Research Paper Easy-Computers
“Introduction: Defining `Computer,'” Paul Ceruzzi provides an overview of computing as an industry and as a technological system, drawing attention to the origins of computing and its institutional, military, and business development.
In this response, please address the following questions:
1) According to Ceruzzi, what was a “computer” before 1945? What does the photograph (Fig 0.1) on page 2 suggest about how complex technical calculations were performed during the 1950s?
2) Where did early computer hobbyists learn their skills, according to Campbell-Kelly and Aspray? What were these hobbyists most interested in at first – hardware or software?
3) What was the “Lisa” computer, according to Campbell-Kelly and Aspray? What was the inspiration for this machine (not its name)? What was its major drawback?
