at Intel and the first microcomputer are detailed. It also traces the evolution of the personal computer from the hardware and software hacker, to its use as a consumer appliance on the Internet. This is the only book that provides such comprehensive coverage. It not only describes the hardware and software, but also the companies and people who made it happen. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice summary of a huge field
So short a time. Seems like yesterday when Jobs and Wozniak kicked off Apple Computer in 1977. Or, just two years earlier, when Gates and Allen started Microsoft in New Mexico, before moving it to Seattle. The field has come so far. Now larger than mainframes. And Microsoft and Intel having larger market caps than IBM, who gave them the crucial original contracts for the IBM PC in the early 80s.

All these are discussed in this timely book. Though actually, it also mentions efforts in personal computing that predate Microsoft and Apple. Often ignored in other accounts. Which shows the good level of research done by the author. Of course, other companies, like Compaq and Dell, get a mention. Plus, influential magazines like the late Byte and the ongoing Wired.

You might find this book useful for its sweep and the ability to explain the gist of computing concepts clearly to a layman. It's not really a technical computing book. The emphasis is more on describing the significance of the main events, as would be seen by a historian. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
The Encyclopedia of Computers and Computer History provides a complete A-to-Z reference guide to computers, their development, and their usage in today's world. Beginning with "Abacus," this two-volume set provides over 900 pages of facts, definitions, biographies, histories, and explanations of a remarkable variety of computer-related subjects.

The Encyclopedia's 600 entries--many of which represent the first reference treatment of their subjects--address the diverse topics that form the backbone of the information revolution. Entries include essays on major corporations, computing machines, software, networking, computing concepts, research, laboratories, and pioneering individuals in computing history. In addition to these essays, each entry is also followed by a helpful list of further reading on that subject.

Contributors to the Encyclopedia represent a wide cross-section of accomplished scholars in the fields of computer science and scientific history. Their informative, accessible essays enable readers to learn about computer history in a non-intimidating way.

An invaluable addition to any library collection, the Encyclopedia of Computers and Computer History is an indispensable resource for undergraduates, graduate students, and anybody with an interest in, or question about, computers. ... Read more

Book Description
Computer Graphics & Animation: History, Careers, Expert Advice is an essential guide for aspiring computer graphics, animation, and new media practitioners. Readers can look forward to a detailed historic timeline that highlights some of the great moments and innovative people in computer animationÕs history. The author also provides current advice geared toward students and young professionals. This guide provides students with the practical advice necessary to becoming a computer graphics artist. Rounded out with interviews from pioneers and practitioners from PDI, ILM, Pixar, Rhythm and Hues as well as several other studios, this book makes a great guide for learners new and old. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An extensive and informatively accessible tour
Computer Graphics And Animation: History, Careers, Expert Advice by computer expert and academician Garth Gardner is an extensive and informatively accessible tour through a variety of different artistic careers related to computers that are available for an aspiring computer graphics experts to pursue. Of special interest is the advice on becoming a CG Artist drawn from interviews with ground breaking experts from such industry powerhouses as Rhythm & Hues, Pixar, and Industrial Light & Magic. From the history of computer animation to practical advice on training and education for this competitive field, Computer Graphics And Animation is an excellent survey and a highly recommended primer for anyone interested in learning more about this exciting vocation. ... Read more

Amazon.com
This history of the computer explores the roots of the industry's phenomenal development, tracing not only the development of the machine itself--beginning with Charles Babbage's well-known 1883 mechanical prototype--but also chronicling the effects of manufacturing and sales innovations by such companies as Remington and National Cash Register that made the boom possible. The authors recount the transition from slow mechanical computers to the vacuum-tubed electronic computers, ENIAC and EDVAC, pioneered by a team led by mathematician John von Neumann during World War II. Later innovations made the computer a mass-market item, and now, the authors suggest, freedom of access to the technology is constrained only by the imperative of computer companies to make money.Book Description
Most people trace the origins of the computer to three people: Alan Turing, the World War II cryptologist; John von Neumann, the father of scientific computing; and Steve Jobs, the popularizer of the personal computer. They're wrong. The true story is much more complex, and infinitely more interesting.

It begins at a time when computers were people, when women numbering in the hundreds sat together in a crowded room performing simple tasks and functioning as a whole, as a giant information-processing machine. From this humble beginning, the digital electronic marvel of today began to take shape. Here is the story of such early pioneers as William Mauchley, who tried to build a machine that would enable racetracks to post up-to-the-last-minute odds, and the riveting tale of Jay Forrester, whose determination to build a flight simulator led to the development of the first successful real-time computer. Flowing like a page-turning thriller, with each unlikely piece of the computer's development falling into place, this fully documented, myth-breaking history finally sets the record straight and gives proper credit to the unsung heroes of the computer revolution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

A Century of Computer History in 300 Pages
Campbell-Kelly and Aspray tackled an impossible problem and they did a credible job. They wrote a readable historic narrative spanning more than 100 years, including the major developments leading to the creation of the first programmable electronic computers in the mid 20th century and the subsequent 50 years of development leading to personal computers and the Internet explosion. This book capably captures much of the flavor of the developing industry and it's not as dry as one Amazon reviewer might have you think. It isn't larded with a ton of esoteric technical specifications that merely bore the casual reader. I read the first edition and it contained a few blatant technical errors. Mistaking the 32-bit Motorola 68000 microprocessor, circa 1979, for the 8-bit Motorola 6800 microprocessor, circa 1975, and misidentifying the 6502 microprocessor vendor MOS Technology as MOSTEK (two completely different companies) are two errors that I recall seeing. I hope these errors are corrected in the newer second edition. On the whole, I liked this historical overview very much.

Note that this books serves as an excellent handbook and guide to the computers and other artifacts on display at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. Although the book was written before the current museum was established, its chapters closely parallel the historic timeline formed by the museum's aisles of computing artifacts, from the early mechanical calculators and punched-card machines through ENIAC, SAGE, and onwards to the personal computer. Many of the developments discussed in the book, spanning hundreds of years of work, are on display in the museum.

Well-written and quite comprehensive
This book is a very well-written history of the essential phases of how computing and computers developed into what dominates today. It shows not only the "Museum" aspects of the inventions but gives also good deal of information about the settings of the situations in which the developments took place.

One slight drawback might be some missing focal points to the European part of the history.

An Excellent Read
There are countless books covering the PC revolution from about the 1970's and onwards, but not very many that carefully cover the saga of the 1800's and onward! This book does an excellent job at capturing what happened in the realm of computing from Babbage's work all the way up to what began the downfall of the mainframe to the minis.

Rich but dry
As a kid, I read this book over and over, soaking up the volumes of information. The reading is pretty dry, but the story covered is fascinating. Perhaps one thing that made it interesting was reading about the person who bought it for me - my grandfather. He was pleased with how he had been interviewed and, of course, thought they could have said more about his area of study!

