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How Computers Work -- Circa 1979

Posted by timothy on from the everything-was-in-black-and-white dept.

Guinnessy writes "In a younger, more innocent time, Ladybird Books came out with a series of children's books called "How things work." Someone has put the 1971 and 1979 versions of How Computers Work onto the web. It's a fascinating glance at how much computers have advanced since the silicon chip was introduced. State-of-the-art in 1971 consisted of fitting thirty components into a 1 cm3 volume."

9 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. I've got the 1979 version of this book... by gefafwysp · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...and its proper title is "How it Works... The Computer"!

    1. Re:I've got the 1979 version of this book... by nocomment · · Score: 1, Informative

      Dupe.

      --
      /* oops I accidentally made a comment, sorry */
      /* http://allyourbasearebelongto.us */
  2. Repost! by willith · · Score: 3, Informative

    Repost from November 04. Not bad, considering!

  3. Re:Slashdot Book. by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 2, Informative

    Can we get a book on how Slashdot works? because I have no fscking clue.

    Sure! http://sourceforge.net/projects/slashcode/
    It's not a book, but what the heck.

  4. Re:Second that! by oberondarksoul · · Score: 4, Informative

    I gave up on Slashdot's search ages ago - try using Google instead. Using "site:slashdot.org" then the search term usually works wonders.

    --
    And tomorrow the stock exchange will be the human race
  5. They are obeying the law. by reality-bytes · · Score: 3, Informative
    According to the UK govt copyright office:

    Copyright in a published edition expires 25 years from the end of the year in which the edition was first published.


    So apparently, this work by virtue of being copyright 1971 and 1979 is actually copyright expired.

    Here is the page I refer to: LINK
    --
    Ripping an new rectum in the fabric of spacetime.
    1. Re:They are obeying the law. by reality-bytes · · Score: 2, Informative

      AFAIK, at least in the UK, putting in the *original* copyright notice is 'proof' that the published work's copyright is expired.

      How this relates to the literary work (longer copyright duration) is anyone's guess but you'll notice these are scans of the 'typsetting'.

      --
      Ripping an new rectum in the fabric of spacetime.
  6. Re:The times, they are a-changin' by ttldkns · · Score: 3, Informative

    meeee!!

    Today you will be oggling Roxanne

    what i posted first now what do i win? ;)

    --
    How many computers are too many?
  7. Re:Chindren's book by madprof · · Score: 2, Informative

    Actually it is an indication of just how high quality Ladybird books were. My mother bought us loads of them because she believed in the educational value of them and in quite a few cases they really were very good.
    This is a case in point.