Data Processing Systems Analysis and Design (1978) by Robert J. Condon
This is what a “portable” computer looked like in ’78. Imagine sitting that on your lap on an airplane! (I hope he’s wearing his truss.)
When the only thing bigger and better than that massive floppy disk and that dot-matrix printer behemoth are those shoes. Outta sight!
CD-ROMS (1987) by Christopher Lampton
Before the CD-ROM, your software install basically involved loading and unloading what seemed like fifty floppy discs. A Godsend!
Computer Animation (1974) by D. D. Weiner
Who would have imagined that just about 20 years later, we’d have Jurassic Park CGI?
Encyclopedia of Computers and Electronics (1983) – Rand McNally & Company
Man, the Sheraton Hotels website really needs to be updated.
Information Processing: Concepts, Principles and Procedures (1985) by James F. Clark and Judith J. Lambrecht
What is this poor woman hoping to get out of this computer shopping guide? So far she’s probably spent a fortune on the video cassette and this fancy handheld device….. what is it going to tell her?
Information Retrieval: The Essential Technology (1970) by Roger Meetham
Interestingly, most computer operators – the ones that actually put their hands on the technology – were women. Sure, it was largely monotonous data entry work for low wages, but the fact is – the front lines of early computing was almost exclusively female.
What is she typing in relation to what’s on the computer screen? And there appears to be a red light flashing – I don’t think that’s a good thing.
The Computers (1973) by Berenguer, X., Corominas, A., and Garriga, J.
Just right click to make this your desktop wallpaper. You know you want to.
Microcomputer Graphics: Techniques and Applications (1983) by Donald Hearn and M. Pauline Baker
I love how these two are just so serious – both intensely concentrating on the serious project at hand…. drawing some dumb cartoon!
The First Book of Information Science (1973) by Joseph Becker
Ah, the joy and splendor of the microfiche. Miles and miles of sterile cubicles for mind-numbing data entry. Isn’t technology wonderful?
And the next illustration reminds us that – yes, yes it is!
Using Computers: Managing Change (1989) by Levi Reiss and Edwin G. Dolan
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