Re: History of the IT industry

[Geoff Lane <geoff -at- gjctech -dot- co -dot- uk>]

On Saturday, May 31, 2008, Ned Bedinger wrote;

> The Jacquard loom WAS built in the 17th C.

> http://www.victorianweb.org/technology/textiles/jacquard.html

However, although the Jacquard loom is a digital device, I suspect it
could not be called a computer.


> Babbage designs have now been built. Nathan Myhrvold owns one!

> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-9915667-52.html

Only the difference engine, which was first built in the early 1990s.
I remember the announcement well because of the cheesy remark that
accompanied it, "The Difference Engine would not ship with Windows and
mouse"! AFAICT the Analytical Engine was never built.

With all that said, my point was that "information technology" existed
long before that phrase was coined, and that looking upon the
invention of the slide rule as a starting point is as good as several
other milestones.

-- 
Geoff

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