“How Computers Really Work” by Matthew Justice. [1]
I enjoyed this book because every chapter includes hands-on hardware and software experiments for you to see the concept described in action.
Ask HN: Best way to learn about computing history?
71–80 of 157 posts
Re: Ask HN: Best way to learn about computing history?
#72I'm not at all sure that learning about computer history and learning about how computers work are the same thing. For example, looking at early microprocessors would give you the idea that instruction set architectures are completely random when in fact their designers were faced with a limited transistor budget and very short development times. Often, microprocessors were offered as a replacement for discrete logic…
To the point of the original question, Patterson & Hennessy includes a bit on history at the end of every chapter.
Re: Ask HN: Best way to learn about computing history?
#73I had aspirations on writing a book on 'pre-"software engineering" history of software' that hasn't made much progress.
I used NATO's conferences in 1968 and 1969 on "The Software Problem" as my inspiration.
Now that the ACM digital library is available without subscription, that would be a good resource of their publications.
Re: Ask HN: Best way to learn about computing history?
#74Just to piggyback on, I'd be interested in the pre-computer history of computing. That is, a survey of how they handled all the computation problems before (electronic) computers. Like, storing large amounts of data, having "databases" that need to answer queries over a large geographic area, how they replicated "databases", how they indexed information, how they did backups, and so on.
Michael R. Williams' "A History of Computing Technology" ( ISBN-13: 978-0818677397 ) talks a lot about pre-electronic-computer technologies and techniques for calculation and information management.
It's a solid suggestion for history of computing books in general. I like it better in several ways than the more common Ceruzzi book (especially because it starts much earlier and situates better), but it hasn't been updated since 1997 and some things, especially in the more recent history, are understood differently now than at the time it was written.
Re: Ask HN: Best way to learn about computing history?
#75Computer history museum in San Jose is pretty cool.
Are you referring to the one in Mountain View, or is there another one?
Re: Ask HN: Best way to learn about computing history?
#76IEEE has a special interest group called Silicon Valley Technology History Committee, which regularly hosts talks/discussions:
https://r6.ieee.org/sv-techhistory/?page_id=320
Here is an example link from a recent session on the history of Ethernet networking standard: [ Ethernet’s Emergence from Xerox PARC: 1975-1980 ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVEcqZnGya0
Re: Ask HN: Best way to learn about computing history?
#77If you can manage a day trip to Cambridge (about an hour from London), you should visit the excellent Museum of Computing History http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/
Re: Ask HN: Best way to learn about computing history?
#78A great summary, from someone who was influential in web technologies, can be found in this series "Crockford on JavaScript": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxAXlJEmNMg&list=PL766437924...
Re: Ask HN: Best way to learn about computing history?
#79Ben Eater's Youtube series "Building an 8-bit Breadboard Computer" is a really good introduction to the lowest levels of how a computer works: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLowKtXNTBypGqImE405J2... I recommended it to my daughter when she was taking a class in R and asked "But how does the COMPUTER know what to do?"
Offtopic: Reminds me that Ben Eater has gone 100% silent since last november (hope he is ok)
Re: Ask HN: Best way to learn about computing history?
#80My HS teacher made a pretty good high level video on computing history. I recommend starting there.