Wednesday Open Thread | 65 comments (65 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Yes, I don't think the concept of home computers occured to anybody till the altair 8800.

In films computers were big things with computer tapes and punch card readers and gangs of technicians ministering to them.

but it's an intersting idea, when did anybody seriously begin to imagine a computer in every office, let alone every home. I'd bet it was application rather than hardware driven; spreadsheets for offices, WP for home.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Wed Jun 3rd, 2009 at 04:43:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fake (none / 0)

It first became possible in 1971 with the first single chip microprocessor, the Intel 4004 with a 4-bit processor utilizing 2,300 silicon gated metal oxide semiconductor transistors on a 2x3 mm chip.

I actually saw this chip in Intel PDSs in '71 or 72, but my interests lay in audio console automation and I didn't appreciate the general purpose potential the computer itself could have. And I have always been a dufus with software.

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Wed Jun 3rd, 2009 at 05:08:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fake (4.00 / 2)

1967 says hello.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Wed Jun 3rd, 2009 at 05:58:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fake (none / 1)

Not bad.

The brainless should not be in banking. — Willem Buitler

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Jun 3rd, 2009 at 06:03:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fake (4.00 / 2)

Bleedin' Commies!

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Wed Jun 3rd, 2009 at 06:20:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Wednesday Open Thread | 65 comments (65 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)