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?