Oral history interview with John Rankine, 1980 Sept. 11.

  1. Resources
  2. View Resource

ArchivalResource

Oral history interview with John Rankine, 1980 Sept. 11.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/63295563

Rankine discusses changes in digital computing from card-programmed calculators to microprocessors and supercomputers. He explains how the move from electromechanical to vacuum tubes to solid state technology improved speed and decreased size, and describes the accompanying development of software. He reviews IBM's role in the transition of the computer from a scientific to a commercial tool. Finally, he assesses the possibilities of computing to improve various social conditions, as well as the danger of its threat to privacy, which he believes can be easily minimalized.

Transcript : 26 p.Videocassettes : 3 (15 min. each) : U-matic, color.

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 7885741

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Related Entities

There are 3 Entities related to this resource.

International Business Machines Corporation

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6330m1p (corporateBody)

International Business Machines Corporation was incorporated in New York State on June 16, 1911 under the name Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. In 1922, Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. purchased all of the shares of Deutsche Hollerith Maschinen Gesellschaft. In 1924 the official name of the company was changed to International Business Machines Corporation. In 1933, IBM CEO Thomas Watson ordered the merger of IBM subsidiaries in Germany (Optima, Degemag, Holgemag, Dehomag) under the name De...

Rankine, John (L. John),

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6cg1z75 (person)

International Business Machines (IBM) executive. From the description of Oral history interview with John Rankine, 1980 Sept. 11. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 63295563 ...

Green, George D.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6sf5x3v (person)