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Computer books

Started bygareth evans <headstone255@yahoo.com>
First post2020-09-06 16:28 +0100
Last post2020-09-08 12:22 -0700
Articles 6 — 5 participants

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Contents

  Computer books gareth evans <headstone255@yahoo.com> - 2020-09-06 16:28 +0100
    Re: Computer books Bob Eager <news0073@eager.cx> - 2020-09-06 22:46 +0000
      Re: Computer books Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2020-09-06 16:05 -0700
    Re: Computer books hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2020-09-08 11:17 -0700
      Re: Computer books John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> - 2020-09-08 18:59 +0000
        Re: Computer books hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2020-09-08 12:22 -0700

#213845 — Computer books

Fromgareth evans <headstone255@yahoo.com>
Date2020-09-06 16:28 +0100
SubjectComputer books
Message-ID<rj2v67$dn5$4@dont-email.me>
After being made aware of them here, I have ordered
the Abstracting book about Fortran, and the Computer
Engineering one about DEC.

This latter is available from Amazon.co.uk, but at £65
I've ordered a second hand one from Abebooks.co.uk (£25)

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#213859

FromBob Eager <news0073@eager.cx>
Date2020-09-06 22:46 +0000
Message-ID<hrl771Fqul2U1@mid.individual.net>
In reply to#213845
On Sun, 06 Sep 2020 16:28:05 +0100, gareth evans wrote:

> After being made aware of them here, I have ordered the Abstracting book
> about Fortran, and the Computer Engineering one about DEC.
> 
> This latter is available from Amazon.co.uk, but at £65 I've ordered a
> second hand one from Abebooks.co.uk (£25)

There are often copies on eBay.

-- 
Using UNIX since v6 (1975)...

Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
 http://www.mirrorservice.org

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#213862

FromPeter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com>
Date2020-09-06 16:05 -0700
Message-ID<1623319074.621126269.855298.peter_flass-yahoo.com@news.eternal-september.org>
In reply to#213859
Bob Eager <news0073@eager.cx> wrote:
> On Sun, 06 Sep 2020 16:28:05 +0100, gareth evans wrote:
> 
>> After being made aware of them here, I have ordered the Abstracting book
>> about Fortran, and the Computer Engineering one about DEC.
>> 
>> This latter is available from Amazon.co.uk, but at £65 I've ordered a
>> second hand one from Abebooks.co.uk (£25)
> 
> There are often copies on eBay.
> 

I just ordered the PB from Amazon for around $15

-- 
Pete

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#213947

Fromhancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
Date2020-09-08 11:17 -0700
Message-ID<22074924-f0eb-4497-af3e-f1a8789f4b1bo@googlegroups.com>
In reply to#213845
1) IBM's Early computers by Bashe.

2) IBM's System/360 and early 370 by Pugh.

3) Building IBM by Pugh

4) Father, Son & Co by Tom Watson Jr

5) Dits to Bits by Herman Lukoff

6) (Memoir by former American President who took over IBM).

7) Up the Organization by Townsend

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#213958

FromJohn Levine <johnl@taugh.com>
Date2020-09-08 18:59 +0000
Message-ID<rj8ka0$1cof$1@gal.iecc.com>
In reply to#213947
In article <22074924-f0eb-4497-af3e-f1a8789f4b1bo@googlegroups.com>,
 <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:
>1) IBM's Early computers by Bashe.
>
>2) IBM's System/360 and early 370 by Pugh.
>
>3) Building IBM by Pugh

They're books by insiders written with the company's knowledge so I
presume there is some dirty laundry they skip, but they're very
informative and give a good feel for what it was like trying to get
things to work and shipped.

>4) Father, Son & Co by Tom Watson Jr

Surprisingly good for a ghost-written autobiography.

>6) (Memoir by former American President who took over IBM).

Uh, what?  No such person.



-- 
Regards,
John Levine, johnl@taugh.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly

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#213963

Fromhancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
Date2020-09-08 12:22 -0700
Message-ID<7d88bc1c-b833-4f6b-8387-f636c7e8baa2o@googlegroups.com>
In reply to#213958
On Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 2:59:14 PM UTC-4, John Levine wrote:
> In article <22074924-f0eb-4497-af3e-f1a8789f4b1bo@googlegroups.com>,
>  <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:
> >1) IBM's Early computers by Bashe.
> >
> >2) IBM's System/360 and early 370 by Pugh.
> >
> >3) Building IBM by Pugh
> 
> They're books by insiders written with the company's knowledge so I
> presume there is some dirty laundry they skip, but they're very
> informative and give a good feel for what it was like trying to get
> things to work and shipped.

Yes, though the S/360 covers the defection of employees 
and the screwup of Future System, I suspect there is dirty
laundry that is minimized.  Also, I'm pretty sure they
imply IBM invented nearly everything and don't give 
enough credit to others.  For instance, who really
invented the wire-spring relay--IBM, Bell, or someone else?
IBM credits Bell for the transistor, but implies IBM
developed beyond a laboratory curiosity.  They imply
they figured out how to make vacuum tubes suitable for
digital service and shared that with the tube makers.
The IBM books generally shy away from marketing.

The Bell Labs histories are very similar.  Excellent
histories, but somewhat company centric.

The Watson memoir is very candid.


> >6) (Memoir by former American President who took over IBM).
> 
> Uh, what?  No such person.

OOPS!  That should be American EXPRESS.  Sorry about that!
Guy was Louis V. Gerstner.

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