A brief history of computing

Abstract

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 reviews the history of software engineering and of programming languages, including syntax and semantics discusses the progress of artificial intelligence, with extension to such key disciplines as philosophy, psychology, linguistics, neural networks and cybernetics examines the impact on society of the introduction of the personal computer, the World Wide Web, and the development of mobile phone technology follows the evolution of a number of major technology companies, including IBM, Microsoft and Apple.