Favourite computer history books?
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From: Joe Pfeiffer on 4 May 2010 00:40 Lewis <g.kreme(a)gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> writes: > > that takes a very narrow view of what teleportation is. there are > certainly ways around that. The transporters in Star Trek or the > teleporter in Blake's 7 have a differing view and they are certainly > SciFi. Depends on how much handwavium you allow before you call foul. >> You wouldn't last very long when you re-appeared. And don't most FTL >> schemes >> employ some work-around that doesn't actually involve going faster >> than >> light? > > There is nothing that forbids traveling faster than light. The > prohibition is on traveling AT the speed of light. And on accelerating to the speed of light -- you've used up all the energy in the universe before you hit the division by 0. > The trick is in figuring out how to jump from slower than light to > faster than light without ever moving AT the speed of light. And since we don't have any way to change velocity instantaneously.... -- As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously. (Benjamin Franklin)
From: Charles Richmond on 4 May 2010 02:06 Joe Pfeiffer wrote: > Lewis <g.kreme(a)gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> writes: > > [snip...] [snip...] [snip...] > >> The trick is in figuring out how to jump from slower than light to >> faster than light without ever moving AT the speed of light. > > And since we don't have any way to change velocity instantaneously.... Hey, I've been working on instantaneous velocity! It's a replacement for the airlines. You step through a door in Chicago, and step out of a door in Los Angeles. And your bags go to Mexico City... (I said it was a replacement for the airlines!) ;-) -- +----------------------------------------+ | Charles and Francis Richmond | | | | plano dot net at aquaporin4 dot com | +----------------------------------------+
From: Charles Richmond on 4 May 2010 02:11 Jennifer Usher wrote: > > > "Charles Richmond" <frizzle(a)tx.rr.com> wrote in message > news:hrl2eq$bv8$1(a)news.eternal-september.org... >> Jamie Kahn Genet wrote: >>> I'm just re-reading Steven Levy's 'Hackers' and wondering what might be >>> missing from my personal library of computer history. I love reading >>> about the era (especially the amazing people and their achievements) >>> that I _just_ missed (I'm 32 and only got my own computer when I was 20 >>> :-\ ). >>> >>> Books like 'Hackers' and 'Where Wizards Stay Up Late' enthrall me. I'd >>> give a lot to go back to the late 70's and be one of the first with a >>> personal computer *sigh* People like Richard Greenblatt and Steve >>> Wozniak are my heros, if I can be said to have any. They changed the >>> world in powerful ways that most people are simply unaware of. >>> >>> Anyway - what are your all-time favourite books about computers, >>> technology, and the people involved? >>> >>> Once I get home I'll compile a list of my books and post it here. But >>> don't let that delay you sharing! I'd be interested in your take even on >>> books I own. >>> >> >> Try these books: >> >> The Computer from Pascal to von Neumann by Herman Heine Goldstine >> >> A History of Modern Computing, 2nd Edition (History of Computing) by >> Paul E. Ceruzzi >> >> >> The following book has some personal insights, but does *not* always >> get the technical facts right. For example, he calls the PDP-10 a >> minicomputer, when obviously it is *not*: >> >> Accidental Empires by Robert X. Cringely >> >> >> The next book is very interseting but does play fast and loose with a >> lot of the facts IMHO: >> >> Fire in the Valley by Freiberger and Swaine >> >> >> There are *many* other books on computer history. Check the following >> web page *below* the outline for a list of computer history books: > > Another good source of computer history is the Jargon File, which has > been published as "The New Hacker's Dictionary" and which is available > for free at: http://catb.org/jargon/index.html. While it is not a > history book, it contains a lot of history. And it is an enjoyable read. > > There are also a number of good books on the history of Apple, such as > "Insanely Great," "iWoz," "Cult of Mac," and "Apple Confidential 2.0." > And there are several books on the history of Silicon Valley, including > a relatively new one, if I recall the title is "Silicon Valley," which > has quite a few photos showing the history of the Valley, both past and > present. And, if you get the chance, a visit to the Digital Computer > Museum in Mountain View is worth the effort. There you can see things > like an Apple I, and the very first mouse. > How about the American Computer Museum in Bozeman, Montana??? http://www.compustory.com/ And don't forget the Charles Babbage Institute at the University of Minnesota: http://www.cbi.umn.edu/ -- +----------------------------------------+ | Charles and Francis Richmond | | | | plano dot net at aquaporin4 dot com | +----------------------------------------+
From: William Hamblen on 4 May 2010 02:24 On 04 May 2010 05:37:23 GMT, Lewis <g.kreme(a)gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote: >In message <61rut5dq8lnv1qvedahc1cm4nika0t991c(a)4ax.com> > William Hamblen <william.hamblen(a)earthlink.net> wrote: >> On 03 May 2010 02:25:52 GMT, Lewis >> <g.kreme(a)gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote: > >>>I would say _Tiger, Tiger_ (Renamed _The Stars My Destination_ for the >>>US) is the best sci-fi book ever written. > >> The novel first saw print under the title The Stars My Destination as >> a serial in Galaxy magazine, but was renamed Tiger, Tiger for its >> first book publication in the UK. > >I think you have that wrong. It was serialized as Tiger Tiger, is still >known as Tiger Tiger in most of the world, but the official title of the >book is _The Stars My Destination_ It was first serialized as The Stars My Destination. Here is a scan of a magazine cover: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4d/TheStarsMyDestination.jpg Back in the day I wasn't allowed to spend my 35 cents on science fiction magazines. Bud
From: Peter Flass on 4 May 2010 07:13
Patrick Scheible wrote: > > No... pretending physics remains static is silly. What would a > physicist of 500 years ago have thought of atomic power and weapons, > the internet, GPS, etc. etc. For space flight stories, we should > assume alien races would be millions of years ahead of us, not 500. Someone of Newton's generation would have been quite happy with atomic physics. Put your lead into a reactor instead of some retort and out comes gold. Obvious. |