I found this article to be historical in the sense. The Dynabook system seems to have been the precursor to the modern computer. Most of the components that are standard computer items existed with this system. Personal computer yet crude in nature since it was developed in the 1970's.
The system was developed is stated to be influential in terms of historical content. The funny thing is that I have never heard of it until now. The software program that was developed was called Smalltalk. I took it that this program may be seen as a precursor to "Windows". The system was developed to manipulate information. Fonts could be adjusted. Music and images could be augmented and so forth. A program by the name of SHAZAM allowed annimation to be created. This system seemed to have it all. Geared toward adults and even children. The system had a mouse, storage unit, keyboard and screen. The only drawback of the system is that it had some limits. Primarialy in the storage area. Only about 1,500 pages could be stored.
The dynabook is an important device in the computer age. It is a testament of what man can create. Man has built upon the fondation of this system and has developed systems that are now much better. The cycle of creation will continue as newer technologies are introduced.
I also feel as though the Dynabook system seems historical, and I feel that we read the history of many different sources of technology. It is somewhat interesting because when I added this class, I did not think these would be the types of articles we would be assigned. However, it is quite the read! Anyways, I haven't heard of this system until now, either. Its humorous that we are such big users of technology yet we don't even know the history behind the first systems of the computer. I also laugh at the fact that the descriptions of the system seems so old compared to what we have now.
ReplyDeleteI mentioned in my response at how this Dynabook device was a precursor to all we see today with personal computers, so reading a bit of the history to what revolutionized the way we live was worthwhile. One of the authors and inventors of the device, Alan Kay, is someone that the late Steve Jobs idolized to an extent and tended to quote from time to time. That, to me, is a testament to the level of significance his (Alan's) contributions to the industry were. The programming language and interface standards introduced here, in my limited scope, helped blaze the way for the future innovations at NeXT, Apple, IBM, and Microsoft during those years.
ReplyDeleteHey great post! I agree with you that the Dynabook device sounds to be an early version of the types of personal computers we use today. I was impressed with the ideas they had for this technology back in 1977 and we definitly have come a long way since then in the way we use technology. I think when it comes down to it, people want technology and software to make their lives easier. To have a device that will store all of your information as well as be able to edit it is something that has become a necessity in our daily lives. I thought this article was very informative
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