I don’t have to tell you that today, the desktop computer is almost as commonplace as a toaster over. But few of us, especially the younger generation take the time to reflect on just how far this technology has evolved in just a few short years.
It’s a startling comparison to look at today’s $499 entry level system visa vie the IBM 360 used by NASA for the Apollo moon mission.
Five of these monsters were needed: one for flight control; another as a backup; and the other three, backups to the backup. Each cost approximately one MILLION dollars. And that wasn’t enough! All of the five had to be upgraded with a freezer sized box providing a measly 1…
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