Computing Before Computers

by William Aspray (Editor)

Computing Before Computers offers a concise survey of computing technology prior to the development of the modern computer. It shows the continuity of the history of computing by tracing several distinct traditions that eventually converged to form today's technology.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Technology

266 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1990

About the author

William Aspray is Senior Research Fellow at the Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He earned his BA and MA in mathematics from Wesleyan and a Ph.D. in history of science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Reviews

[Ondrej Urban · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some years ago, having read But How Do It Know? The Basic Principles of Computers for Everyone, which I still consider a pinnacle of educational literature, I kept coming back to the question how in the hell did computers happen? While the But How Do... book takes you, in a few tens of pages, through building a complete simple CPU, it is tough to comprehend whether someone at some point simply sat down and designed it all at once.

While Computing Before Computers does not give a direct answer to the question, it contains bits and hints of it. Starting with abacuses, it takes the reader though a plethora of historical devices that helped mankind in the past deal with calculations (it is easy, in principle, to find what 4352 times 79872 is, but try doing it without a computer or other such device, over and over again).

The book stays close to what it promises and does a good job skirting around what would become modern computers, getting ever so close with various calculating machines but never really crossing the line.

Pretty much the only two things I can complain about here are: the length (a frequent problem of mine) - just take the time, I can handle the page count and enjoy details, and the claim that Ada Lovelace was not quite as influential as she might be in the popular culture, with most of her Analytical Engine contributions being provided by Babbage himself. I'd really like it not to be true, and have, in fact, read otherwise.

I hear that William Aspray books are generally worth the time and this first data point for me agrees with it.

[Alexis]

I haven't read this yet, but wanted to add a note for other people who may want to read this: It is available entirely online with permission from people involved in its writing. It was uploaded in 2000, for goodness' sake!! So if like me you don't want to drop >20$ on this book and your local library doesn't have it -- there you go!