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Shire Library 722

Developments in microelectronics in the early 1970s meant that computers at home seemed about to become commonplace: the kitchen computer would hold all of the family's recipes and keep a record of food in the larder; the study computer would manage the family finances; and the kids' computers would educate and entertain them. Engineers, enthusiasts and budding entrepreneurs set about making home computers a reality, and although the first machines were extremely limited, later models significantly affected life at home, at school and at work. This is the story of the first commonplace home computers - the Sinclairs, Commodores, Amstrads, Acorns, Apple Macs, and the earliest versions of Microsoft Windows - that helped to make the computer an indispensable item in the British home.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Coming of the Microchip
• Entrepreneurs, Engineers and Enthusiasts
• Practical Home Computers
• IBM and Apple Set the Standard
• Games, Modems and the Compact Disc
• Conclusion
• Further Reading
• Places to Visit
• Index

Code No. 016180, 48 pages, ISBN 9780747812166, $15.00

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