3 ms·
> Gutenberg's printing press was a novel technology. But to > say that he invented the printing press is like saying > Steve Jobs or Bill Gates invented the c
by adrusi 14y ago
> Gutenberg's printing press was a novel technology. But to
> say that he invented the printing press is like saying
> Steve Jobs or Bill Gates invented the computer.
Well, Steve Jobs is a bad example here because he did create the first personal computer, as opposed to traditional mainframes, that was more than an experimental computer programmed using a switchboard and outputting with pulses of lamps. Maybe this is the point of the article, that Gutenberg's press was to the previous presses as PCs were to mainframes, but if it is then it's confusing.
Bill gates is a worse example because his company didn't make hardware until much later.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- rtkwe 14y agoJobs took existing concepts from the Xerox concept PC (with the GUI) and shrunk the price and hardware (in the Apple II). There were personal computers before Jobs, he brought together a lot of things which made it a commercial success. In many ways he's much like Gutenburg, he took a group of existing technologies and concepts and brought them together in a working mixture.
- adrusi 14y agoah, nice to know. I thought the closest thing to a personal computer before the Apple I were the micro computers, the size of a room.
- unimpressive 14y agoNo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmed_Data_Processor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmed_Data_Processor Expensive, but by no means did it take up a whole room. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisp_machine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisp_machine Still not exactly a "personal computer". And still expensive, but getting closer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altair_8800 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altair_8800 The microcomputer that sparked the microcomputer revolution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrew_computer_club http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrew_computer_club The two Steve's were active members. While there were mainframes that took up whole rooms, systems that didn't were available in the 60's, but at prices only large organizations could afford.
- derleth 14y ago> micro computers, the size of a room Early microcomputers were not the size of a room. The defining feature of a microcomputer was that it used a single microchip (integrated circuit) as its CPU, as opposed to needing one or more circuit boards full of components for that task.
- derleth 14y agoNo, the first personal computer was the Kenbak-1, which was the first to satisfy both criteria of being a computer (as opposed to something simpler) and personal (as opposed to something hugely expensive and really meant for business use). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenbak-1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenbak-1