The second half of Computers picks up a bit quicker than the first. By this point in time, we’re into the days of the IBM giant and microprocessors, and desktop PCs are a new invention. Many different companies are picking up IBM’s technologies and copying them, birthing multi-billion dollar companies like Compaq, Dell and others. This point in technological history is a bit of a scattered rush, as so many different things are happening at once. Primarily, though, the Apple II and the relationship between Microsoft and IBM are some of the most influential parts of this time period.


The Xerox PARC team, and later the Apple team invent the modern graphical user interface, abandoning the cryptic command-line interface of BASIC and MS-DOS. It was also around this time that software became its own business, with “killer apps” like VisiCalc and Microsoft Word becoming valued pieces of business technology. As Ferro states: “In 1970, total sales of software by U.S. software firms was less than half a billion dollars. By 1980, U.S. software sales reached $2 billion.” (pg. 102)
Video games spawned another huge industry within the technological fields, Microsoft birthed many millionaires, the Internet and World Wide Web were created. Over around 20 years, the shape of the world and the world’s communications were completely altered forever.


There is truly no way to easily summarize the way that the introductions of all these technologies changed our world. Computers went from being building sized to pocketable, and while becoming exponentially more powerful. Much of the world’s information is never less than a second and a Google away. And, as Ferro puts it, “a reader fifty years from now will look back on the computers and software available at the turn of the millennium and be astonished at how primitive it all is.” (pg. 149)

TFLN

The other night, my girlfriend (taracugs) and myself went to the TFLN extra credit seminar. I was excited - free credit and we get to see something actually interesting for once? It couldn't be better.



Unfortunately, that was not the case. As was discussed in class, the creators were exceedingly boring hipsters. Ben was mildly funny, attempting to engage the audience, while Lauren literally sat there and made a bad joke every once in a while. They seemed both apathetic towards their appearance as well as unsure as to what to say. When Lauren read the TFLN (extremely slowly, by the way), they lost all humor. She even managed to insult New Jersey at its state university.

While I don't want to say it was all bad, it really was. I assumed they would have an interesting story as to the creation of TFLN, but it was actually just inside jokes that they paid some guy to make a website for. It truly proves that anyone can get rich.


-kevin

Critical Analysis: Computers - The Life Story of Technology (pgs. 1-83)

The beginning of Computers starts off a bit slow, introducing the entire concept of mathematical theories throughout mankind. From cavemen to the Romans to modern day, Ferro speaks of the different, independent number systems developed through the course of history. As it progresses, however, the book becomes far more interesting. Ferro mentions a few of the different mechanical means of applying mathematics invented in the 17th and 18th century. Eventually, he brings up Charles Babbage, which is where the book starts turning away from the fundamental mathematical concepts behind computers and towards the development of what will eventually become the modern-day computer. Until his time, “computers” literally were people who computed numbers. However, Babbage sought to eliminate as much human intervention from the mathematical process as possible. The Analytical Engine is a prime example of this. It is, in many ways, an abstract blueprint for the computer as we know it throughout the 20th century and today. In Ferro’s words, it “is considered the first realizable design for a general-purpose computer.” (pg. 17)

As the book enters the time period of the second World War, computing technology picks up at an infinitely faster rate. IBM becomes the largest player in this newly fleshed out field, going from a “punchcard” company to a digital one. It is during this time that the “second generation” of computer hardware is being created. The second generation, of course, is characterized by the invention of the transistor. It was, according to Ferro, instrumental in “rapidly replacing vacuum tubes in computers . . . because transistors were much smaller, generated less heat, and were more reliable.” (pg. 52) Two important “inventions” are discussed in this section, those being the introduction of software programming languages (FORTRAN and COBOL being the main players) and the idea of the Turing Test to test assess artificial intelligence.

The first half of the book finishes by discussing Jack Kilby and the invention of the semiconductor microprocessor. Room and building-sized computers were not as were reaching the end of their lives as Kilby sought to alleviate their bulk. Similarly, it became impossible to add more transistors to chips, as “The limits of making electronics by hand became apparent”. (Ferro 66) He introduced and patented the idea of thousands of transistors on a single piece of silicon, and simultaneously birthed the modern-day (3rd-generation) computer.

I have noticed that many of my classes this semester are introducing many of the same concepts. I’m learning the history of electronics (The Electronic Century, Nebeker - 01:512:395), fundamentals of computer and programming concepts, and many other alike ideas at once. I’d consider this to be an advantage, because it amounts to many overlapping concepts (which possibly correlates to less overall study time :D). It also is interesting because it allows me to look at one idea (such as, perhaps, the introduction of transistors) from many angles. The rise of computers and computing technology changed society and communication forever, on both the micro and macro level. For example, airlines were able to use computers and punchcards to significantly streamline their efficiency while simultaneously adding thousands more customers. The US Census saved money and time on an exponential scale thanks to developing computer technologies. Thanks to companies like Fairchild Semiconductor and IBM, America became the center of this developing realm of technology, and with it became a larger world superpower.

-kevin

Introductions/Tech logs...

So here's my blog. I might be writing it because I have to, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it, right? Maybe it'll become my new thing. People will say, "oh, that's Kevin! He's that blogger!". Or something.

Anyway, I logged my web browsing habits over the weekend. Here's the sites I visited:

Reddit.com+subdomans;Facebook.com; Lifehacker.com; Engadget.com; Waffles.fm; 2dopeboyz.com; Wired.com; Qwantz.com; Nedroid.com; *.rutgers.edu

Lifehacker, Engadget, 2DopeBoyz, and Wired are all sites I visit once or twice a day just to check up on things (or in the case of 2DB, download music). Qwantz (Dinosaur Comics) and the Nedroid Picture Diary are my somewhat embarrassing secret favorite webcomic sites. Despite what my girlfriend thinks, I love the antics of both T-Rex and Reginald.

Waffles I visit once or twice a day just to keep up to date on my statistics - I probably shouldn't talk about it much on an academic blog, but you can Google for more information. Rutgers.edu site are generally from Sakai and eCollege, and once-in-a-while checking on myRutgers.

Facebook and reddit are the big ones. Of course, everyone visits Facebook nearly constantly - I am no different. I'd wager about 15 unique visits a day, perhaps branching off into other Facebook links from there.

Reddit is my other kryptonite. I'll likely open nearly 100 links per day from reddit and its various "subreddits" (I'm particularly a fan of /r/Android, /r/geek, /r/funny, and /r/slackerrecipes). I would definitely say I spend at least an hour total on the site every day. It's getting bad.

-kevin hoagland