Browse Items (100 total)

Historical ContextSince the 1950s, computer operators had used a variety of cathode ray tube (CRT) terminals for displaying information in a rudimentary graphical form during the execution of data processing tasks. Some computer users went further…

Historical context (by Z. Stachniak)The MCS-8 microcomputer set was announced by Intel in late 1971.Everyone in systems engineering has been waiting for the under \$100 computer. Today it's here! [the alternative, Intel, 1971]The set consisted of a…

Historical context (by Z. Stachniak)The commercialization of the transistor in the first half of the 1950s had a dramatic impact on the decade-old computer industry. The all-transistor computers were offered as early as 1953 and, by the end of the…

Historical context(by Z. Stachniak)The rapid development of computer technologies and applications in the 1950s and 1960s created demand for sharing data and resources by connecting computers and computer equipment together over short as well as long…

Historical context(by Z. Stachniak)The industrial revolution of the 19th century brought new manufacturing methods and with them the ability to produce high quality precision instruments and mechanical devices in large quantities. The first…

Nortel Europa(description courtesy of Mobile Phone Museum)The Nortel One (also known as the Europa handset) was an early instance of what’s come to be known as a ‘smartphone’, developed to show off the future that Nortel envisioned as a product…

Historical context(by Z. Stachniak) The North American personal and home computer market of the late 1970s and early 1980s, witnessed a proliferation of manufacturers and rapid growth in computer sales. In 1980, Apple Computer sold 130,000 Apple ][s…

Historical Context(by Z. Stachniak)In 1971, Bell Canada and Northern Electric (renamed Northern Telecom in 1976) established Bell-Northern Research (BNR) -- a common telecommunications research and development entity. BNR played a crucial role in…

Historical context(by Z. Stachniak)Cognos Incorporated, formerly known as Quasar Systems Ltd., was a pioneering Ottawa-based software company renowned for its innovative business intelligence and performance management solutions. The company was…

Historical context(by Z. Stachniak)In April 1972, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, CA, announced its first 8-bit microprocessor, the 8008. Shortly after, the company introduced the 8008-powered SIM8-01 single-board computer designed as a trainer and a…