Computers : The Life Story of a Technology

by Swedin, Eric Gottfrid; Ferro, David L.

• ISBN13: 9780801887741
• ISBN10: 0801887747
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-10-24
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins Univ Pr

Summary

A great technological and scientific innovation of the last half of the twentieth century, the computer has revolutionized how we organize information, how we communicate with each other, and even the way we think about the human mind. Computers have eased the drudgery of such tasks as calculating sums and clerical work, making them both more bearable and more efficient, whatever the occasional frustration they carry with them. The computer has become a standard fixture in our culture, a necessity for many aspects of business, recreation, and everyday life. In this book, Eric G. Swedin and David L. Ferro offer an accessible short history of this dynamic technology, covering its central themes from ancient times to the present day.

Author Biography

Eric G. Swedin, an associate professor in information systems and technologies at Weber State University, is a historian and a published novelist. David L. Ferro, an associate professor in computer science at Weber State University, specializes in Internet programming, human-computer usability, and computing culture and history.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. vii
Timeline	p. xi
Before Computers	p. 1
The First Electronic Computers	p. 25
The Second Generation: From Vacuum Tubes to Transistors	p. 47
The Third Generation: From Integrated Circuits to Microprocessors	p. 65
Personal Computers: Bringing the Computer into the Home	p. 85
Connections: Networking Computers Together	p. 111
Computers Everywhere	p. 131
Glossary	p. 151
Bibliography	p. 155
Index	p. 159
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.