The Companies and Economics behind the PC
I recently finished this book and "Engines of the Mind : The Evolution of the Computer from Mainframes to Microprocessors" by Joel N. Shurkin.Both are attempts at writing a detailed history of the development of the computer and the events surrounding it, and I must admit that I found "Computer" much more entertaining than Shurkin's text.

The difference between the two books is very slight, however, it is significant."Computer" walks us through the work of Charles Babbage and carries us through the backrooms of large businesses at the turn of the 19th century.The authors discuss the work and lives of the people that were the first 'computers' working all day long to finish calculations that were used in business, and then for the calculation of artillery tables in the world wars.It was the replacement of these workers and their omissive errors and necessarily slow speed and development time that drove the development of the huge mainframes that would be developed by the military.The authors do a great job of walking through the history of the early computer companies, especially Hollerith's Tabulating Machine Co., now IBM, and National Cash Register.The role that these two companies played in increasing the public's reliance and trust in machines was a key enabler of the computer revolution.The authors then take us through to modern times and we follow the ultra-competitive computer industry through wave after wave of consolidation and rapid technological innovation.This book also shows us a slight glimpse of the business forces behind the development of the transistor, and how this invention would wind up changing the world.

I could not have enjoyed this book more.Of the two, it definitely did the best job of focusing on the industry and economic changes that have led us to the modern computer age.The annecdotes and writing style of the authors is well-suited to the material and I very highly recommend this book.I also recommend the other book as well - I believe that if read together (with some time to digest in between them) they do a great job of painting the picture of a fascinating development of one of the most important technological changes in the history of man. ... Read more

Book Description
Awarded the 2003 American Association for History and Computing Book Prize presented by the American Association for History and Computing (AAHC).

From its first glimmerings in the 1950s, the software industry has evolved to become the fourth largest industrial sector of the US economy. Starting with a handful of software contractors who produced specialized programs for the few existing machines, the industry grew to include producers of corporate software packages and then makers of mass-market products and recreational software. This book tells the story of each of these types of firm, focusing on the products they developed, the business models they followed, and the markets they served.

By describing the breadth of this industry, Martin Campbell-Kelly corrects the popular misconception that one firm is at the center of the software universe. He also tells the story of lucrative software products such as IBM's CICS and SAP's R/3, which, though little known to the general public, lie at the heart of today's information infrastructure.

With its wealth of industry data and its thoughtful judgments, this book will become a starting point for all future investigations of this fundamental component of computer history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

The only book solely on histroy of software industry
From Airline Reservations to Sonic the Hedgehog: A History of the Software Industry - by the time of its publication and writing of this comment - is the only book that is solely on history of software industry. As an academician, Mr. Campbell-Kelly builds a historical view using carefully collected data. The scope of the book is mostly software industry in USA and this point is explicitly phrased at the beginning of the book, with plausible reasons. Among with absence of non-USA part of the history, history of military software is also missing (except SAGE). But this should also be an expected result, since it is very hard to collect data about military systems.

Because of the scope issues, the book may not satisfy all expectations (which is the reason for 4 stars), but from the opposite point of view, I believe that a better book can hardly be composed in the same conditions. As Mr. Campbell-Kelly pointed out, there are a lot of data about success stories or the firms that managed to live until today, but a lot more data have been lost to history. In this regard, "From Airline Reservations to Sonic the Hedgehog: A History of the Software Industry" is among the most valuable source about the history of software industry. Everybody, who works in software industry should read this book.

A last note: the book really makes to think about history. The interested reader may also read books about meaning of history, like E. Carr's "What is History".

Insightful!
From Airline Reservations to Sonic the Hedgehog may sound like a mystifying title, but this book provides a reasonable overview of the history of the software industry. At times, given the ups and downs in the industry, it can't avoid sounding like a catalog of defunct firms and obsolete software. However, this chronology is quite useful for anyone who wants to come up to speed very quickly and very generally on the main trends in the industry. Author Martin Campbell-Kelly covers some of the industry's seminal events and the main categories of software. Vexingly or refreshingly, he takes pains to say as little about Microsoft as possible, making it clear that others have written enough on that subject. So, with that absence duly noted, we recommend this book to those who want an inside history of the software industry, from massive mainframes to little blue cartoon porcupines.

Insightful!
From Airline Reservations to Sonic the Hedgehog may sound like a mystifying title, but this book provides a reasonable overview of the history of the software industry. At times, given the ups and downs in the industry, it can't avoid sounding like a catalog of defunct firms and obsolete software. However, this chronology is quite useful for anyone who wants to come up to speed very quickly and very generally on the main trends in the industry. Author Martin Campbell-Kelly covers some of the industry's seminal events and the main categories of software. Vexingly or refreshingly, he takes pains to say as little about Microsoft as possible, making it clear that others have written enough on that subject. So, with that absence duly noted, we recommend this book to those who want an inside history of the software industry, from massive mainframes to little blue cartoon porcupines.

Looping through Memories
This is a history of the Software Industry. "Software" was coined to distinguish it from hardware; it describes the spirit that activates electronic machines. There are three sectors: software contracting, corporate software products, and mass-market software products (pp.3-8). The book covers events from around 1950 to 1995 in the USA. Chapter 1 gives an overview of the sources available. Chapter 2 tells of the origins of software writing, and its need for high-maintenance. Could errors arise from "one minor change"? Early users cooperated in sharing software. FORTRAN and COBOL became the first standard programming languages. But high costs and slipped schedules became typical. Government support for SAGE helped establish US dominance of the computer industry (p.48). The "Great Society" led to investments in non-defense projects.

Chapter 3 discusses "Programming Services". The established techniques of engineering management filtered into programming projects. Program flowcharts became institutionalized, then flushed away by the "fad for 'structured programming'" (p.69). The boom for software companies in the late 1960s reminds me of the dot-com fever in the late 1990s. All fueled from government spending (p.75, P.80). The arrival of minicomputers around 1970 allowed middling companies to own a computer. Chapter 4 tells about the change to "Software Products". Computers were more plentiful and more powerful (pp.90-91), programmers didn't keep up. Lines of code used increased 1000% every 5 years, the cost of developing quadrupled by 1965. Page 100 discusses flowcharting, whose purpose was to graphically represent a program's operations. Sort of like a condensed slide presentation of a topic. Page 102 tells of a secret machine instruction used to improve sorting speed (what was it?).

Chapter 5 tells how the software industry acquired its current shape, and gives an overview. Software products was a capital goods business. Industry specific software requires in-depth knowledge; in systems software programming skills are critical. The success of CICS can be compared to a system of roads where applications can freely travel (p.151). Chapter 6 discusses the maturing of corporate software packages, and growth through acquisition. It focuses on three large firms that became prominent in the 1990s. Some grew by acquiring smaller firms for their products (diversification). The rise of the relational database had an adverse affect on older database technologies. The use of fully integrated business application software (ERP) created new companies. Pages 182-4 overviews the successes of Computer Associates. A relational database did not require knowledge of the internal structure of the database; ever faster computers masked its relative inefficiency. Sales of SAP R/3 benefited from the "fad for business re-engineering" (p.195). Page 197 explains why SAP is more important that Microsoft.

