From Mainframes to Smartphones: A History of the International Computer Industry A History of the International Computer Industry

This compact history traces the computer industry from 1950s mainframes, through establishment of standards beginning in 1965, to personal computing in the 1980s and the Internet's explosive growth since 1995. Martin Campbell-Kelly and Daniel Garcia-Swartz describe a steady trend toward miniaturization and explain its consequences. This Compact History Traces The Computer Industry From Its Origins In 1950 Mainframes, Through The Establishment Of Standards Beginning In 1965 And The Introduction Of Personal Computing In The 1980s. It Concludes With The Internet's Explosive Growth Since 1995. Across These Four Periods, Martin Campbell-kelly And Daniel Garcia-swartz Describe The Steady Trend Toward Miniaturization And Explain Its Consequences For The Bundles Of Interacting Components That Make Up A Computer System. With Miniaturization, The Price Of Computation Fell And Entry Into The Industry Became Less Costly. Companies Supplying Different Components Learned To Cooperate Even As They Competed With Other Businesses For Market Share. Simultaneously With Miniaturization - And Equally Consequential - The Core Of The Computer Industry Shifted From Hardware To Software And Services. Companies That Failed To Adapt To This Trend Were Left Behind. Governments Did Not Turn A Blind Eye To The Activities Of Entrepreneurs. The U.s. Government Was The Major Customer For Computers In The Early Years. Several European Governments Subsidized Private Corporations, And Japan Fostered R & D In Private Firms While Protecting Its Domestic Market From Foreign Competition. From Mainframes To Smartphones Is International In Scope And Broad In Its Purview Of This Revolutionary Industry. -- From Dust Jacket. Part I. Origins Of The Computer Industry, 1950-1965 : The Mainframe Computer Industry -- Product Differentiation, Software, And Services -- The International Computer Industry -- Part Ii. The Impact Of Ibm's System/360, 1965-1980 : Ibm's System/360 In The American Market -- Ibm's System/370 In The American Market -- International Reactions To System/360 And System/370 -- Part Iii. The Rise Of The Personal Computer, 1980-1995 : Microcomputers And Personal Computers In The American Market -- Beyond Personal Computers In The American Market -- International Developments -- Part Iv. The Internet Era, 1995-2010 : Software And Services -- Computer Hardware -- Globalization. Martin Campbell-kelly And Daniel D. Garcia-swartz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "This compact history traces the computer industry from its origins in 1950 mainframes, through the establishment of standards beginning in 1965 and the introduction of personal computing in the 1980s. It concludes with the Internet's explosive growth since 1995. Across these four periods, Martin Campbell-Kelly and Daniel Garcia-Swartz describe the steady trend toward miniaturization and explain its consequences for the bundles of interacting components that make up a computer system. With miniaturization, the price of computation fell and entry into the industry became less costly. Companies supplying different components learned to cooperate even as they competed with other businesses for market share. Simultaneously with miniaturization - and equally consequential - the core of the computer industry from hardware to software and services. Companies that failed to adapt to this trend were left behind. Governments did not turn a blind eye to the activities of entrepreneurs. The U.S. government was the major customer for computers in the early years. Several European governments subsidized private corporations, and Japan fostered R & D in private firms while protecting its domestic market from foreign competition. From Mainframes to Smartphones is international in scope and broad in its purview of this revolutionary industry."--Jaquette This compact history traces the computer industry from its origins in 1950s mainframes, through the establishment of standards beginning in 1965 and the introduction of personal computing in the 1980s. It concludes with the Internet's explosive growth since 1995. Across these four periods, Martin Campbell-Kelly and Daniel Garcia-Swartz describe the steady trend toward miniaturization and explain its consequences for the bundles of interacting components that make up a computer system. With miniaturization, the price of computation fell and entry into the industry became less costly. Companies supplying different components learned to cooperate even as they competed with other businesses for market share. Simultaneously with miniaturization—and equally consequential—the core of the computer industry shifted from hardware to software and services. Companies that failed to adapt to this trend were left behind.Governments did not turn a blind eye to the activities of entrepreneurs. The U.S. government was the major customer for computers in the early years. Several European governments subsidized private corporations, and Japan fostered R&D in private firms while protecting its domestic market from foreign competition. From Mainframes to Smartphones is international in scope and broad in its purview of this revolutionary industry. This compact history traces the computer industry from its origins in 1950s mainframes, through the establishment of standards beginning in 1965 and the introduction of personal computing in the 1980s. It concludes with the Internets explosive growth since 1995. Across these four periods, Martin Campbell-Kelly and Daniel Garcia-Swartz describe the steady trend toward miniaturization and explain its consequences for the bundles of interacting components that make up a computer system. With miniaturization, the price of computation fell and entry into the industry became less costly. Companies supplying different components learned to cooperate even as they competed with other businesses for market share. Simultaneously with miniaturizationand equally consequentialthe core of the computer industry shifted from hardware to software and services. Companies that failed to adapt to this trend were left behind. Governments did not turn a blind eye to the activities of entrepreneurs. The U.S. government was the major customer for computers in the early years. Several European governments subsidized private corporations, and Japan fostered R&D in private firms while protecting its domestic market from foreign competition. From Mainframes to Smartphones is international in scope and broad in its purview of this revolutionary industry. Contents Introduction Part I: Origins of the Computer Industry, 1950-1965 1. The Mainframe Computer Industry 2. Product Differentiation, Software, and Services 3. The International Computer Industry Part II: The Impact of IBM's System/360, 1965-1980 4. IBM’s System/360 in the American Market 5. IBM’s System/370 in the American Market 6. International Reactions to System/360 and System/370 Part III: The Rise of the Personal Computer, 1980-1995 7. Microcomputers and Personal Computers in the American Market 8. Beyond Personal Computers in the American Market 9. International Developments Part IV: The Internet Era, 1995-2010 10. Software and Services 11. Computer Hardware 12. Globalization Conclusions Notes Index "The aim of this book is to provide a compact and up-to-date business and economic history of the computer industry. The reader we have in mind is someone who wants to make a "quick study" of the computer industry ... In our quest for brevity, we have assumed that our readers are themselves information-technology users and are familiar with the everyday vocabulary of computing (such as "operating systems," "disk drives," and "broadband"), and that they are aware of recent gadgetry such as tablet computers and smartphones"--Page 1