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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi SIGCIS-<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My buddy emailed and said (paraphrasing): “My son’s a 6<sup>th</sup> grader; he and his classmates are doing research projects. They have to interview an expert on some topic. His classmate wants to research ‘the first computer.’ Can
my son’s classmate interview you?” Being an all-purpose “expert,” I said yes!
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As historians, we tend to reject absolutes, hedge, and use qualifying adjectives like the first “electronic” or “programmable” or “personal” computer. But this is a 6<sup>th</sup> grader, so I don’t want to confuse him with too many carefully
constructed hedges. So I appeal to the wisdom of this crowd… <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Q: How would you approach this 6<sup>th</sup> grader’s legitimate interest in the first computer? Which computer(s) should I/we focus on? Best books or other resources (e.g. Ceruzzi’s
<i>Concise History</i>) to help me and the sixth grader get the facts straight? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Many thanks!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Eric Hintz<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D">======================<br>
Eric S. Hintz, Ph.D.<br>
Historian, Lemelson Center for <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D"> the Study of Invention and Innovation<br>
National Museum of American History<br>
Smithsonian Institution<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D">MRC 604, P. O. Box 37012<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D">Washington, DC 20013-7012<br>
WORK: 202-633-3734<br>
CELL: 610-717-7134<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D">FAX: 202-633-4593<br>
<a href="mailto:hintze@si.edu"><span style="color:blue">hintze@si.edu</span></a><br>
<a href="http://invention.si.edu/"><span style="color:blue">http://invention.si.edu</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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