3 ms·

I love how the very next article is titled "The 8086 - An Architecture for the Future" I love reading old computer magazines and the archive.org collection is

I love how the very next article is titled "The 8086 - An Architecture for the Future" I love reading old computer magazines and the archive.org collection is amazing. One interesting thing about doing that is that it provides a first hand account of what a lot of the people that worked in the industry thought the future of computing would be like. It is fascinating to compare that view with how it turned out. I wonder what people 30 years from now with think when they read HN archives?

deleted 7y ago
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sedatk 7y ago
Here is an issue of Computer Design magazine from 1983 which I scanned: https://archive.org/details/computer-design-magazine https://archive.org/details/computer-design-magazine It mentions: - ArpaNet can be the future of commerce - C is the key to portability - Apple's Lisa introduces a revolutionary UI
- Stratoscope 7y ago
  Thanks for scanning that! I used to read Computer Design back then, but I haven't seen one of the old issues in a while. Coincidentally, the theme of this August 1983 BYTE is The C Language, with a dozen articles on C. As always with these wonderful old BYTE magazines, at least skim through the whole thing. The cover art and the ads are a real treat. Hit the Home key and start from there!
  - bluedino 7y ago
    Before I had a computer, I had a box of Popular Science magazines from the early 80's. They were about 5 years old when I had them, so they talked about the ZX81, TRS-80, and the PCjr. Everything was already obsolete but they were fun to read. The best was a review of electronic typewriters that could double as a printer for your computer!
    - Stratoscope 7y ago
      Ah, the late great IBM PCjr (PC Junior), with its innovative squishy chiclet keyboard. I was writing PC software at the time, and I knew I needed to make my programs compatible with the PCjr. The Macy's store in Stanford Shopping Center was one of the few local retailers promising they would have them in stock on the release date. So I called Macy's to reserve one. When I went there to pick mine up, they said, "oh, we're sorry, we got 10 of them and you were number 11 on the list." Bullet dodged!
mikorym 7y ago
A few years ago I read a National Geographic article about "microchips" that was written in I think 1983. It was probably one of the most useful articles on the topic that I've ever read. Unassuming, and full of direct explanations (and detail).
- kick 7y ago
  http://blog.modernmechanix.com/the-chip/ http://blog.modernmechanix.com/the-chip/ This is what you were referring to, I'm guessing. 1982.
  - mikorym 7y ago
    Exactly! But it was slightly more esoteric and personal to dig it out of a second hand bookstore and decide to read it.
neovive 7y ago
I hope we can archive websites as well as magazines and newspapers. I feel that although so much more information is available now, large portions of it will be lost over time.
- lonelappde 7y ago
  https://archive.org/ https://archive.org/
bakuninsbart 7y ago
Currently reading this book on programming language design: https://books.google.de/books/about/Principles_of_Programming_Languages.html?id=d-Rxa3zwdXIC&redir_esc=y https://books.google.de/books/about/Principles_of_Programmin... It didn't really make it into the top 100 of programming books of the 80s/90s, I found it in my grandparents attic. Still, it is a really fascinating read for a young person today. People back then obviously had very different expectations on the future of CS. Even more fascinating I think is the broadness of thinking that programmers were expected to have. The exercises at the end of chapters in this book go further than anything I did during my studies, and while certainly hard, they never feel unfair either.
- cmrdporcupine 7y ago
  I think I have the 1999 edition of that book. I don't really remember finding it dated. Maybe the earlier editions. I do remember it is an excellent book for learning PL fundamentals.

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sedatk 7y ago

Here is an issue of Computer Design magazine from 1983 which I scanned: https://archive.org/details/computer-design-magazine https://archive.org/details/computer-design-magazine It mentions: - ArpaNet can be the future of commerce - C is the key to portability - Apple's Lisa introduces a revolutionary UI

Stratoscope 7y ago
Thanks for scanning that! I used to read Computer Design back then, but I haven't seen one of the old issues in a while. Coincidentally, the theme of this August 1983 BYTE is The C Language, with a dozen articles on C. As always with these wonderful old BYTE magazines, at least skim through the whole thing. The cover art and the ads are a real treat. Hit the Home key and start from there!
- bluedino 7y ago
  Before I had a computer, I had a box of Popular Science magazines from the early 80's. They were about 5 years old when I had them, so they talked about the ZX81, TRS-80, and the PCjr. Everything was already obsolete but they were fun to read. The best was a review of electronic typewriters that could double as a printer for your computer!
  - Stratoscope 7y ago
    Ah, the late great IBM PCjr (PC Junior), with its innovative squishy chiclet keyboard. I was writing PC software at the time, and I knew I needed to make my programs compatible with the PCjr. The Macy's store in Stanford Shopping Center was one of the few local retailers promising they would have them in stock on the release date. So I called Macy's to reserve one. When I went there to pick mine up, they said, "oh, we're sorry, we got 10 of them and you were number 11 on the list." Bullet dodged!

mikorym 7y ago

A few years ago I read a National Geographic article about "microchips" that was written in I think 1983. It was probably one of the most useful articles on the topic that I've ever read. Unassuming, and full of direct explanations (and detail).

kick 7y ago
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/the-chip/ http://blog.modernmechanix.com/the-chip/ This is what you were referring to, I'm guessing. 1982.
- mikorym 7y ago
  Exactly! But it was slightly more esoteric and personal to dig it out of a second hand bookstore and decide to read it.

neovive 7y ago

I hope we can archive websites as well as magazines and newspapers. I feel that although so much more information is available now, large portions of it will be lost over time.

lonelappde 7y ago
https://archive.org/ https://archive.org/

bakuninsbart 7y ago

Currently reading this book on programming language design: https://books.google.de/books/about/Principles_of_Programming_Languages.html?id=d-Rxa3zwdXIC&redir_esc=y https://books.google.de/books/about/Principles_of_Programmin... It didn't really make it into the top 100 of programming books of the 80s/90s, I found it in my grandparents attic. Still, it is a really fascinating read for a young person today. People back then obviously had very different expectations on the future of CS. Even more fascinating I think is the broadness of thinking that programmers were expected to have. The exercises at the end of chapters in this book go further than anything I did during my studies, and while certainly hard, they never feel unfair either.

cmrdporcupine 7y ago
I think I have the 1999 edition of that book. I don't really remember finding it dated. Maybe the earlier editions. I do remember it is an excellent book for learning PL fundamentals.