From mainframes to smartphones : a history of the international computer 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 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.

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Almost two decades ago, Campbell-Kelly (Univ. of Warwick, UK) co-wrote Computer: A History of the Information Machine (CH, Jan'97, 34-2793), one of the most authoritative histories of information technology. In his new book, co-written with Garcia-Swartz (economist, Compass Lexecon), he offers a concise history of the companies that created the computer industry. The book provides a compact but thorough history of the different companies that have become part of daily life. The authors split the history of the industry into four sections, each covering 15-year increments from 1950 to 2010. In each section, the authors look at the most important companies and explain the breakthroughs and innovations that pushed the industry forward. Written for general readers, the book traces a clear outline of how the computer industry's obsession with miniaturization and standardization pushed giants such as IBM, Microsoft, Google, and Apple to continually reinvent their products and services. The authors present an overview of the industry with a foundational look at the trends and companies that shaped computer technology and also devote several chapters to the international marketplace. This book is a worthy addition to the literature of the history of computing. Summing Up: Essential. All readers. --John Rodzvilla, Emerson College

Introduction	p. 1
Part I Origins of the Computer Industry, 1950-1965
1 The Mainframe Computer Industry	p. 11
2 Product Differentiation, Software, and Services	p. 28
3 The International Computer Industry	p. 42
Part II The Impact of IBM'S System/360, 1965-1980
4 IBM's System/360 in the American Market	p. 57
5 IBM's System/370 in the American Market	p. 73
6 International Reactions to System/360 and System/370	p. 88
Part III The Rise of the Personal Computer, 1980-1995
7 Microcomputers and Personal Computers in the American Market	p. 105
8 Beyond Personal Computers in the American Market	p. 124
9 International Developments	p. 136
Part IV The Internet Era, 1995-2010
10 Software and Services	p. 155
11 Computer Hardware	p. 169
12 Globalization	p. 184
Conclusions	p. 203
Notes	p. 209
Index	p. 231

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Table of Contents