A Brief History of Computing

This lively and fascinating text traces the key developments in computation – from 3000 B.C. to the present day – in an easy-to-follow and concise manner. Topics and features: ideal for self-study, offering many pedagogical features such as chapter-opening key topics, chapter introductions and summaries, exercises, and a glossary; presents detailed information on major figures in computing, such as Boole, Babbage, Shannon, Turing, Zuse and Von Neumann; discusses the earliest computers developed in the United States, Germany and Britain; discusses the development of the IBM 360 family of computers and its importance; discusses the invention of the transistor and integrated circuit; discusses the birth of the software industry and the evolution of human-computer interaction; reviews the history of programming languages, operating systems and software engineering; discusses the progress of artificial intelligence; discusses the invention of the microprocessor and the development of home and personal computers; examines the impact on society of the introduction of the personal computer, the World Wide Web, and the development of mobile phone technology; discusses smart phones and social media and the challenge of fake news; reviews a miscellany of innovations in the computing field such as cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and Quantum Computing; discusses legal aspects of computing and the professional responsibilities of computer professionals. 

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: What Is a Computer?

Chapter 2: Computing in Early Civilizations

Chapter 3: Foundations of Computing

Chapter 4: The First Digital Computers

Chapter 5: The First Commercial Computers

Chapter 6: Early Commercial Computers and the Invention of the Transistor

Chapter 7: Integrated Circuit and Silicon Valley

Chapter 8: The IBM System/360

Chapter 9: Minicomputers and Later Mainframes

Chapter 10: The Microprocessor Revolution

Chapter 11: Home Computers

Chapter 12: The I BM Personal Computer

Chapter 13: History of Operating Systems

Chapter 14: Birth of Software Industry and Human Computer Interaction

Chapter 15: History of Programming Languages

Chapter 16: History of Software Engineering

Chapter 17: A Short History of Telecommunications

Chapter 18: The Internet Revolution

Chapter 19: The Smartphone and Social Media

Chapter 20: A Miscellany of Innovation

Chapter 21: History of Databases

Chapter 22: History of Artificial Intelligence

Chapter 23: Ethics and Professional Responsibility

Chapter 24: Legal Aspects of Computing

About the Author

Gerard O’Regan is a consultant with research interests including software quality and software process improvement, mathematical approaches to software quality, and the history of computing. He is the author of such Springer textbooks such as Concise Guide to Formal Methods, Concise Guide to Software Engineering, Mathematics in Computing, and Concise Guide to Software Testing.