Computer: A History Of The Information Machine (Sloan Technology Series) - Hardcover

Aspray, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0465029892 ISBN 13: 9780465029891

Publisher: Basic Books, 1996

Synopsis

Blending strong narrative history and a fascinating look at the interface of business and technology, Computer: A History of the Information Machine traces the dramatic story of the invention of the computer. More than just the tale of a tool created by scientists to crunch numbers, this book suggests a richer story behind the computer's creation, one that shows how business and government were the first to explore the unlimited potential of the machine as an information processor. Not surprisingly, at the heart of the business story is IBM. A story of old-fashioned entreprenuership in symbiotic relationship with scientific know-how, it begins way back when ”computers” were people who did the computational work of scientists, and Charles Babbage attempted in vain to mechanize the process. But it also shows how entrepreneurs like Herman Hollerith, seeing a business opportunity in a machine that could mechanically tabulate the U.S. census, created a punched-card tabulator that became the technology that created IBM.The authors show how ENIAC, the first fully electronic computer, emerged out of the wartime need of the military for computers that performed at lightning speed and did not need human intervention at any stage of the process. Most interesting is the story of how the computer began to reshape broad segments of our society when the PC enabled new modes of computing that liberated people from dependence on room-sized, enormously expensive mainframe computers. Filled with lively insights—many about the world of computing in the 1990s, such as the strategy behind Microsoft Windows—as well as a discussion of the rise and creation of the World Wide Web, here is a book no one who owns or uses a computer will want to miss.

About this title

About the Author

Martin Campbell-Kelly is a reader is computer science at the University of Warwick in England.

Reviews

Computer whizzes and novices alike will find a wealth of new information and insights in this colorful, engrossing history of computers. The authors trace an unbroken line from the typewriters, adding and record-keeping machines of 1890s America to today's business-oriented computers. They tell how English mathematician Charles Babbage's failed dream of building his "Analytical Engine," a full-scale calculator, in the 1830s was realized a century later when IBM built the first fully automatic computing machine at Harvard University. Next came ENIAC, a behemoth with 18,000 vacuum tubes, and its successor, EDVAC, both developed at the University of Pennsylvania. EDVAC, built under the tutelage of cybernetics pioneer John von Neumann, became the blueprint for the modern electronic computer. The book closes with a selective look at innovations such as real-time systems, e-mail, programming languages, software, time-sharing computers and the World Wide Web. Campbell-Kelly is a lecturer in computer science in England; Aspray is executive director of the Computing Research Association in Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A comprehensive history of the computer, much of it standard but with some surprising interpretations. The explosive growth of the Internet has raised public interest in high technology to historic levels, eclipsing even the personal computer craze of the early '80s. In the midst of this unprecedented hype, computer science lecturer Campbell-Kelly (Warwick Univ., England) and Aspray (executive director, Computing Research Association) present not just a biography but a genealogy of the computer. Their story begins in the 19th century, the Dark Ages of inefficient number-crunching, when mathematicians, including the brilliant Charles Babbage, made the first awkward and unsuccessful steps toward calculating machines. Unfortunately, all but the most dedicated techies will drown in the soporific sea of details presented here. But the narrative picks up with the emergence of the first real computers in the '50s, including dinosaurs like the ENIAC, which filled a huge basement room at Harvard and used 18,000 vacuum tubes. The authors adeptly chronicle IBM's rise to dominance in the '60s, the PC revolution of the '80s, and the software wars of the '90s, and they throw into question the cults of personality around such figures as Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates and Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, arguing that the personal computer was the result of a rich interplay of cultural forces and commercial interests. Gates's role in particular is reduced to human proportions: He's portrayed as the beneficiary of a generous deal with IBM for the licensing of MS-DOS, insuring a constant cash flow to cover up for early, otherwise fatal mistakes. The authors conclude with an uninspiring chapter on the recent emergence of the Internet. This narrative history should please computer insiders and academics but may leave the lay reader seeking relief with the nearest video game. (photos, not seen) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Computers are a ubiquitous part of our lives. Some of the people (e.g, John von Neumann) and companies (e.g., IBM, Apple) responsible for this phenomenon are well known, but the interplay of personalities, government, marketplace, and world events on the development of computers has hardly been explored. The authors remedy any gaps in our knowledge of this subject by uniting all these pieces into a coherent whole. Focusing on Americans and U.S. companies (the dominant players), the book is easily read and highly informative. Terms are clearly defined and examples clearly drawn, with up-to-date bibliographical references. Highly recommended for all collections.?Michael David Cramer, Virginia Polytechnic & State Univ. Libs., Blacksburg
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Most modern technology has developed over time as a result of many separate innovations. This certainly applies to the computer, whose history can be approached from multiple points of view. For example, one may choose to begin with the abacus, or perhaps with Charles Babbage's analytical engine. Campbell-Kelly and Aspray begin their version of the story when teams of humans manually performed the mathematical calculations necessary to compile navigational and actuarial tables. They detail Babbage's attempts to mechanize the process but suggest that, since his "computers" were digital machines and since he never actually completed one, he is wrongly credited with "fathering" the computer. The authors move on to trace the development of the electronic computer, consider key innovations, and explore the most recent 20 years of computer and software development. This readable account is another in the Sloan Technology series. David Rouse

Edition details

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0465029892
• ISBN 13: 9780465029891
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352