Advent of Computing

The Apple III was a pretty slick machine... in theory. From a lack of launch software, to strait up hardware failures, Apple's 3rd computer didn't really win in the market place. Why was that? Was the...

2 Apr 20231h 18min

We're finally taking a look at Sketchpad. This program was completed in 1963 as Ivan Sutherland's Ph.D. research. On the surface it looks like a very fancy drawing program. Under the hood it's hiding ...

19 Mars 20231h 13min

This episode I attempt to find the first interactive computer text interface. All I can say is, well, it's a journey.   Selected Sources:   https://sci-hub.se/10.2307/3917015 - Early article on St...

6 Mars 20231h 1min

This episode picks up where we left off last time. We are looking at Ada and its applications. How does Ada handle tasking? What's the deal with objects? And, most importantly, what are some neat uses...

20 Feb 20231h 5min

Ada is a fascinating language with a fascinating history. It was initially developed as part of a Department of Defence project. The plan was to create a standardized language for everyone inside the ...

6 Feb 20231h 2min

Advent of Computing has finally reached 100 episodes! Today we are taking a break from the usual content to discuss the show, it's arc, and some of the mysteries I have yet to solve.

23 Jan 20231h 12min

UNIX is a big deal. It's one of the most influential programs in history. Most operating systems that we use today can trace their lineage back to UNIX. The only notable exception at this point is Win...

9 Jan 20231h 9min

This time we are looking at a somewhat obscure machine: the Canon Cat. Designed by Jef Raskin, the Cat is sometimes called the spiritual successor to the Macintosh. That's a nice little epitaph, but d...

26 Dec 20221h 10min