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Re: Rewriting computing history...

"Michael J. Mahon" wrote:

> The lowly 1620 inverted my matrix in seconds, while I had taken
> about four grueling hours with pencil, paper, and mechanical
> calculator!  No one had to convince me of the value of a computer.  ;-)
> And by changing just one punched card, I could have it compute
> to 20 significant digits!

Back in 1973 I spent 40 hours computing an ephemeris for the then
upcoming apparition of Comet Halley in 1986.  My computing tools were
7-place log/trig tables and a mechanical calculator....  today I can
do the same computation in a fraction of a second on a modern
computer....

> I became sufficiently fascinated that I eventually chose to be a
> computer system and software designer.  Then, when computers
> became (borderline) affordable for a professional, I bought an
> Apple ][+ in 1980.  The Apple was faster than the 1620 and
> had a larger memory!

I too bought an Apple ][+ in 1980.  I had inherited some money and
therefore could afford it.  In time this turned out to be a very good
investment which paid itself back several times: on that Apple ][+ I
learnt the nuts and bolts of programming.  Some years later this
enabled me to switch to a considerably more well-paid job in the
software industry.
 
> So, the point is that the market for personal computers for
> professionals and hobbyists had been well primed by the
> huge "personal computers" of the 60s.  They were owned
> by institutions, but used by individuals, who learned firsthand
> how much fun they were to use (and play) with.

Yep --- Levy's "Hackers - heroes of the computer revolution" tells
a lot of stories about these people, who more or less LIVED at the
computer centers at non-office hours....

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