ABSTRACT
In January 1983, Time magazine selected the personal computer as its Man of the Year, and public fascination with the computer has continued to grow ever since. In the 1970s, when scholars began to investigate the history of computing, they were attracted to the large one-of-a-kind computers built a quarter-century earlier, sometimes now referred to as the "dinosaurs". Research scientists and atomic weapons designers still use computers extensively, but the vast majority of computers in organizations are employed for other purposes, such as word processing and keeping business records. Analog computers were used extensively and effectively in the design of electric power networks, dams, and aircraft. The basic functional specifications of the computer were set out in a report written by John von Neumann in 1945, and these specifications are still largely followed. The computer makers found a ready market in government agencies, insurance companies, and large manufacturers.
