BKHSMDCM.RVW   981107

"A History of Modern Computing", Paul E. Ceruzzi, 1998, 0-262-03255-4,
U$35.00
%A   Paul E. Ceruzzi nasem001@sivm.si.edu
%C   55 Hayward Street, Cambridge, MA   02142-1399
%D   1998
%G   0-262-03255-4
%I   MIT Press
%O   U$35.00 800-356-0343 manak@mit.edu www-mitpress.mit.edu
%P   398 p.
%T   "A History of Modern Computing"

In the introduction, Ceruzzi sets forth a fairly ambitious scope for
the book.  Hardware, software, politics, and even major companies like
IBM are to be explored.  The book concentrates on the United States
because of its dominant position in the industry, but does explore
significant movements by other powers.  (The movements have to be
*very* significant, and the exploration is relatively minimal.)  The
text is not to be a mere catalogue of machines, but will examine
meaning and historical moment.  (This is evident even in the
introduction, where we are told that American dominance of technical
commerce is due to the relationship of the US government, and
particularly military, to the computer business.)

Chapter one looks at the initial movements of the computer in the
realm of commerce.  The author has made serious attempts to make this
more than a listing of machines, with references to meetings and
transfer of ideas between designers.  There are also mentions of those
who tend to be ignored in the popular histories.  One example is the
note that the first commercial use of UNIVAC came three years after
the Lyon's Electronic Office, which is covered in more detail in "LEO:
The First Business Computer" (cf. BKLEOFBC.RVW).  Still it is hard to
say that this does much to extend histories that are already
available.  The determining characteristic of chapter two appears to
be advances in storage technology, both in the move through core to
transistors for main memory (and processing) and the disk drive.  The
chapter is, however, somewhat unfocussed, at one point detailing
companies, at another discussing aspects of architecture, and in
another listing products.

Chapter three covers a lot of ground in its look at software, dealing
with compilers and languages, operating systems, intellectual
property, and antitrust "unbundling" attempts, all up to the late
1960s.  The rise of the minicomputer, documented in chapter four,
starts with a long series of instances of mainframe use.  Indeed, it
is not so much about minis as about DEC, and takes an interesting look
at changes in business and technical "culture."  Business and market
forces in the sixties and early seventies are the main focus of
chapter five.  Most of chapter six reviews the development and
production of semiconductor circuits over the same period, but there
is also a brief discussion of the beginnings of computer science
education.

Chapter seven documents the early days of personal computers, of
whatever size, through the seventies.  A mix of business startups (and
closures) and some significant developments makes up chapter eight. 
Chapter nine is supposed to concentrate on the eighties and nineties,
but the technologies it emphasizes; UNIX, LANs, and the Internet; all
had their roots in the late sixties.  A brief look at future
directions concludes in chapter ten.

While interesting and instructive, the work is hardly exhaustive.  For
example, while in current business terms the importance of the Altair,
and the impetus it gave to Microsoft, cannot be disputed, when looking
at personal computing as a whole the significance of Apple Corporation
is beyond question, yet the Apple ][ and the Macintosh seem to be
viewed as mere extensions of existing technology.  Ceruzzi has
provided an accurate and very balanced review of the past fifty years
of computing, as well as good analysis and interesting stories, but
nothing much beyond that.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1998   BKHSMDCM.RVW   981107