Computing in the Middle Ages: A View From the Trenches 1955-1983 [Paperback]

Severo Ornstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2002

Computing in the Middle Ages is designed for the lay reader who wishes to understand some of the background of the computer revolution. It provides an easily understood and amusing account of what took place in computer research between the 1950s and the 1980s. The achievements of those days were later exploited by companies like Apple and Microsoft, which brought personal computers to the consciousness of the general public.During that era ... when both the design of computers and expectations about the ways in which they could be used were undergoing dramatic change ... the author was 'in the trenches' where seminal experiments were taking place, first at MIT and later at other universities and research centers. His unassuming story ... a breezy and irreverent memoir enlivened by amusing anecdotes from his professional and personal experience ... gives a human dimension to the otherwise dry and often obscure process of scientific and engineering innovation. Developments are brought to life and explained in terms that can be understood by anyone. Along the way you'll meet a number of memorable characters who, although often overshadowed in the public mind by entrepreneurs, are widely recognized as pioneers in the field of computer research.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

In the late 1950s Severo Ornstein worked at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, then at the forefront of computer research. In 1961-62 he participated in the design of the LINC, the world's first personal computer. He was later responsible for the hardware design of the IMP, the computer that handled messages for the Arpanet, forerunner of the Internet. During the same period he taught computer design at Harvard, and in 1972 he organized and led the first delegation of computer scientists to China. In 1981, together with his wife, Laura Gould, he founded Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), an organization concerned with the role of computers in society.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse; First Edition edition (November 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403315175
• ISBN-13: 978-1403315175
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #668,815 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History and clarity, not hype, February 27, 2003

By 

William Softky (Menlo Park, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Computing in the Middle Ages: A View From the Trenches 1955-1983 (Paperback)

You can see why the author was able to solve so many of the earliest computing problems: he can distill huge amounts of mind-numbing technical detail into a crisp, memorable point. Sure, he has the right credentials to write this professional autobiography: he helped build and design the first "personal" computer (in the early sixties!), the first ARPANET nodes, the first true multiprocessor, worked at Xerox PARC, and so on. And he covers history, technology, and personalities with a clear, self-effacing style.

But what will stick with me longest are his explanations of issues I had thought I understood: why "time-sharing" is dead and personal computers are alive, why synchronization and "real-time" computing are so hard, why programs are (still) so buggy. His explanations, forged from decades of deep and considered thought while creating those famous room-sized computers, manage to isolate and address the most important "why" questions without getting mired in the technical "what"... this is really a great way to know about how computers work and how they got to be the way they are.

I've been messing with computers for over thirty years, and I've never read anything better.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How it really was!, October 23, 2008

By 

G. Marshall - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Computing in the Middle Ages: A View From the Trenches 1955-1983 (Paperback)

As one who was the recipient of the LINC groups move to St. Louis and knew many of the pioneers portrayed in Severo's book, no one could have told it better regarding the cultural battle between those needing interactive access without an intervening priesthood and the status quo.

If you want real insight into the fundamentals of the evolution of personal computers, this book is the place to start. The LINC has now been officially recognized as the first interactive personal computer.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Computing's Early Days, December 19, 2002

By 

Bob Spinrad (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Computing in the Middle Ages: A View From the Trenches 1955-1983 (Paperback)

This is a charmingly written book, filled with interesting tales and providing a real "feel" for those wonderfully chaotic times.