There are strong parallels with other historical systems, such as railroads to airlines. If the database was bundled with the operating system there would be no independent vendors. European firms were able to pioneer ERP because they not not been locked into "legacy software" (p.199). The remaining chapters discuss the history of the personal computer.

How 'Toy Computers' Grew Up
This history of the Software Industry covers personal computers in the last three chapters. The "Acknowledgments" lists his sources and references. Chapter 7 reviews the early development of microcomputers. The invention of the microprocessor in 1971 made microcomputers possible (p.201). The Apple II was the transforming event of April 1977. The fall 1979 release of VisiCalc transformed "toy computers" into a useful machine for businesses. Digital Research's CP/M allowed any application to run on any computer that used CP/M; this allowed program vendors to access a larger market. Microsoft eclipsed DR by providing DOS for the IBM PC, and its games and programming languages. PC software was usually sold by mail, then at stores. The invention of VisiCalc is credited as boosting the market for personal computers. Productivity applications drove the software industry in the early 1980s (p.215). Word processing was aimed at home computing; Word Star was the most successful. Most computer games were produced by sole authors, lasted a few months, and made little money.

Chapter 8 discusses the now mature PC industry. Why did a few companies succeed where many failed? "The Autodesk File" says: product improvements, complementary products, training networks (p.243). Technical competence does not guarantee success unless it meets user needs (p.244). The need to work with two or more applications simultaneously led to "windowing" (p.247); but this required more time and money than first estimated (p.251). Page 253 tells of the big mistake by Lotus' management in rewriting the program. A similar mistake doomed Word Star (p.255). Ashton-Tate's demise is described on page 257. These were one-product companies. Page 259 explains Microsoft's winning strategy for its Office Suite. Page 264 tells of Symantec's strategy for success.

Chapter 9 describes software used for entertainment, and looks at videogames, CD-ROM encyclopedias, and personal finance software. Arcade games replaced older pinball machines during the 1970s. Videogame consoles for the home allowed playing many games. Home computers had a keyboard and secondary storage, and could be programmed by the user. Videogames are similar to recorded music's stream of new titles, and relatively short life. The purpose of a CD-ROM with an encyclopedia was to justify the cost of a computer (p.289). Microsoft's Encarta broke into the 1993 consumer market with multimedia. This coincided with the falling price for CD-ROM drives (p.292), and lowered prices for CD-ROM software. By the early 1990s Quicken was the best selling consumer software product of all time. Its founder entered a crowded field with no track record, an untried product developed by a single programmer (p.295). It was designed to be easy to use, and continually improved.

Chapter 10 discusses the success of Silicon Valley, and the economic and physical environment that created its culture (p.303). Hardware companies tended towards success, software companies less so (p.304). The great number of computers in the US created a market for software companies. The prices for their mature products ruled out competitors. This pattern continued to the personal computer age. One effect of manpower training is to create off-shore body shops to benefit US multi-national corporations. Clustering firms in a small geographic area helps, as does Government subsidies (like the Internet). But misdirecting support can hurt rather than help (p.311). [I found Robert X. Cringely's book to be better.] ... Read more

Amazon.com
Computers rely on such things as semiconductors, memory chips, and electricity. But they also rely on a hard-won body of scientific knowledge that has enabled the now-ubiquitous devices to perform complex calculations, multitask, and even play a game of solitaire.

Martin Davis, a fluent interpreter of mathematics and philosophy, locates the source of this knowledge in the work of the remarkable German thinker G. W. Leibniz, who, among other accomplishments, was a distinguished jurist, mining engineer, and diplomat but found time to invent a contraption called the "Leibniz wheel," a sort of calculator that could carry out the four basic operations of arithmetic. Leibniz subsequently developed a method of calculation called the calculus raciocinator, an innovation his successor George Boole extended by, in Davis's words, "turning logic into algebra." (Boole emerges as a deeply sympathetic character in Davis's pages, rather than as the dry-as-dust figure of other histories. He explained, Davis reports, that he had turned to mathematics because he had so little money as a student to buy books, and mathematics books provided more value for the money because they took so long to work through.) Davis traces the development of this logic, essential to the advent of "thinking machines," through the workshops and studies of such thinkers as Georg Cantor, Kurt Gödel, and Alan Turing, each of whom puzzled out just a little bit more of the workings of the world--and who, in the bargain, made the present possible. --Gregory McNamee Book Description
One of the world's pioneers in the development of computer science offers a mesmerizing history of computers. Computers are everywhere today--at work, in the bank, in artist's studios, sometimes even in our pockets--yet they remain to many of us objects of irreducible mystery. How can today's computers perform such a bewildering variety of tasks if computing is just glorified arithmetic? The answer, as Martin Davis lucidly illustrates, lies in the fact that computers are essentially engines of logic. Their hardware and software embody concepts developed over centuries by logicians such as Leibniz, Boole, and Godel, culminating in the amazing insights of Alan Turing. The Universal Computer traces the development of these concepts by exploring with captivating detail the lives and work of the geniuses who first formulated them. Readers will come away with a revelatory understanding of how and why computers work and how the algorithms within them came to be. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

formidable marble-eye stare
A very fun read chalk full of and lively interesting personal and biographical information on some of the greatest logicians and mathematicians to have ever lived (e.g. Godel, Hilbert, Boole).

If you're interested in the history of computation theory (computational logic) and even mathematical logic more generally, this book is highly recommended. Davis himself was part of that history by making contributions, e.g., to the Entscheidungsproblem (decision problem).

At the same time, he does not skimp on technical details and explanations, though some of the more technical are often relegated to lengthy endnotes, and so most of these are easily skipped, if desired, without loss of continuity.

A fun read!

A Fun Read.
An entertaining book that will be enjoyed by anyone interested in mathematical logic or computation theory. Davis weaves history, anecdote, and mathematics into an exciting sketch of the major developments in mathematical logic and their role in the development of the computer. He does a commendable job in explaining the mathematics in an accessible fashion, without distorting it by over-simplification. A good book for people new to the field as well as those already familiar with these stories.

An Excellent Overview
I thought that this book was an excellent overview of the development of logical thought and it's relevance to the modern computer.Davis does a superior job of energizing a subject that is admittedly a little dull.I found myself rereading several of the sections to try to better understand some of the math involved, but overall, I think Davis found a nice balance between the complexity of the math and the history of logic.My one serious criticism of the book is that I found the chronology to be tough to follow, and I often found myself referring back to previous chapters to try and get a better sense of when events were happening.It is natural to assume that a book like this is presented in chronological fashion.The Universal Computer generally is presented that way, but there are some events that happen more or less simultaneously.This is important to the overview of the history of the field.I think the book could actually use a graphical timeline with the birth dates of the mathematicians and the significant events (i.e. 1902 - Russell's letter to Frege, etc.) that are involved.Other than that, the book is informative and enjoyable for those interested in the origins of the modern computer.

