From Airline Reservations to Sonic the Hedgehog: A History of the Software Industry (History of Computing)

From Airline Reservations to Sonic the Hedgehog: A History of the Software Industry (History of Computing)

Martin Campbell-Kelly
$21.95
Publication Date: February 27th, 2004
Publisher:
The MIT Press
ISBN:
9780262532624
Pages:
388
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Description

A business history of the software industry from the days of custom programming to the age of mass-market software and video games.

From its first glimmerings in the 1950s, the software industry has evolved to become the fourth largest industrial sector of the US economy. Starting with a handful of software contractors who produced specialized programs for the few existing machines, the industry grew to include producers of corporate software packages and then makers of mass-market products and recreational software. This book tells the story of each of these types of firm, focusing on the products they developed, the business models they followed, and the markets they served. By describing the breadth of this industry, Martin Campbell-Kelly corrects the popular misconception that one firm is at the center of the software universe. He also tells the story of lucrative software products such as IBM's CICS and SAP's R/3, which, though little known to the general public, lie at the heart of today's information infrastructure.With its wealth of industry data and its thoughtful judgments, this book will become a starting point for all future investigations of this fundamental component of computer history.

About the Author

Martin Campbell-Kelly is Reader in Computer Science at the University of Warwick.

Praise for From Airline Reservations to Sonic the Hedgehog: A History of the Software Industry (History of Computing)

...a crucial document for anyone interested in understanding the history of software from a business perspective.—firstmonday.org—

A timely reminder of earlier booms and busts...

—Barry Fox, New Scientist—

A valuable long view of...the high-visibility Silicon Valley stock-market bubble.

—Steven Poole, The Guardian—

A well-rounded look at the software industry from a business perspective. Highly recommended.

—Library Journal—

Campbell-Kelly is the first historian to give us a comprehensive overview of this hidden industry...

—David Siegfried, Booklist—

From Airline Reservations to Sonic the Hedgehog should command a wide audience...

—Slashdot.org—

I strongly recommend this book...

—Paul Ceruzzi, The Times Higher Education Supplement—

In his incisive, panoramic book... Martin Campbell-Kelly delivers all three: context, insight, even occasional humor.

—Steve Lohr, The New York Times—

In his incisive, panoramic book...Martin Campbell-Kelly delivers...context, insight, even occasional humor.

—Steve Lohr, The New York Times—

A timely reminder of earlier booms and busts.

—Barry Fox, New Scientist—

A valuable long view of what is...the high-visibility Silicon Valley stock-market bubble.

—Steven Poole, The Guardian—

I strongly recommend this book...

—Paul Ceruzzi—

In his incisive, panoramic book...Martin Campbell-Kelly delivers all three: context, insight, even occasional humor.

—Steve Lohr, The New York Times—

...Provides a smooth, very readable ride through the growth of one of the last half century's most important industries.

—Cal Clinchard, PC Today—

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