are they real: a visit by the major microcomputer system companies in september 1975. first stop, denver, at the digital group: " i know they are real because i recently sent them a check for their video display generator and received one a few days later ..."

book review computer lib/dream machines. "cybercrud": ted nelson´s term for the practice of putting things over on people using computers (especially, forcing them to adapt to a rigid, inflexible, poorly thought out system) ..."

the impossible dream: "the art of home brew computing ..."

homebrew computer club newsletter: "why did the big companies miss this market? they were busy selling overpriced machines to each other (and the government and military). they don´t want to sell directly to the public." ( june 7, 1975)

a computer museum worth a stop and some sundays.

one paper and two different histories: it has been a long time that i ended up at a hyperwave page. the content on it: history of human computer interaction. starting with memex, including sketchpad, ending with windows.

nice pictures. haven´t seen a "knee input device" before.

a report from 1961 about "existing operational electronic digital computing and data processing systems manufactured or operated within the united states."

In 1955, a survey of electronic digital computing systems was conducted by the Ballistic Research Laboratories in order to provide technical data for the evaluation of the then existing computing machine complement of the Laboratories. The results of that survey were made available in BRL Report Number 971, M. Weik "A Survey of Domestic Electronic Digital Computing Systems". The report was well received by persons in government and industry. The U. S. Department of Commerce undertook further printing and distribution of the report under cover of Public Bulletin 111996, Office of Technical Services ...

... Due to the great interest which has developed in these survey reports, the Department of Defense has co-ordinated this activity among the Armed Services. This report contains the results of a third survey of domestic electronic digital computing systems.

also included a list of manufactors of computer systems at that time. i like that paper: it includes information on applications, cost, power and space requirements and a lot of questions:

Many persons in the computing and data processing field continually seek answers to many different questions simultaneously. Some of these questions are: Can present methods, practices and procedures used in a given organization be accomplished by automatic computing and data processing equipment? Will investment in such equipment reduce costs, provide improved service, conserve manpower or save time? When shall existing computing equipment be modified, supplemented or replaced? Of all available equipment, what type of system is best suited for the solution of a given problem or a given group of problems? Is the maximum possible return being obtained from a given investment in computing equipment? Does a given problem require specially built equipment or is a solution to be found with comercially available standard equipment? Should computing equipment be rented or purchased? Should a system be installed "on the premises" or should computer time be purchased elsewhere? The purpose of a surveillance and evaluation program is to provide answers to these and similar questions.