A history of the underlying mathematical concepts
As a recent college graduate, who earned a B.S. in computer science, I thought this book provided some good background information on the people who worked to discover the underlying principles of automated mathematics implemented in a machine.The book was, for the most part, not terribly difficult to follow and gave more insight on the actual history of the individual people and times than I thought it might.Nevertheless, the individual histories, and time context put the points being made into a better framework.Not a long book, I recommend this to the more intellectual type, rather than an occasional reader.

The best popular history of the computer as logic engine
While most of us consider computers to be some special silicon in a white box, they are in fact machines that execute rules in applied logic. For this reason, the history of computing has two tracks. The first is the hardware track, which generally starts with Charles Babbage and progresses through the recent advances in integrated circuits. One chapter of the book traces the historical development of computer hardware, starting with the Jacquard loom and moving up to the modern personal computer. The second is the history of logic that can be mechanically applied, which is the primary focus of this book.
Once again, the mathematics largely predates the applications. It is amazing how mathematicians develop mathematical structures that initially have no applications and then after some time, something appears that requires that form of mathematics. To me, it is nothing sort of amazing that Alan Turing invented an abstract universal computer long before any of the physical counterparts existed. No one has ever been able to substantially improve on his Turing machines and it is widely believed that they cannot be improved. This theme permeates the book and Davis does a very good job in presenting all of the advances in a historical context.
The contributions of Leibniz, Boole, Frege, Cantor, Hilbert, Godel and Turing are all described in detail, and it is clear how one person's work was built using that done by their predecessors. Other people noted include Bertrand Russell, Leopold Kronecker, and Albert Einstein.
This is the best popular history of the development of the computer viewed as a logic engine. I strongly recommend it as a book for courses in the history of mathematics and computing. ... Read more

Book Description
This history of computing focuses not on chronology (what came first and who deserves credit for it) but on the actual architectures of the first machines that made electronic computing a practical reality. The book covers computers built in the United States, Germany, England, and Japan. It makes clear that similar concepts were often pursued simultaneously and that the early researchers explored many architectures beyond the von Neumann architecture that eventually became canonical. The contributors include not only historians but also engineers and computer pioneers.

An introductory chapter describes the elements of computer architecture and explains why "being first" is even less interesting for computers than for other areas of technology. The essays contain a remarkable amount of new material, even on well-known machines, and several describe reconstructions of the historic machines. These investigations are of more than simply historical interest, for architectures designed to solve specific problems in the past may suggest new approaches to similar problems in today's machines.

Contributors: Titiimaea F. Ala'ilima, Lin Ping Ang, William Aspray, Friedrich L. Bauer, Andreas Brennecke, Chris P. Burton, Martin Campbell-Kelly, Paul Ceruzzi, I. Bernard Cohen, John Gustafson, Wilhelm Hopmann, Harry D. Huskey, Friedrich W. Kistermann, Thomas Lange, Michael S. Mahoney, R. B. E. Napper, Seiichi Okoma, Hartmut Petzold, Raúl Rojas, Anthony E. Sale, Robert W. Seidel, Ambros P. Speiser, Frank H. Sumner, James F. Tau, Jan Van der Spiegel, Eiiti Wada, Michael R. Williams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Absolutely excellent
This is a series of papers stitched into a book, and without exception they are all well written, provide lots of technical detail, and are a joy to read. I highly recommend this book if you have any interest in the history of computing machinery and electronics. The only thing lacking is a story line or a plot - many books will detail the genius of a specific person or technical team (e.g. Seymour Cray, or the Macintosh developers), then take you through each phase of the development and success (or failure) of one or more products. This book, by contrast, is focused on the technical nitty-gritty, and the personalities and financial success/failure of the business is generally ignored.

very technical
This book is very technical, which is exactly what I was looking for.It is filled with architectual diagrams, opcodes, and even code fragments from the earliest computers.Some of these machines even predate World War 2.

The book opens with discussions on the taxonomy of these primordial computers.This section is the weakest part of the book.External references are mentioned, when they should have been described in detail.Another typical problem is on page 8, where a family tree is printed in a micro-fiche font.

The remainder of the book is divided into sections for the US, UK, Germany, and Japan.This is the bulk of the text, and the reason why you would want to buy it.I must stress again, that the articles are extremely technical.They will be hard to follow without a background in digital design, some knowledge of system architecture, and maybe some assembly.But for those who can appreciate it, it is absolutely fascinating.

This is my favorite book that none of my friends would appreciate! ... Read more

Amazon.com
From the I Ching to AI, tremendous human brainpower has beendevoted to devising easier means of counting and thinking. Former math teacherGeorges Ifrah has devoted his life to tracking down traces of our earlycalculating tools and reporting on them with charm and verve. The UniversalHistory of Computing: From the Abacus to Quantum Computing gives a grandtitle to a grand subject, and Ifrah makes good on his promise of universality byleaping far back in time and spanning all of the inhabited continents. If hisscope is vast, his stories and details are still engrossing. Readers will hangon to the stories of 19th-century inventors who converged on multiplicationmachines and other, more general "engines," and better understand the roots ofbiological and quantum computation. Ifrah has great respect for our ancestorsand their work, and he transmits this feeling to his readers with humor andhumility. His timelines, diagrams, and concordance help the reader who might beunfamiliar with foreign concepts of numbers and computation keep up with hisnarrative. By the end, his slight bias against strong artificial intelligencecomes through, but he is careful to acknowledge the future's unforeseeablenature and suggest that we keep our minds open. How can we resist? --RobLightnerBook Description
"A fascinating compendium of information about writing systems-both for words and numbers."
-Publishers Weekly

"A truly enlightening and fascinating study for the mathematically oriented reader."
-Booklist

"Well researched. . . . This book is a rich resource for those involved in researching the history of computers."
-The Mathematics Teacher

In this brilliant follow-up to his landmark international bestseller, The Universal History of Numbers, Georges Ifrah traces the development of computing from the invention of the abacus to the creation of the binary system three centuries ago to the incredible conceptual, scientific, and technical achievements that made the first modern computers possible. Ifrah takes us along as he visits mathematicians, visionaries, philosophers, and scholars from every corner of the world and every period of history. We learn about the births of the pocket calculator, the adding machine, the cash register, and even automata. We find out how the origins of the computer can be found in the European Renaissance, along with how World War II influenced the development of analytical calculation. And we explore such hot topics as numerical codes and the recent discovery of new kinds of number systems, such as "surreal" numbers.

Adventurous and enthralling, The Universal History of Computing is an astonishing achievement that not only unravels the epic tale of computing, but also tells the compelling story of human intelligence-and how much further we still have to go. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

APhilosophical Approach
If you have been looking for a more academic approach to the history of computing then this is the book for you.

The book is divided into three parts. Part One contains a very comprehensive taxonomy/chronology showing the evolution of human number systems.

