In Computers, chapters one through four, the authors discussed the history and evolution of the computer. From an ancient mechanical computer, to the giant super-computer, to the much-more-compact microprocessor, the computer morphed and changed greatly over the years, and consequently, changed the way that the world ran.
Although it seemed like a dry reference book, it actually contained a few interesting and amusing anecdotes. It was amazing to me that John Vincent Atanasoff developed the first computer after becoming frustrated and driving hundreds of miles, only to stop at a bar, become inebriated, and have a technological epiphany. (p.27) Another quirky fact that I found to be quite humorous was that Seymour Cray, father of the "supercomputer", liked to build tunnels on his property in his spare time as a hobby. (p.80)
The level of military involvement in the evolution of the computer surprised me somewhat. I had taken a web-design course a number of years ago, so I had heard of their role in the creation of the ARPA-net, but I did not know how much funding they had provided or how many programs they had in place for the development of technology. If the military had not had the need to sponsor the projects that it did, we certainly would not be as technologically advanced as we are today. In a way, had World War II never happened, we might not have ever seen a personal computer, or the internet, or at the very least, these projects would have been delayed for quite some time.
Perhaps the story which I enjoyed the most was the naming of the first desktop computer. Edward Robert's daughter suggested the name after watching Star Trek, as it was the name of a planet mentioned on an episode that she was watching. (p. 86) Being somewhat nerdy myself, it was amusing to read that nerdiness and technology have walked hand-in-hand for some time now, and that one of my favorite shows had a role in technological history.
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