A Personal HistoryA Personal Historyof Computersof Computers

A Personal HistoryA Personal Historyof Computersof Computers

by David V. Blackby David V. Blackby David V. Blackby David V. Black

My First “Computer”My First “Computer”My First “Computer”My First “Computer”

Slide rules use sliding scales to calculate Slide rules use sliding scales to calculate numbersnumbers

Accurate to about three digitsAccurate to about three digits

Best slide rules were made by Pickett. Have Best slide rules were made by Pickett. Have you ever heard of Pickett computers?you ever heard of Pickett computers?

OliverOliverOliverOliverPurchased by Delta Purchased by Delta

HS chemistry HS chemistry

teacherteacher

Programmed by Programmed by

paper tape, cassette paper tape, cassette

tape, or keyboard. tape, or keyboard.

Answers came out Answers came out

on tape as well.on tape as well.

Not very usefulNot very useful

BYU BYU MainframeMainframe

BYU BYU MainframeMainframe

Programmed with Programmed with Hollerith cardsHollerith cards

80 character command 80 character command lines, keypunch machinelines, keypunch machine

Bad ribbons - very hard Bad ribbons - very hard to readto read

Feed the card stack into Feed the card stack into a card reader, then wait a card reader, then wait an hour or two for the an hour or two for the program to runprogram to run

Find and replace the Find and replace the cards with mistakescards with mistakes

Worked all night on Worked all night on simple programssimple programs

Paper for Honors Paper for Honors ClassClass

Paper for Honors Paper for Honors ClassClassComputer as a bridge Computer as a bridge

between classical and between classical and romantic modes of romantic modes of expressionexpression

Computer is the ultimate Computer is the ultimate “classical” expression“classical” expression

But computers can be used But computers can be used to create art (new idea then)to create art (new idea then)

Art can be broken down into Art can be broken down into numbers (digitized) which numbers (digitized) which can be manipulated by can be manipulated by computer programscomputer programs

Apple II with BASICApple II with BASICApple II with BASICApple II with BASICType commands directly into Type commands directly into

the machine via keyboardthe machine via keyboard

Personal computer that could Personal computer that could

do useful thingsdo useful things

Business applications - Business applications -

accounting, word processing, accounting, word processing,

etc.etc.

Still required user to know Still required user to know

programming languageprogramming language

Kaypro IV with Kaypro IV with WordStarWordStar

Kaypro IV with Kaypro IV with WordStarWordStar

Portable computer - Portable computer - “luggable”“luggable”

Size of a large Size of a large briefcase, weighed 25 briefcase, weighed 25 poundspounds

Programmed with CPM Programmed with CPM (Digital Research)(Digital Research)

Pre-packaged Pre-packaged applicationsapplications

First computer games First computer games using graphicsusing graphics

IBM PC with IBM PC with WordPerfectWordPerfectIBM PC with IBM PC with WordPerfectWordPerfect

Green or amber on Green or amber on black, not black, not WYSIWYGWYSIWYG

Templates and Templates and keyboard keyboard commandscommands

Daisy wheel printerDaisy wheel printer

Wrote papers for Wrote papers for graduate schoolgraduate school

MacintoshMacintoshMacintoshMacintoshBusiness school Business school purchased six Macspurchased six Macs

Had MacWrite, MacDraw, Had MacWrite, MacDraw, MacPaintMacPaint

Black on white, WYSIWYGBlack on white, WYSIWYG

Used mouse and GUI Used mouse and GUI interfaceinterface

Dot-matrix printer with Dot-matrix printer with NLQNLQ

Used it for drawing charts Used it for drawing charts for thesisfor thesis

Tioga High SchoolTioga High SchoolTioga High SchoolTioga High SchoolNew computer lab with six Mac New computer lab with six Mac

ClassicsClassics

Taught Computer Applications Taught Computer Applications

(ClarisWorks) - Keyboarding, Word (ClarisWorks) - Keyboarding, Word

Processing, Spreadsheets; Computer Processing, Spreadsheets; Computer

Graphics (SuperPaint); Interactive Graphics (SuperPaint); Interactive

Programming (HyperCard)Programming (HyperCard)

