Computers were once large, bulky things the size of entire rooms, and it took specialized skills in order to use one. However, Steve Jobs sought to popularize the PC, a personal computer, one that would reside in the home and be a tool for people of all kinds to use—one that was accessible without specialized skills. What is the story behind the first PC? What effects did this have—socially, culturally, economically?
This event will feature Nathan Ensmenger, an Associate Professor in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University, and author of The Computer Boys Take Over: Computers, Programmers, and the Politics of Technical Expertise, and co-author of the most recent edition of Computer: A History of the Information Machine; and Eric Swedin, a professor of history at Weber State University, author of numerous articles and three books on the history of computing as well as the author of five novels, including When Angels Wept: A What-If History of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