Part Two is where you will find the core "History of Computing" bit: tables, logarithms, analogue/digital, mechanical calculators, automatic calculation, electronic machines etc. It also includes an interleaved, and detailed, explanation of how computing has evolved from basic number crunching into abstract information processing.

Part Three reads like a long philosophical conclusion and contains some excellent material on ethics and artificial intelligence.

It starts with the development of efficient notation
Until recently, the history of computing has tended to be tied to the goals of mathematicians, as they struggled to keep up with the increasing demands of a society growing more technical. As nations began to trade with other nations, the necessity of performing computations on larger numbers very quickly forced changes in the notation. When first introduced into Europe, the modern decimal system of notation was greeted with skepticism and some hostility. However, as is nearly always the case in human endeavors, it was accepted rather quickly, as it was so much more efficient than other systems such as Roman numerals. Therefore, the history of computing devices is bound very tightly with improvements in representation, and the historical changes in notation are the topic of the first section of the book.
Ifrah does an excellent job in recapitulating the history of the notation of computation, covering the entire world, ending up with the modern notation and the efficiency of binary numbers. Nearly forty pages are devoted to explanations of many ancient numerical notations, and many figures are included. It is this approach that differentiates this book from other histories of computing. Other authors concentrate on the history of the evolving architectures of the computing devices, ignoring the necessary precondition of a compact and efficient notation. It is very difficult to imagine computing devices that could easily perform arithmetic on Roman numerals.
The second section is a two track treatment of the development of computing devices. One track covers the mathematical preliminaries and the second the mechanical advances that led to the construction of accurate computers. Most of the early improvements were done by mathematicians, and it was not until the late nineteenth century that governments started to be interested in computers. The primary event was the work of Charles Babbage, who showed that computers were possible and how valuable they could be in performing routine computations that were highly prone to error.
In many ways, this history of computing is more a history of the requisite mathematics rather than a history of hardware. This is a second way in which this book differs from other histories. One of the reasons why computers have improved so quickly is that much of the theoretical background for their actions were developed before the machines were. Ifrah explains that in great detail, describing how some of the principles of abstract mathematics have been applied to the building of computers.
The final section is very small and deals with the future of computing. This is a wise move, as this book is a history and one thing we have learned from the recent history of computers is that predicting the future is largely impossible. We know that they will get faster, have more memory and the usage will increase, but the consequences of this are difficult to predict.
If your interest is in the preconditions necessary for computers to be widely used, then this is the book for you. Ifrah covers all of the notational and mathematical background necessary for computers to be useful, for without that, they would probably have been little more than intellectual toys.

Published in the recreational mathematics e-mail newsletter, preprinted with permission.

Methodical history but a little dry
I would have expected from the title that this book might have started in the 1940s (or at the earliest with Babbage and the Difference Engine) and told the story of the development of computers from there. No, as the subtitle indicates, this book goes way back. In fact, the first section is a summary of number systems going back to the age of the Egyptians and before. It's a very methodical and somewhat dry tale, not helped by being translated from the French by translators who feel compelled to insert their own comments at intervals.

When it does get going, it provides a history of the relevant mathematics as well as automata from the Islamic era forward. The actual computer era is touched on mostly in its early stages, with the first computers of the forties and fifties. And it concludes with about sixty pages that have nothing to do with history but rather attempt to define key words such as "information" and "computer."

All in all, it is a methodical and thorough book, perhaps a little dry but not as much as some books I have read. The author muses on the implications of various stages of discovery rather than simply relating the facts (and the translators chime in as well), which enlivens the story. Still, this book is probably for the more interested rather than the casual reader.

The Universal History of Computing : From the Abacus to
This book is really fascinating, especially if you are interested in scientific and technical achievements. Read this book and you'll find out how the computer can be traced to the Renaissance, and how Word War II influenced the development of analytical calculation. The epic tale of computing comes to life in these pages. ... Read more

Book Description
The incredible shrinking computer

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons"

Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

Remember your first computer? No doubt it now seems like a relic from the Flintstone era. From automated punch-card calculators to the first personal computers such as the Apple II and Commodore 64, to today's Sony Vaios and PowerBook G4s, the computer has undergone an amazing, rapid evolution in its brief history. Can you believe the computer's first input device was a light pen used to select a symbol on the screen? And that computer keyboards were preceded by teletypewriters? The progress we've witnessed in our lifetimes is mind-boggling. The struggle for the best interface, the greatest design, and the fastest processor have resulted in computers of a size, power, capability and use that were unfathomable only a few decades ago.

Discover the fascinating history of computers, interfaces, and computer design in this illustrated guide that includes pictures of nearly every computer ever made, an informative text describing the computer's evolution up to the present day, and an A-Z index of the most influential computer firms.

**special horizontal format, laptop-style ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

An Excellent Book....for what it IS.
As with other Taschen books I've seen, this book is more high style photo essay on the rise of the computer age than a hard core "history".When viewed as a photo essay or cultural documentary of a particular subject (computers, in this case), it is very successful...and a bargain.Most other computer history books are mainly text and often lack photographs of early systems, particularly the early mainframes and minis.This book is packed with lavish photos well organized by computer type (mainframes, minicomputers, micros, etc.) While errors are unacceptable in any book, I feel the other negative reviews of this book are way too harsh, and probably result more from expectations being incorrectly set by the book's title.For a highly detailed history of the subject, readers should look elsewhere.But for a beautiful and rare look at the early systems, this book will be a welcome addition to your library.Or, have the best of both worlds....get a thorough history book for the details and facts, and this book to see what things looked like!

Nice to read and very well illustrated
The book is easy to read. It has great illustrations. It is not an in-depth reading. If you want more information, you can look at Ceruzzi's (without illustrations), or, even better, Augarten's book. Augarten has done a great research effort. His books is enjoyable, and has lots of photographs. On the other hand, he begins his history from primitive calculators.

Wurster's book has very good hardback binding, and uses high quality gloss paper inside. I would redommend it for the price.

So Many Errors I Threw it in the Garbage
There are so many factual errors in this book that I simply threw the book in the garbage.

Fun for reminiscing
I first started working on both mainframes and personal computers in the 1970s, and have worked on a wide variety of machines.

The book has a number of errors, but is a wonderful buy for those of us who grew up with computers. It generally follows the right flow of creation, but is so superficial that there are errors. Those people looking to learn about the history of computers should avoid this. However, those of you looking to take a walk down memory lane will love the book and its pictures.

If you know the real stories, the pictures bring back lots of fun memories. If you don't know the real story, get some other books, you won't understand the pictures and the text isn't good enough.

