November 2012 - Members - lists.sigcis.org

Two-tonne Witch computer gets a reboot
by Brian Randell 20 Nov '12

20 Nov '12

Hi: >From the BBC Two-tonne Witch computer gets a reboot The world's oldest original working digital computer is going on display at The National Museum of Computing in Buckinghamshire. <snip> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20395212 Cheers Brian Randell School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU EMAIL = Brian.Randell(a)ncl.ac.uk PHONE = +44 191 222 7923 URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/people/brian.randell

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New CHM Lecture! "SPARC @ 25: Past, Present and Future"
by Dag Spicer 18 Nov '12

18 Nov '12

Dear SIGCIS Friends, I'm delighted to let you know about a superb recent lecture at CHM on one of the most successful RISC microprocessor families in history, the Sun SPARC. Presented by the Computer History Museum Semiconductor Special Interest Group, with special thanks to Oracle. This high-powered panel and guests discussed the origins and evolution of the SPARC processor on its 25th anniversary. When a small startup -- Sun Microsystems -- decided to develop their own microprocessor in the mid 1980's, it chose a Reduced Instruction Set Computers (RISC) architecture. The 1987 debut of the Sun-4, the first SPARC based computer, ignited meteoric growth at Sun and ultimately transformed the industry. The panelists discussed the technical and business challenges of this revolutionary path, the risks and rewards of the development of multiple generations of increasingly complex chips, and the critical role of software. The talked about the current state of the market, and speculate on future challenges and opportunities. Panelists: Sun Microsystems co-founders Bill Joy and Andy Bechtolsheim, Professor David Patterson, SPARC Team members Anant Agrawal and Bernard Lacroute, with Rick Hetherington of Oracle. Moderated by David House. Special appearances by Mark Hurd--co-president of Oracle, John Fowler Executive VP of Systems at Oracle, Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla, Shigeru Fujii of Fujitsu and Steven Muchnick, SPARC team member. Includes a taped interview with Sun Microsystems co-founder Scott McNealy. Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3ukXhEaYGI&feature=em-subs_digest Dag -- Dag Spicer | Senior Curator | Computer History Museum Editorial Board | Annals of the History of Computing 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd. | Mountain View CA 94043 Tel: +1 650 810 1035 | Fax: +1 650 810 1055 Twitter: @ComputerHistory FB: facebook.com/computerhistory Blog: http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/ "Only art and science give us hope of a higher life." -- Beethoven

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Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Older computers (1940-1950)
by Evan Koblentz 17 Nov '12

17 Nov '12

>> If we include the ABC, we may as well add Couffignal's computer, an electronic, parallel calculator programmed from an external disk. I agree about ABC being of a different, lesser class than the others on the list. Hadn't heard of Couffignal, very interesting!

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Older computers (1940-1950)
by Info ＠ IT History Society 15 Nov '12

15 Nov '12

Are there any computers missing from this list below of computers that were built from 1940 to 1950? Year Computer Country Name 1941 Z3 Germany 1942 ABC U.S. 1943 Colossus U.K 1944 Harvard Mark 1 U.S. 1944 Bell Labs Model 3 U.S. 1945 Z4 Germany 1946 ENIAC U.S. 1947 SSEC U.S. 1948 SSEM U.K. 1949 BINAC U.S. 1949 EDSAC U.K. 1949 CSIRC Australia 1949 EDVAC U.S. 1949 MADM U.K. 1950 MESM Ukraine IT History Society One Blackfield Drive - Suite 331 Tiburon, CA 94920 (415) 435-2263 <mailto:info@ITHistory.org> info(a)ITHistory.org <http://www.ithistory.org/> www.ITHistory.org Sm logo dropEnsuring the Future by Preserving the Past <http://www.twitter.com/ithistoryorg> twitter <http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/It-History-Society/143799552346273> find-us-on-facebook <https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=RRE7C2 JV47KKJ> btn_donate_LG

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CBI Newsletter published
by Thomas J. Misa 14 Nov '12

14 Nov '12

The Fall 2012 CBI newsletter . . . "hot off the presses" <http://www.cbi.umn.edu/newsletter.html> Announcing the winner of the Spring photo-caption contest . . . and another round Archive-based history of CBI's founding News from SHOT--Copenhagen And more . . . ----TJM

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New CBI Newsletter (Fall 2012, Vol. 34:2)
by Charles Babbage Institute 14 Nov '12

14 Nov '12

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News from the IT History Society
by Info ＠ IT History Society 13 Nov '12

