I got this paperback book on Amazon used for a very reasonable price. Unlike the book “Bit By Bit:…” by Augarten which covers ancient history, this book starts off with the 1945 to 1956 era and because it’s the second edition, ends in 2002. It is not a technical book, but delves into the people and companies that designed and made the computers of each era. I especially liked the chapters that covered the minicomputers, because they were not so well known but they led to today’s microcomputers on our desktop.
The author touches upon ‘the chip’ and its effect on the computer. Kilby and Noyce get their fair share of attention. Also discussed is the effects of the legal wranglings between the big players such as AT&T and IBM. It has quite a few pictures, from the Univac to the Apple Mac. There are extensive references in the notes to the chapter in the back of the book, which is over 450 pages in length.
Back to reading…