Computer History

The computer history of software dates back to the late 1940s and early 1950s, when the United States government funded several command and control systems for the military. Computer systems have come a long way since then.

Do you know that until the early 1980s, programmers did not have PCs and had to sign up for computer time? Programs were coded on paper, captured onto punched cards, input into the card reader, compiled and the results came back on the printer.

Once a program was compiled successfully, a script was coded and a job was run by operational staff. The technology continues to evolve to improve functionality and quality to users. Now it is used in some form in almost every field of human activity.

The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California is a public benefit organization which preserves stories on the information age. The museum is dedicated to the preservation and social impact of the computing industry. It is home to software, computer graphics systems, internet and networking.

The museum is working to preserve information about the companies, people and events that shaped the evolution of this vital industry; and has a very active program to conduct oral histories, collect historical source materials and publish articles. The collection includes photos, films, videos, documents, advertising and marketing materials.

There are Speaker series, seminars and oral histories. The Software Industry Special Interest Group (SI SIG) is responsible for this effort, and was acquired by the museum. You can be a part of the effort to preserve software industry history by visiting the web site and using the Contact Us button.

I hope you enjoyed the walk down memory lane.

History of computer software
Computer History Museum

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