Wikipedia:WikiProject Computing/Early computers task force

Some Wikipedians have formed a project to better organize information in articles related to early computers (for which purpose early computers are loosely described as anything before those using integrated circuits). This page and its subpages contain their suggestions; it is hoped that this project will help to focus the efforts of other Wikipedians. If you would like to help, please inquire on the talk page and see the to-do list there.

Title

WikiProject on Early computers

Scope

This WikiProject is a place to co-ordinate work on the numerous Wikipedia pages about early computers.

Parentage

The parent of this WikiProject is WikiProject Computing.

Descendant WikiProjects

No descendant WikiProjects have been defined.

Similar WikiProjects

No similar WikiProjects have been named.

Participants

• Jnc|Talk

Structure

Hierarchy definition

No classification of this project has been defined.

Goals

We are starting with a very limited list of goals; however, free free to add more (after discussion on the Talk: page, of course).

• To standardize classification of early computers into several different Categories. See /Generations for a draft article on the stages of early computer development.

General strategy and discussion forums

Infoboxes

Templates

See also

• Category:Early computers
• Category:Individual computers

• History of computing hardware

Information sources

Books

These books are the most important ones for pre-electronic and zeroth/first generation electronic:

• Nicholas Metropolis, J. Howlett, Gian-Carlo Rota, (editors), A History of Computing in the Twentieth Century (Academic Press, New York, 1980)
• Brian Randell, (editor), The Origins of Digital Computers (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1973)

These are less important (arranged by period/topic):

• Michael R. Williams, A History of Computing Technology, (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1985)

• William Aspray, John von Neumann and the Origins of Modern Computing, (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1990)
• H. H. Goldstine, The Computer from Pascal to Von Neumann (Princeton University Press, 1972)

• B. V. Bowden, (editor), Faster than Thought, (Pitman, 1975)
• Simon H. Lavington, Early British Computers: The Story of Vintage Computers and The People Who Built Them (Manchester University Press, 1980)
• Simon H. Lavington, A History of Manchester Computers, (National Computer Center, Manchester, 1975)

• National Service in War and Peace (1925-1975), Vol II of A History of Engineering and Science in the Bell System (Bell Telephone Laboratories, 1978)
• David M. Yates, Turing's Legacy: A History of Computing at the National Physical Laboratory, 1945-1995 (Science Museum, London, 1997)
• Arthur L. Norberg, Judy E. O'Neill, Kerry J. Freedman, Transforming Computer Technology: Information Processing for the Pentagon, 1962-1986 (John Hopkins University, Baltimore, 1996)

These cover specific computers/companies:

• B. E. Carpenter, R. W. Doran, A. M. Turing's ACE Report of 1946 and Other Papers, (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1986)

• Emerson W. Pugh, Memories That Shaped an Industry: Decisions Leading to IBM System/360" (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1984)
• Charles J. Bashe, Lyle R. Johnson, John H. Palmer, Emerson W. Pugh, IBM's Early Computers (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1986)
• Emerson W. Pugh, Lyle R. Johnson, John H. Palmer, IBM's 360 and Early 370 Systems (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1991)

• C. Gordon Bell, J. Craig Mudge, John E. McNamara, Computer Engineering: A DEC View of Hardware Systems Design (Digital, 1979)

• Werner Buchholz (editor), Planning a Computer System: Project Stretch (Mcgraw-Hill, New York, 1962)
• Jim E. Thornton, Design of A Computer: The Control Data 6600 (Scott, Foresman, Glenview, 1970)

Relevant biographies:

• Maurice Wilkes, Memoirs of a Computer Pioneer (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1985)
• Herman Lukoff, From Dits to Bits: A Personal History of the Electronic Computer (Robotics, Portland, 1979)
• David E. Lundstrom, A Few Good Men from Univac (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1987)

External links

The single most important source is probably the Annals of the History of Computing series; there is an online index of the issues here, but the articles themselves are only free to IEEE members, etc.

The Charles Babbage Institute has a massive collection of oral histories of computer pioneers online; the complete list is rather lengthy.

The University of Manchester has a great web site Birth of the Modern Computer, which includes a good links page.