13 Nov '12

New Board member George Dyson, (http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Dyson_%28science_historian) internationally known author and historian of technology whose publications broadly cover the evolution of technology, has joined the IT History Society's (www.IThistory.org) board of directors. New IT history publication James W. Cortada, founding board member of the IT History Society, noted information technology historian, author, and senior employee of IBM, has published a major history of IT entitled The Digital Flood: The Diffusion of Information Technology Across the U.S., Europe, and Asia (Oxford University Press). No technology seems to have spread so fast around the world in such a short period of time as computers. The diffusion of information technologies occurred in dozens of countries all over the world with fascinating similarities and differences. In this book, Cortada provides the first world-wide history of how computers appeared and were used in barely a half century. He explores the causes of diffusion, arguing that more than the technology itself, other conditions were required for the spread of computers, such as standards of living, education, the Cold War, and globalization of the economy. He argues that these technologies are the glue that hold together today's economies and are propelling increases in the quality of life of over a billion people moving into the middle class. Based on archival and secondary research, extensive use of economic data, and detailed country case studies of over a dozen nations, Cortada tells the history of how computers were discovered, invented, built, and used, and the consequences for whole regions. This is the first attempt by any expert to write a global history of information technologies, and specifically, about how these spread. It is economic and business history, but also a guide to those who want to understand what is happening today in such nations as India, China, and other emerging economies as the Computer Revolution continues. He has insights for historians, economists, public officials, and business executives. You can acquire it from any online bookseller, such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Here is one fast way to get to it for more information and to order a copy, http://www.amazon.com/The-Digital-Flood-Information-Technology/dp/0199921555 / The IT History Society Honor Roll On the IT History Society website, there is a special section called the IT History Society Honor Roll that to date is comprised of 1,028 individuals that have made an out of the ordinary contribution but necessarily extra ordinary contribution to the information industry. This honored list covers many individuals that span the formation of our industry. Please when you have time take a look at the honor roll at <http://ithistory.org/honor_roll/honor-roll-alpha.php> http://ithistory.org/honor_roll/honor-roll-alpha.php. In your review if you notice that someone that in your opinion is a candidate to be include in the Honor Roll, please submit an entry at <http://ithistory.org/honor_roll/fame-form.php> http://ithistory.org/honor_roll/fame-form.php or just drop us an email at info(a)ithistory.org. The IT History Society Hardware Database Today the hardware database <http://ithistory.org/hardware/hardware-name.php> http://ithistory.org/hardware/hardware-name.php has 11,717 entries and growing at 100+ entries a week. If you notice that, especially older devices, that are not listed, please enter them at <http://ithistory.org/hardware/hardware-form.php> http://ithistory.org/hardware/hardware-form.php or drop us a note at info(a)ithistory.org. Website Traffic We are pleased that the IT History Society website is being used more and more from people that have an interest IT history from all over the world. One year ago for a 30-day period, we had 1,058 visitors and the same 30-day period this month we have 16,492 visitors for an increase 15 fold. Thank you for your support. IT History Society One Blackfield Drive - Suite 331 Tiburon, CA 94920 (415) 435-2263 <mailto:info@ITHistory.org> info(a)ITHistory.org <http://www.ithistory.org/> www.ITHistory.org Sm logo dropEnsuring the Future by Preserving the Past <http://www.twitter.com/ithistoryorg> twitter <http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/It-History-Society/143799552346273> find-us-on-facebook <https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=RRE7C2 JV47KKJ> btn_donate_LG

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Fwd: Position in the History of Computing
by Thomas J. Misa 13 Nov '12

13 Nov '12

Again, apologies if this has already made the circuit. ---TJM Begin forwarded message: > From: Michael Geselowitz <m.geselowitz(a)ieee.org> > Date: November 13, 2012 8:57:28 AM CST > To: hc-staff <hc-staff(a)ieee.org> > Bcc: tmisa(a)umn.edu > Subject: Position in the History of Computing > > Colleagues-- > > I hope those of you in the Mid-Atlantic States are recovering well > from the recent storms. > > Forgive cross-listing for those who have already seen this, but I have > been asked by the Federated Department of History at Rutgers > University-Newark and New Jersey Institute of Technology to assist in > their search for an historian of computing/digital communication and > law. The position can be filled at any level, up to full professor > with tenure. > > Here is the ad for the position: > https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=45744 > > Feel free to circulate this information as widely as possible and/or > to send me the names of any candidates that you think I should share > with the search committee. Note that NJIT overall is looking for > opportunity hires for women faculty. > > I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for your help. > > -- Mike > > ************************************************************************************* > > IEEE… Advancing Technology for Humanity > ************************************************************************************* > Michael N. Geselowitz, Ph.D. > Senior Director, IEEE History Center > Director, SAS Program in Science, Technology & Society > Rutgers University (College Avenue Campus) > 39 Union Street > New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8538, USA > Office +1 732 562 6022 > fax +1 732 932 1193 > Mobile +1 732 236 7945 > > IEEE page: http://www.ieee.org/history_center/ > > IEEE Global History Network: http://www.ieeeghn.org > > > Programs of the IEEE History Center are made possible by donations. > Please visit www.ieee.org/donate > > Subscribe to the IEEE History Center's free newsletter - > mailto:ieee-history@ieee.org your name, postal address, and e-mail > address > ****************************************************************************************

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New book on BBN posted online
by Dag Spicer 13 Nov '12

13 Nov '12

Dear SIGCIS Friends, I'm delighted to report that CHM has obtained and placed online a copy of Dave Walden's excellent book "A Culture of Innovation: Insider Accounts of Computing and Life at BBN." We thank Dave Walden for granting us permission to make this available permanently via the CHM website. You may download the book here: http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/accession/102706168 Warm regards, Dag -- Dag Spicer | Senior Curator | Computer History Museum Editorial Board | Annals of the History of Computing 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd. | Mountain View CA 94043 Tel: +1 650 810 1035 | Fax: +1 650 810 1055 Twitter: @ComputerHistory FB: facebook.com/computerhistory Blog: http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/ "Only art and science give us hope of a higher life." -- Beethoven

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the last Turing exhibition…
by Pierre Mounier 10 Nov '12

10 Nov '12

Dear friends & colleagues, Please find attached the information about a Turing exhibition I am setting up as curator with institut Henri Poincare in Paris. Certainly the last Turing exhibition of the centennial ! It is part of a twin exhibition, associated with the commemoration of Henri Poincare – who died in 1912, right when Turing was born. best wishes, Pierre Mounier-Kuhn

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