Re: Early Computers (was Market pressures for more reliable software)

[robin <robin_v@bigpond.nospam.com>]

"Marin David Condic" <marin.condic.auntie.spam@pacemicro.com> writes: 
> Well, the point was, at one time lots (if not most or all) of the computing
> was done in some centralized manner. You had a mainframe to which you
> connected and on that mainframe was where you had your data and programs.

I think that you are speaking about a time much later than
early computers.

Early systems did not have their programs and data on the machine --
they simply weren't large enough.

Program libraries had to be kept on paper tapes and cards,
and loaded into the machine when they were to be run.

Terminals just didn't exist.

> That had the advantage (as Micro$oft will tell you) that you could access
> your data from anywhere on any piece of equipment (a dumb terminal at the
> time) and if some piece of software you used was supported by the central
> location, you instantly got updates as they were made.
> 
> Eventually, this model began to wane because of the prevalence of mini and
> microcomputers. People now had their software stored on their *own* personal
> machine. You didn't need to ask permission of some central DP organization
> to get something done (change software, update data, make backups, get more
> disk quota, etc.) You just up and did it - including deciding if you wanted
> to buy a new version of some software product or just live with what you
> have.

> 
> MDC
> --
> Marin David Condic
> Senior Software Engineer
> Pace Micro Technology Americas    www.pacemicro.com