Entertaining book on a usually dry topic, great photos!
Most books on the history of computing are dry treatises without a lot of good illustrations, but this one is different. More of an art book than serious history (see the other reviews) it presents the history of computing with a wonderful collection of large color illustrations, such as fantastic close-up shots of Engelbart's original mouse from 1968, hilariously weird UNIVAC ads from the '50s, rare & hard to find screen shots of early applications, as well as images from popular culture that reflected the computing mentality of the era. There are better books for the facts, but not many in league with this one for pure style. ... Read more

Book Description
Typically, in the case of a revolutionary invention that comes to pervade society, most of us have a knee-jerk reaction to the question "Who invented it?"Thus for the light bulb, the automobile, the airplane, and the telephone, we Americans could tend to reply, rightly or wrongly: "Thomas Edison," "Henry Ford," "Wilbur and Orville Wright," and "Alexander Graham Bell."This book is about the hidden social pressures to create such "mythic hero" figures for the computer.The cast of characters in this story is filled with vivid and very real personalities.Some are oddballs, and some are squares; some are honest, some are dishonest, and some are opportunists floating halfway in between.It is a genuine drama, written with flair and a supreme attempt at abjectivity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Comprehensive and Engaging
Surprisingly, this book is not only an authoritative summary of the invention of the Atanasoff-Berry Computer and the ENIAC, but is extremely engaging at the same time. Despite the title's assumed warning of a dry legal story, Mrs. Burks' work is a very detailed and indeed very human summary of early computer history and the legal battle that resulted. This book should be required reading for anyone serious about learning the history of digital computers.

Definitive history of a great technologist
This book renders a wonderful service by telling the story of an inspired mathematical physicist and technologist, John Atanasoff, who made splendid contributions to technological advances in computing.With the advent of World War II, Atanasoff was called away from teaching duties at Iowa State University in order to serve the military research needs of his nation, thus his pioneering binary electronic computer did not become contemporaneously well-known.

Fortunately for the subsequent advance of the computer age, it was studied by John Mauchly, who later incorporated some of Atanasoff's clever ideas into a computer, the ENIAC, built during 1944/45 at the University of Pennsylvania, owing to funding from the Army's Ballistics Research Laboratory (BRL).The ENIAC became highly publicized in early 1946 and thereby served to inspire many subsequent advances in the evolution of computing technologies.In popular understanding, those best known to be associated with the ENIAC, Mauchly and Preston Eckert, became celebrated, the genius of Atanasoff unknown.

This book is based on a careful review of abundant evidence that was assembled for two patent law disputes.The author is profoundly versed in the technical issues.Her unswerving honesty and dedication to sifting facts from fables yields a definitive account of Atanasoff's legacies.

paranoia
(a) Author could not understand the difference between a computer and components. A computer is an integrated entity ofcomponets arranged properly by the architect. A component, regardless of its importance, is just a part. A component by itself can not be a computer.
(b) Atanasoff's ABC was NOT a computer in any sense. It's just like a PCS (Puch Card System). If you say ABC is a computer, you have to say the IBM's old PCS is also a computer.
(c)If this book discusses the "Who invent a computer",Author should not ignore the detailes of Neumann's "1st Draft" which you will find nothing about the stroed program concept except very strange one sentence. This shows that Neumann's level ofunderstanding of "stored program", then, was very poor. If he understands the importance as we talk now, he will assign more space to explane the meaning of stored program.
(d)Author also should not ignore "the Moore School summer seminar" held in July-August,1946 where EDVAC's circuit diagrams,then, were shown. The diagrams shows the readyness of the stored program computer at Moore School. It's much more important than "the preliminary discussion" by Burks, Goldstine and Neumann. Also Author have to discuss Babbage if invention of computer is concerned.
(e)Therefore author's approach of one sided narrow and heavy use of the testimonies does not lead us to a productive, fair and historical engineering judgement. Auther just looking at components that never reaches to the system. It is clear that the title of the book is not appropriate under the long range historiacl perspective.
John Mauchly and Pres Eckert are the great inventors of the computer as an integrated system entity. We, human being, can proud of them regardless of some confusions in a patent testimony. Also perhaps we recognize John Atanasoff as the great inventor of the regenerative component.

Considering author's previous book titled "The first electronic computer", it sound like broken audio record which keeps looping and making meanigless noise which makes peopleconfusions.

Wake up Amazon!
Amazon should remove "reviews" based on personal animosity rather than on the merits of the book under review. As for me, I found this book to be well-written and enlightening, adding to the search for truth about the early history of the electronic computer. We all owe a debt of gratitude to John Atanasoff for his vision in helping to bring about the digital age.

How about an affadavit?
Kay has signed an affadavit swearing to the truth of her statement about Burkss' night-time visit. How about you Arthur?

You wrote a whole book disparaging Kay, so I assume you'll continue.

Putting stuff in writing doesn't make it so.

Jean J. Bartik
Oaklyn, Nj ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

FABULOUS EYE-WITNESS ACCOUNTS OF EARY MICROCOMPUTING
Stan Veit has brought his personal observations to this wonderful book covering the early years of personal computing. Veit is a microcomputer pioneer, having opened one of the first computer stores in the nation (Computer Mart in NYC) and having been editor of Computer Shopper, a magazine that, in the old days, was so thick with ads you could use it as a boat anchor.

Stan relates how he got laid off from his job as a technical writer in 1975 and decided to start a business, and one area where he could get in on the ground floor was personal computing. The Altair, along with other kit comuters and components, was for sale by mail order, but, Veit figured, supposing people could walk into a store and buy a computer, along with helpful books and free advice? Veit's store gave New Yorkers their very first chance to see and try using a real computer. Veit gives ample credit to his wife Dede who worked as a New York City teacher to support the couple during the lean beginning years.

Over the years he was involved with selling and writing about microcomputers Veit got to know many of the luminaries of early computing, including Les Solomon of Popular Electronics, who had kicked off the revolution when he promoted the Altair and featured it on the magazine's cover in January 1975. Veit had a chance to try all the early S-100 computers and this book is a source of information about each one. One of his interesting stories is about Sphere, a company in Utah that produced products that Veit says never worked well or never worked at all. He also explains that these early companies were so poorly financed that often customers paid Computer Mart in advance for the product and the store passed the money on to the manufacturer who then built the product. It was all forward financing.

Veit's book is so valuable for its eye-witness accounts of legendary events that I used it as a source for my own book, Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution. My book is about the years my husband David and I spent selling software for the Radio Shack TRS-80. Veit has a wonderful story about a visit from Charles Tandy who wanted to discuss an upcoming product, the Model I computer they planned to sell in their 3500 Radio Shack stores nationwide. Tandy invited Veit to fly back to Fort Worth in his corporate jet and see this new addition to the fledgling microcomputer market. When he saw what they had, Veit was convinced people would pay $900 for a microcomputer this good. But Charles Tandy informed him that the TRS-80 would sell for $600.When Tandy asked him how many they should build, Veit told him he'd better build at least 50,000 of them to meet the instant demand it would create. But the TRS-80 went on to exceed even this expectation and Tandy Corp piled up over 200,000 orders in the first year alone!

Stan Veit's book is a valuable source for anyone who wants to know more about the fascinating, and largely unkown, history of personal computing.

Always one of my favorites!
Stan Veit was a pioneer in the realm of personal computers; he was a pioneer to us, the "normal" person, the consumer. He opened the second microcomputer store in the world! The first on the east coast. In this book, he recollects about the machines he sold and the people he met in his store from the mid to late 1970's. He also covers computers of the very early '80's and tells the story of IBM's introduction of the PC in 1981 and what happened to the competition.

