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I'm just rereading this very short book from 1971. I can't believe how good it is!
How It Works... The Computer (1971 Edition) by David Carey







The completist might want to compare with the 1979 edition. Of course, I have both!

(Ladybird books were initially aimed at children, but they were never condescending, and this particular one was bulk-bought by large companies to educate management about the new thing - computers. There's a fascinating documentary about the company - it was highly unusual, in that a printer decided to become a publisher and arrange its own content. The books are short because of paper shortages, and arguably better for it. They have become somewhat collectible.)

Just read it - agreed, very good. Will read the updated version another day.

Well, I went ahead and read the '79 edition as well. They're not long books. The '79 edition is even better, although some info left over from the first edition would be a bit dated by 1979. Nice, updated illustrations though. I ran into something I don't know what is: Magnetic stripe cards. What are those? I never heard about anything like that back then, or later.

Hmm, it's not quite the IBM noodle plucker, but maybe something not entirely unlike it?
https://plus.google.com/u/0/10704982391 ... Cy7KD5s9UC

Ah - some hints about magnetic card storage:

- http://www.computerhistory.org/storagee ... -capacity/

That's a technology that seems to have passed under the radar.. I haven't heard it mentioned by any of those guys who were around mainframes and IBM equipment in the sixties. I'll keep my ears open though.