Triumph of the Nerds Flashcards
Quiz over triumph of the nerds part 1. -> generally history of computers from mainframe to apple 2
Arthur Rock
-Venture Capitalist
-he invested in Steve Wozniak (Apple 2)
-He founded Intel
Bill Gates
-Cofounder- MICROSOFT (w/ Paul allen)
- Worked with Allen to help invent the BASIC interpreter for Altair 8800
-Dropped out of harvard at 19
Bob Franston
-Wrote the code for Visacalc
-Designed by Dan Briklin
-Went to harvard
Chris Espinoza
-A kid who worked at apple since he was 14 and still works there to this day.
Dan Briklin
-guy who designed the program ‘visacalc’ with Bob Frankstons help (Frankston wrote the code)
Ed Roberts
-Founder of the company MITS
-created the Altair 8800 (FIRST PC)
Edwin Chin
-An interviewed 10 year old at Weird Stuff Warehouse, he is interested in computers.
Gordon Moore
co founder of the company intel
- developed microprocessors
Grace Hopper
A US navy captain who developed a shared language for all computers
LANGUGE- COBOL
-coined “bug”
Graham Spencer
Chief Programer at and co-founder of ARCHITEXT SOFTWARE
-company started by a group of guys out of stanford
Harry Carland
-Inspired by Altair 8800- was part of home-brew computer club
-He started Cromenco with his friend Robert Melen
Jim Warren
(guy in the hot tub)
Ran the west coast computer fair where computers were showed off/introduced
GOT RICH
Paul Allen
Man in the beginning of the documentary
-with Bill Gates he founded Microsoft
-Helped create BASIC interpreter
-DROPPED OUT OF HARVARD
Robert Cringely
Person who wrote and presented “Triumph of the Nerds”
-gossip colonists
-didn’t take shares in apple
Steve Jobs
co-founder of Apple, worth 1 billion
-marketed blue boxes
-went to stanford, worked with wozniak to sell his computers
Steve wozniak
Cofounder of apple, now the technical superviser
-built a computer to impress the other people
-Developed blue boxes
How did mainframe computers used to work?
They used to be large structures that were tended to by engineers and took a long time to code due to each one having a different language.
Grace Hopper made a universal computer code later
Who helped int the creation and full use of microprocessors?
-Intel - created them, GORDON MOORE
-MITS - Altair 8800, ED ROBERTS
-BILL GATES & PUAL ALLEN - basic interpreter of computer
Apple
Apple 1- first computer, less than Altair 8800
Apple 2- second computer- much more capable- had a screen- sold very quickly
BY- Jobs and Wozniak
Who were the general founders of the PC revolution?
Middle class white kids working in their garages
What were tech enthusiasts generally called?
-engineers
-programmers
-techies
-hackers
-nerds
Architext software
-Company started by 6 guys just out of stanford
-included- Graham Spencer
What is the generally culture of most companies?
-work ALOT at any hours
-drink coke, eat pizza
-loud music
How were mainframes run?
Who ran them?
They were large machine that were coded painstakingly slow w/ levers and switches
-coded by engineers in white coats
-also by a group of women
What data can computers process?
Numerical data, not emotions
What is a program?
The instructions for what a computer is supposed to do, these used to take a LONG time to write before the invention of a PC or a common computer languge
What was the ENIAC?
-Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer
-first ggeneral purpose programable computer
What were the three early languages used by computers?
-COBOL - grace hopper
-FORTRAN
-BASIC
Microprocessor
technology allowing people to have mainframes that fit on their desks
What were the 4 generations of computers?
-mainframe
-transistor
-integrated circit
-Microprocessors
What did mainframes use as information storage?
What are used now?
mainframes- valves an vacum tubes
Micro- Transistors
Why is sillicon relevant
-Transistors were MADE of silicon
-That is why its called ‘silicon valley’
how many transistors can a micro processor hold?
OVER 1 MILLION
What was Intel and who founded it?
Intel- the company that developed microprocessors all though they weren’t used for computers at the time
-founded by: Arthur Rock
What was the specific name of the microprocessor chip developed by Intel?
HINT: it was in the Altair 8800
8080 microprocessor
How did the 8080 microprocessor effect the computing world?
It was what launched the PC revolution - when it was used int eh Altair 8800
Altair 8800
announced in 1975- it was the FIRST PC
-developed at MITS by ed Roberts
-It was a kit
Where was MITS & later micrsoft
Albuquerque New Mexico
How many altair 8800s were sold throughout the month after its debut
250 a day
What were the functions of the Altair 8800?
What did it start?
-It’s main functions were lights and switches
-It sparked the start of the Homebrew Computer Club
-AT STANFORD
What was the BASIC interpreter
-it was an interpreter that you could hook up to the Altair 8800 that modified the BASIC language for the PC
Why were ideas and solutions for computer problems often shared?
How did this effect the general computer development?
-California culture and the hippie movement
-growth was made rapidly
West Coast computer Faire
Started by Jim Warren
-A fair where computers were shown off and introduced tot he rest of the world- APPLE 2 MADE ITS DEBUT IN 1978
Blue boxes
-Device that would switch phone calls anywhere in the world
-Developed by Wozniak
Where was the first apple computer built?
Why?
-Steve Wozniak’s garage
-Because he wanted to impress his friends
Apple 1
First apple ‘computer’
-No case or keyboard- less than altair 8800
-about 50 sold
Apple 2
Proper package computer w/ structural foam case
-seemingly IMPOSSIBLE
-Wozniak managed to shrink down the number of chips necessary
-1000 were orgininaly manufactured
What was so special about the apple 2?
-structural foam case
-parts- floppy disk drive and 8 chips
UNIQUE: had a colorful screen and small chips (!)
how much time between the altair 8800 and the Apple 2?
-only 2 years
What is a killer app?
What was apple’s killer app?
-software so desirable that people buy the machine just to use it
-VISICALC- devaloped in 1979 and sold for $100
What was steve jobs worth from 23-25
23- 1 mill
24- 10 mill
25- 100 mill
How much of the PC market did apple take over?
50%