Could combine BW graphics with Could combine BW graphics with

sounds, text, and linked buttons: sounds, text, and linked buttons:

non-linearnon-linear

Examples of Examples of HyperCardHyperCard

Examples of Examples of HyperCardHyperCard

First Internet UsageFirst Internet UsageFirst Internet UsageFirst Internet Usage

Had a modem line installed and used AOL with Had a modem line installed and used AOL with FTP access to find and download files (mostly FTP access to find and download files (mostly clip-art)clip-art)

Used Archie search engine; very slow.Used Archie search engine; very slow.

Also had a 4 inch hand scanner with OCRAlso had a 4 inch hand scanner with OCR

LC II with color monitor and Color-It softwareLC II with color monitor and Color-It software

Examples of Color Examples of Color (Woo-hoo!)(Woo-hoo!)

Examples of Color Examples of Color (Woo-hoo!)(Woo-hoo!)

Juab High SchoolJuab High SchoolJuab High SchoolJuab High SchoolMac Classic with StyleWriterMac Classic with StyleWriter

Quadra 660AV (PowerPC chip)Quadra 660AV (PowerPC chip)

First true multimedia computer: First true multimedia computer:

built-in speakers, high res built-in speakers, high res

monitor, text to speech, speech monitor, text to speech, speech

macrosmacros

Animation Works and Photoshop Animation Works and Photoshop

2.52.5

No layers - composite with alpha No layers - composite with alpha

channels. Color ink-jet printer.channels. Color ink-jet printer.

Provo Canyon Provo Canyon SchoolSchool

Provo Canyon Provo Canyon SchoolSchool

Step backwards - Step backwards - IBM clones with IBM clones with DOS and DOS and Windows 3.1Windows 3.1

Used BASIC to Used BASIC to create a musical create a musical Christmas treeChristmas tree

First CD-ROM First CD-ROM drivedrive

Mac G4 DesktopMac G4 DesktopMac G4 DesktopMac G4 DesktopFirst professional-First professional-

level machinelevel machine

Photoshop 4, Photoshop 4,

Illustrator 6, Illustrator 6,

Premiere 4.2, Premiere 4.2,

Director 6Director 6

Digitized music Digitized music

collection: tape to collection: tape to

Premiere to audio Premiere to audio

CDCD

MATCMATCMATCMATCWindows 98 machinesWindows 98 machines

Eventually Mac G5 towers Eventually Mac G5 towers with Final Cutwith Final Cut

Full computer graphics and Full computer graphics and multimedia equipmentmultimedia equipment

Mars Project - 3D Mars Mars Project - 3D Mars data, interactive CD, 3D data, interactive CD, 3D modeling and animationmodeling and animation

Professional video: AM to Professional video: AM to FMFM

Elements Unearthed Elements Unearthed projectproject

Laptop ComputersLaptop ComputersLaptop ComputersLaptop ComputersG4 with 15 inch monitorG4 with 15 inch monitor

Macbook Pro with 17 in. Macbook Pro with 17 in. monitormonitor

Business profile videos Business profile videos for clientsfor clients

Wedding videoWedding video

Chemical Heritage Chemical Heritage Foundation fellowshipFoundation fellowship

iPod with music, digital iPod with music, digital cameras, blogging, e-cameras, blogging, e-mail: digital lifestylemail: digital lifestyle

Where Where next?next?

Where Where next?next? Programming science Programming science

apps for iPadapps for iPad

Continue creating videos Continue creating videos for Elements Unearthed for Elements Unearthed and continue blog postsand continue blog posts

Elementary science Elementary science demonstration programdemonstration program

Desktop publishing: lesson Desktop publishing: lesson plans to PDF and videoplans to PDF and video

Presentations to Presentations to conferences (NSTA)conferences (NSTA)

Scenic Utah projectScenic Utah project