Actually, the book, published in 1993, is an expansion of his articles from the "Computer Shopper" magazine where he had a monthly column entitled "What Ever Happened to." It's a collection of individual short computer stories. This is nice because you can jump around and read about the computers which interest you most first.

This book is a must-have in the computer history library! I am about to start a podcast reading this book into audio form.

David Greelish
classiccomputing dot com

Read the history that Cringely left out
This is an absolutely wonderful recollection, particularly because it tries to cover as many "fall through the cracks" microcomputers as it can - including the many S-100 systems of the era. It's amazing how much first-hand contact Stan had with the early players simply by virtue of opening the East Coast's first computer store. The book itself, compiled from his column in Computer Shopper, has a really old-style Garrison Keiller feel to it - the tone is that of an "I was there" hobbyist writing for the benefit of other hobbyists. Big points for coverage of the ultra-obscure Video Brain and the Exidy Sorcerer, along with flying in the corporate jet with Charles Tandy in the earliest days of the TRS-80. Despite its completeness, coverage of the Commodore-Amiga is almost completely left out. For that, read "On the Edge: the Spectacular Rise and Fall of Commodore" by Brian Bagnall.

Stan Veit was there to write about the start of the PC
Stan Veit opened the first computer store east of California, then he was Computer Editor of PopularElectronics Magazine. Then he founded and was Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Computer Shopper Magazine. Veit writes about the inside of the new PC industry. This book is entaining and informative to all. Illustrated with historical photos ... Read more

Book Description
The late Seventies to the early Nineties was a completely unique period in the history of computing. Long before Microsoft and Intel ruled the PC world, a disparate variety of home computers, from an unlikely array of suppliers, were engaging in a battle that would shape the industry for years to come.

Products from established electronics giants clashed with machines which often appeared to have been (or actually were) assembled in a backyard shed by an eccentric inventor. University professors were competing head to head with students in their parents' garages.

Compatibility? Forget it! Each of these computers was its own machine and had no intention of talking to anything else. The same could be said of their owners, in fact, who passionately defended their machines with a belief that verged on the religious.

This book tells the story behind 40 classic home computers of an infamous decade, from the dreams and inspiration, through passionate inventors and corporate power struggles, to their final inevitable demise. It takes a detailed look at every important computer from the start of the home computer revolution with the MITS Altair, to the NeXT cube, pehaps the last serious challenger in the personal computer marketplace. In the thirteen years between the launch of those systems, there has never been a more frenetic period of technical advance, refinement, and marketing, and this book covers all the important steps made on both sides of the Atlantic. Whether it's the miniaturization of the Sinclair machines, the gaming prowess of the Amiga, or the fermenting war between Apple Computer, "Big Blue," and "the cloners," we've got it covered. Digital Retro is an essential read for anyone who owned a home computer in the Eighties. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Digital Retro
For a microcomputer collector this a a great reference book that you just have to read from cover to cover. Great colour photos compliment the text. Covers most of the landmark machines of the home computer boom of the early 80's. If anything I'd love to see more pages so that more machines get covered.

A must have for the curious or nostalgic
Some people are quick to point out some of the facts & tidbits this book may hove not fully verified but if you simply want a good short read about a certain infamous computer and want lush high quality, full page pictures of that computer, this is the book for you.I especially like the fact that the more important computers (ex: Commodore 64) get extended attention in the form of 4 or 5 pages with even more photos, but generally speaking, most computers are a 2 page layout, photo on the right, history on the right.

It's a very light read, the perfect coffee table book for the nerd in you.

Lots of fun!
A perfect coffee table book. People always thumb through this book before any others on the coffee table.

It's such an interesting book. I thought I knew a lot about old personal computers, but there are so many flops that I missed. It's truly interesting and a beautifully photographed book.

Great Historical Reference of Personal Computers
This book shows the history of personal computers, from the early build-it-yourself Altair kits, through 8-bit systems like the Commodore VIC-20 and 64 and even later systems.It displays some computer systems most of us have never heard of, along with great pictures of attachments, device ports and the systems themselves.

If you have any interest in the history of personal computing, this is a great reference.

Great photos, but beware of the errors..
There are a lot of great photos of many early personal computers. Also included are some specs and history on each machine.

I was not sure why they were including Nintendo and other console game machines in a book about "The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer" though..

On pages 11 and 13 the author repeatedly refers to "Practical Electronics" instead of the correct "Popular Mechanics" as the magazine that introduced the ALTAIR on its cover in 1975. They even italisize the error in each instance, d'oh. :)

I still enjoyed the book though. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 4, Fascicle 4: Generating All Trees--History of Combinatorial Generation (Art of Compu
The books are very detailed and take a lot of analysis... they are not written in a current Object Oriented Language... that was a disappointment but otherwise it is very good... just uses old "spaghetti code"

Great for comp sci and math majors...
I've known about The Art of Computer Programming volumes by Donald E. Knuth for some time, but I've always avoided reviewing them for fear of not being able to do them justice.But after being contacted specifically by the publisher asking if I was interested in the latest - The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 4, Fascicle 4 : Generating All Trees--History of Combinatorial Generation - I decided to give it a try.For the right audience, this is really good stuff.But I can tell you that I'm not it...

Content:
Chapter 7 - Combinatorial Searching: 7.2 - Generating All Possibilities; 7.2.1 - Generating Basic Combinatorial Patterns; 7.2.1.1 - Generating all n-tuples; 7.2.1.2 - Generating all permutations; 7.2.1.3 - Generating all combinations; 7.2.1.4 - Generating all partitions; 7.2.1.5 - Generating all set partitions; 7.2.1.6 - Generating all trees; 7.2.1.7 - History and further references; Answers to Exercises; Index and Glossary

Don't refresh your browser thinking the Content section didn't load properly.There's just chapter 7...For those who don't understand the "fascicle" concept (like I didn't before getting this volume), it's a small book (120 pages) of material that either updates writings in previous volumes or a "preview" of material that will eventually be rolled into a single volume (in this case, volume 4).Knuth has a lot of information he wants to convey, and by using fascicles, the public can get a steady flow of information and help shape the continuing evolution of the series.Interesting concept, and one I can appreciate.Another review stated that this was probably one of the "skimpiest" volumes in terms of mathematical knowledge.If true, then I fear what will await me with future installments.To get the most of out Knuth's work, you really do need to be well-grounded in computer science and mathematical theory.Every page is populated with numerous formulas to prove the subject matter, and I'll admit to being completely lost in most of it.That doesn't mean the book isn't good.It *is* excellent work, but I'm definitely not the target audience.I don't come from a formal computer science and mathematics background, so I'd have to really slog through everything from page 1 with supporting texts in order to fully benefit from it.

