JEFFREY R. YOST is Associate Director of Charles Babbage Institute for the History of Information Technology at the University of Minnesota. He has published and edited scholarship in a number of areas on the business, social, cultural, scientific, and intellectual history of computing, software and networking.

• AcknowledgementsIntroductionThe Prehistory of the Computer Industry, 1880-1939The Advent of the Mainframe Digital Computer, 1940-1957Broadening Scale and Scope of the Mainframe Computer Industry, 1957-1965The Industry's Supercomputing and Minicomputing Sectors, 1957-1975The Rise of Software as a Service, Product, Business, and Industry, 1958-1975Infrastructure for Long-Term Change, 1962-1975The Personal Computer and PC Software, 1975-1990The Computer Networking Revolution and the Computer Industry, 1990-2004Conclusion: Looking Backwards and Looking Ahead

Yost examines different phases of the development of the computer industry, beginning with its prehistory (1880-1939) and ending with the computer networking revolution (1990-2004). His account details the contributions of business, government, and academia to each phase. Before the first chapter, a time line (1943-2004) of significant computer industry developments is provided. Interesting photographs of computer industry personages and computer hardware are provided throughout, courtesy of the Charles Babbage Institute, the IBM Archives, and the MIT Museum. An appendix contains profiles of significant companies in the computer industry categorized along the lines of hardware, software/programming services, and networking/e-commerce. The Suggestions for Further Reading and Research section offers illuminating commentary by the author and is much more than just a reading list. The index provides a convenient list of the names of the important contributors to the development of the computer industry. A valuable book for anyone interested in the evolution and future of the computer industry. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All collections.