Core Memory: A Visual Survey of Vintage Computers (Hardcover)

by John Alderman (Author), Mark Richards (Photographer), Dag Spicer (Foreword) "In the midst of World War II, the world's first programmable, automatic electromagnetic computer was built by a German, civil engineer Konrad Zuse..." (more)
Key Phrases: core memory, Gene Amdahl, Defense Department, World War

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
An unprecedented combination of computer history and striking images, Core Memory reveals modern technology's evolution through the world's most renowned computer collection, the Computer History Museum in the Silicon Valley. Vivid photos capture these historically important machines including the Eniac, Crays 1 3, Apple I and II while authoritative text profiles each, telling the stories of their innovations and peculiarities. Thirty-five machines are profiled in over 100 extraordinary color photographs, making Core Memory a surprising addition to the library of photography collectors and the ultimate geek-chic gift.

About the Author
Mark Richards's work has been featured in numerous publications. He lives in Mill Valley, California.

John Alderman, author of Sonic Boom, lives in San Francisco.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811854426
• ISBN-13: 978-0811854429
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,488 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #9 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Business & Culture > History
  #15 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > California
  #80 in	Books > Science > History & Philosophy > History of Technology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Trip Down Technology's Memory Lane, June 2, 2007

By	Joe Wikert "[e-mail]" (Fishers, IN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A coffee table book about technology? Are you kidding me? What an unusual idea...but what an awesome book! My copy arrived on my doorstep yesterday and I couldn't resist flipping through it right away...then I couldn't put it down for another hour.

If you're in any way interested in technology in general and computers in particular you need to check out this book. The photos are gorgeous. I know it sounds funny saying that pictures of computers could be gorgeous, but they really are!

You'll find entries for all the classic systems, from the ENIAC to Google's first production server, and all points in between. The close-up shots of some of the vacuum tube-based systems are truly fascinating, but it was just plain fun to once again see a device you probably haven't set your eyes on for 20 years. A good example is the Commodore 64 and the original Macintosh. The early "portables" are a hoot to see again too, especially the Osborne 1, with a screen so small it looks like a large digital watch display!

This book is going right to my office Monday morning where it will sit on my meeting table for everyone to admire. Chronicle, thanks for this wonderful trip down memory lane!

P.S. -- This one's not just for the "over 40 crowd" like me: My 18 year-old son spent the last 30 minutes looking through it and loved it as well. That said, Father's Day is just around the corner, so think about this one if your dad is into technology...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Man in the Machine, May 4, 2007

By	Timothy Archibald "Timothy Archibald" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

"Core Memory" was a happy surprise to come across, and a total home run when shared with my family and friends. I feared the book would be a dry catalogue that spoke only to the geek-iest of computer fans. What I found was a book that spoke to everyone: photographer Mark Richards studies these machines with a cold detachment yet still seems to somehow remind us that it is human beings that created these things: anthropomorphic machines, wires that looks like human circulatory systems, computers that look like oddly like faces, sometimes just a dada-ist collection of wires and knobs that don't look functional at all. The text by Alderman grounds everything and makes it accessible to the masses. This book will tie you up for hours, and you'll never look at your laptop the same again.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful visual history of computers...., June 23, 2007

By	Richard Morgenstein - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Who would have thought a parade of historic computers and their physical innards could be so beautiful? These images are an exquisite march through the physical evolution of computers as seen through an artist's eye. And don't skip the text! Plenty of fascinating historic info, even for someone like me who does not necessarily think of himself as a computer person...