IBM's "Man & Computer" (1967)

LotusNotes

I tend to focus on the origin of the computer within the military. Particularly in the early days of digital computing, the military was a key customer, and fundamental concepts of modern computing arose in universities and laboratories serving military contracts. Of course, the war would not last forever, and computing had applications in so many other fields—fields that, nonetheless, started out as beneficiaries of military largesse.

Humanities in the Machine - Blain Smith

There is something quietly remarkable about the people who built the foundations of modern computing. Not their technical achievements, though those are extraordinary. What is remarkable is where they came from before they ever touched a machine.

Our interfaces have lost their senses

We programmed them by punching cards, plugging in wires, and flipping switches. Programmers walked among banks of switches and cables, physically choreographing their logic. Being on a computer used to be a full-body experience.

"Watch What I Do"

I don't know who first made the parallel between programming a computer and using a tool, but it was certainly implicit in Jack Licklider's thoughts about "man-machine symbiosis" as he set up the ARPA IPTO research projects in the early sixties. In 1962, Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad became the exemplar to this day for what interactive computing should be like--including having the end-user be able to reshape the tool.

100% Utilization

Since the end of the Second World War, we have come to expect continual growth in computing power and the rapid development of digital technology. This dynam...

The Soul of a New Machine

The computer revolution brought with it new methods of …

Jermolene — learning to program since 1978

In April 2024 I gave the opening keynote at the software industry conference “QCon London” under the title "The Home Computer That Roared: How the BBC Micro Shaped Our World".

Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution

A mere fifteen years ago, computer nerds were seen as m…

Desktop, Touch, Browser, Now AI? The Next OS in Computing

Explore how AI is reshaping human-computer interaction, from command lines to modern SaaS. Key insights on the next computing paradigm for startups and tech leaders.

Defining the Dimensions of the “Space” of Computing

The first computing machines were so large they filled entire rooms. Today they are ubiquitous, built invisibly into our environments. While it's tempting to view this change within a predetermined space of progress, we can still shape the future on our own terms.