It wasn't a total loss for me, though...I enjoyed the History and Further References chapter, where he shows the tree theory and how it affected such things as literature and culture through the ages.Whether the ancient Chinese had all this in mind when developing the I Ching is open to debate, but the theory and underpinnings of trees is definitely there.And for those readers who really want to work through and apply the material, there are exercises galore at the end (with answers graciously provided for those who get stuck).You could likely set up a college level course based on this (and associated) book, and it would be foundational to a computer science degree.

So, for the right audience, this is the type of book that will allow for weeks of thought and learning.But if you're more like me, someone who deals more with business systems and development (without a comp sci degree to back it up), you'll likely miss most of the value here.

Expands upon a multi-volume work with hundreds of new programming exercises
The fourth volume in the classic ART OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMING: GENERATING ALL TREES: HISTORY OF COMBINATORIAL GENERATION add to and expands upon a multi-volume work on the analysis of algorithms in classical programming, updating sections of the set using a series of small fascicle books. This covers the generatio of all trees, a topic covered in the first three volumes of ART OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMING, and provides over a hundred new exercises to programmers.

has a distinctive historical monograph
This fascicle can perhaps best be read as a sequel to Knuth's Volume 3, on sorting and searching, where he discusses trees. The fascicle extends that into how does one generate every tree. Of the four fascicles thus published, this might be the skimpiest in terms of current mathematical knowledge. Though to a practising programmer, trees are a vital construct and the book could well have germane analysis. And, as with his other books in this series, there is a tough set problems that can be just as instructive and interesting as the text.

Still, to perhaps compensate for the thin length, the book contains a distinctive section on the history of combinatorial generation. Knuth delves into this subject while giving a deeper treatment of the maths than one would likely encounter in a popular text directed at a general audience. He cites the I Ching, as well as ancient Indian and Arab manuscripts. The I Ching is notable as it is still in print and likely to be familiar to many.

With the publication of this fascicle, the collective set of four would make a respectable book in its own right. However, Knuth is scarcely done yet. We can expect more fascicles, and soon, one might hope. And eventually, a hardcover. ... Read more

Book Description
An unprecedented combination of computer history and striking images, Core Memory reveals modern technology's evolution through the world's most renowned computer collection, the Computer History Museum in the Silicon Valley. Vivid photos capture these historically important machines including the Eniac, Crays 1 3, Apple I and II while authoritative text profiles each, telling the stories of their innovations and peculiarities. Thirty-five machines are profiled in over 100 extraordinary color photographs, making Core Memory a surprising addition to the library of photography collectors and the ultimate geek-chic gift. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

A wonderful trip back in time
This book is a wonderful trip back in time for those of us old enough to have lived through most of the computer age.I saw front panels and innards of computers I had programmed years ago that were almost forgotten.

If you're an old timer, this book will bring on waves of nostalgia.If you are younger, you'll get a look at how computers were made back when the parts were still big enough to see.

Highly recommended!

Goes way back
I was hoping for more of a home computing persepctive, circa the 80s. This is more commercial and we don't see the apple or c64 til the end of the book. However, the photography is superb, though it comes off as being a bit nerd fetishist.

A work of art more than a history
This book is a stunningly beautiful work of art. With well-composed shots of decades' worth of computers, it's a joy to look at.

However, the book is not anything like a comprehensive computer history. Each computer covered has just a short description, enough to give it some context. Nor are the pictures of each computer comprehensive; clearly, they've been chosen for their artistic value, not to give an overall view of the machine.

I will admit that the pictures were still enough to take me down memory lane, even if for me that starts with the Apple ][ and TRS-80. But, I didn't learn anything about those computers that I didn't already know.

So, as long as you're willing to approach this as an art photography book, I highly recommend it. If you're looking for a history of computing, this isn't it.

Great conversation piece... for geeks.
This is a great gift for the geek on your Christmas list.I'm and old computer scientist, and this book made it's round in the office among a number of engineering crew.(I know I'm an old computer geek when the second computer I programmed made page 2.

Pictures are nicely done, great conversation piece... for geeks.

Looking at a Distant Modern Past
Computers have settled into a fairly standard design, with the basics being monitor, keyboard, and mouse.They were not always so simple, and they were certainly not so powerful as the laptop on which I am typing this review.It is good to remember that a computer used to be a roomful of tubes that could barely multiply a couple of big numbers, and that no one really could predict the ways that computers would become smaller, more useful, more powerful, and more ubiquitous.So while my laptop might trace its descent from the Universal Automatic Computer, or UNIVAC, of 1951, there were plenty of steps along the way, as well as branches that proved to be dead ends.Many branches of the computer's genealogical tree are illustrated in _Core Memory: A Visual Survey of Vintage Computers_ (Chronicle Books), with photographs by Mark Richards and text by John Alderman.Computers are barely fifty years old, and many of the artistic and handsome photos here look like ancient jumbles of vacuum tubes or transistors and capacitors, while others look like gadgets the Jetsons would be glad to own.While the vibrant pictures are the show in this large-format book, the short text that accompanies each of the thirty-two computers shown here puts them in a historical and technological context.

The computer that starts the pictures, the Z3 Adder, no longer exists, and pictures here are only of a reconstruction; it was a German model bombed out of existence in Berlin in 1944.America didn't enter the computer race until after the war, although ENIAC, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, was part of the war's technological drive.ENIAC cost about a half million dollars, and had a memory that could process twenty ten-digit numbers.It is shown in pictures of rows and rows of silvered vacuum tubes.It could not store programs, so it had to be physically reconfigured every time it was run, a fault that would be corrected in the UNIVAC.These computers all had primitive memories, but in 1951 came the first computer with a magnetic core memory, based on rings of iron suspended in a grid of wires, so that current flowing through the wires could magnetize the ring in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, corresponding to bits meaning 1 or 0.You could turn the electricity off and the magnetization would remain, so the memory would be intact when you turned things on again.The intricate threading of wires through rings is displayed in several lovely pictures here, showing how signals could easily be sent to specific wires that would get to a particular ring.The core memory was what computers used until integrated circuits came along.The least successful computer here seems to be the Kitchen Computer built in 1969 by Honeywell for Neiman Marcus, which crowed, "If she can only cook as well as Honeywell can compute."It turns out she could cook a lot better.It had a two week operating course, and the number of housewives willing to learn to make their recipes in binary was exactly zero.Not a one sold.

Memory is what it is all about in this entertaining visual review.It cannot be that the machines here were from any "Golden Age" of computing; our own computers may not be as fast or as reliable as we might like, but the ones here were generally very expensive and very weak machines.Their visuals, though, have a classic look that evokes a time of growth when we did not really know what computers were going to do and we distrusted them even more than we do now.It is hard to imagine that anyone looking upon and into our own computers will be able to bring out the sort oflines and colors on display here; there will be nothing, for instance, like the lovely sculptural quality of the mass of blue and white wiring that can been found in the picture of the insides of the Cray-3.Our computer parts have gotten tiny, and the exteriors anonymous._Core Memory_ is a reminder that it wasn't always so.
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