Questions on Campbell-Kelly ch 9

 

1)      p. 207 What is the relationship between the commercial data processing of the 1950-60s era and today’s desktop PC?

2)      pp. 208-9 What is the problem with batch processing, and how did McCarthy at MIT propose to get around that problem?

3)      Pp. 210-11 What was the significance of BASIC? Why do you think (ansmwer is not in the book) it is not as significant today?

4)      Pp. 212-214 What was JCR Licklider’s background? How did his concept of human use of computers contrast with the classic AI approach? What innovation did this concept drive?

5)      216-217 How did experts at Datamation computer magazine respond to timesharing? In what ways were the visionaries both right and wrong about the future of home computer utilities?

6)      218-221 What problems plagued the timeshare industry in the late 1960s? How did UNIX address this problem?

7)      222-226 What were “mini-computers” and what did they contribute to the path towards personal computers?

8)      226-228 What was the significance of the west coast electronics industry in the history of the PC?