story of computing in the former ddr from robert schubert, written in a former used language: "Mit dem Erwerb von Rechnern werden ganze Kollektive für die Erarbeitung von Software notwendig. Das Potential für diese Aufgaben wächst damit weiter an auf Kosten zusätzlicher Dezentralisierung."

some early machines are mentioned: OPREMA, D1,2,3,4 to cellatron SER2, robotron 100, .... (more on un otra site)

middle of 80s: so called "softwarecrisis" in the former ddr: ".. ein immer größerer Teil der Projektierungskapazität musste für die Wartung und Pflege bereits fertiger Produkte eingesetzt werden. 1984 wurden in der DDR über 50% für diese Arbeit aufgewendet.

ending finally in a law, that somehow hacked the political ideology:

GBl. vom 16.11.1987/I.Nr.28: text of a east german law, that allows privat suppliers to get paid for maximum of 600 hours per year for developing sw in their leisure time: "Honorarleistung - Softwareleistung: Danach ist es dem privaten Anbieter von Softwareleistung möglich, im Jahr bis zu 600 Stunden in seiner Freizeit zur Entwicklung von Software für Betriebe und andere Einrichtungen auf vertraglicher Basis aufzuwenden."

interesting also the paragraph about "nachnutzung" (sorry brian, can´t translate)

didn´t know that robotron also was in erfurt: industrievertrieb robotron, 5020 erfurt, juri-gagarin-ring

alan kay about computer science then and now, while now is gone already.

the contributions and the downfall of the Xerox Star
hardware limitation: "the star suffered from being a distributed personal computer and not a personal computer like the then released IBM PC."

software limitation: "No other company could develop software for the system because the programming language was never publicly released. Oddly enough, the "software lock-in" was a strategy that IBM had used in the past, a strategy that the SDD wanted to duplicate."

organizational downfall: "the sales department wasn´t used to sell something else than copiers."

conclusion of this text: "even though innovation is good, too much innovation is partially what caused Star to fail."

dazu passt: "why most quality programs fail" i like the term: machine age mindsets. but i think i would prefer to read: prophets in the dark: how xerox reinvented itself and beat back the japanese.

fire in the valley , a reprint from 1984.

jean sammet: "programming languages history and fundamentals", if it can be found.