History of Computers part 6 BBC Documentary.mp4

Summary

This script explores the evolution of books and computers from exclusive to accessible mediums. It discusses the early days of manuscript preservation, the introduction of the printing press, and the development of chained libraries. The narrative then shifts to the computer's transition from a complex tool used by a select few to a user-friendly device embraced by millions. Highlighting key innovations like Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad and Doug Engelbart's mouse, it underscores the pivotal role of visionaries in shaping modern interactive computing.

Takeaways

• 📜 The art of writing in the Middle Ages was a pioneering medium that became foundational to civilization.
• 📚 For centuries, access to written materials was limited, with illuminated manuscripts being extremely valuable and scarce.
• 🔐 Books were kept in high-security chests, requiring multiple keys to access, reflecting their preciousness.
• 📖 After the introduction of printing, books remained large and expensive, making them inaccessible to the wider public.
• 🔗 The concept of a 'chained library' allowed for the first time instant, albeit restricted, access to books for the public.
• 📚 Books eventually became smaller, more affordable, and widely available, transforming into a cornerstone of modern culture.
• 💻 Early computers were expensive and used primarily by a 'mathematical priesthood', with limited popular appeal.
• 👨‍💻 Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad program pioneered computer graphics and interactive computing, allowing users to communicate with computers in new ways.
• 🖱️ Doug Engelbart introduced innovations like the mouse, which revolutionized how humans interact with computers.
• 🏢 Xerox PARC was established to make computers more user-friendly, aiming to bring computing to the masses.
• 🧠 The Xerox PARC team recognized the need to understand human mentality to make computers accessible to everyone, not just experts.

Q & A

What was the significance of illuminated manuscripts in the Middle Ages?

Illuminated manuscripts were priceless and represented the exclusive access to written knowledge during the Middle Ages, confined to a select few.

How were books secured at Hereford Cathedral before the advent of printing?

Books were kept in high-security chests that required three separate keys from canons to be opened.

What was the concept of a chained library?

A chained library was a system where books were made accessible to the public by being chained, allowing them to be read on-site but not removed.

How did the introduction of printing impact the accessibility of books?

Printing made books more available to the wider public by reducing their cost and size, making them more affordable and accessible.

What was the initial challenge faced by computers in becoming a popular tool?

The initial challenge was that computers were expensive and difficult to use, requiring specialized knowledge and programming skills.

What was the significance of Ivan Sutherland's work on Sketchpad?

Ivan Sutherland's work on Sketchpad pioneered the field of computer graphics and introduced interactive computing, allowing users to communicate with computers in a more intuitive graphical way.

Who is considered the most important person in the history of computing according to the script?

According to the script, Doug Engelbart is considered the single most important person in the history of computing.

What was the purpose of Xerox PARC and what did they aim to achieve?

Xerox PARC was established to make computers easier to use and to bring computing to everyone, aiming to humanize computers and make them common objects usable by anyone.

What was the role of Doug Engelbart in the development of computer technology?

Doug Engelbart demonstrated a series of innovations, including the mouse, and advocated for a change in the way people thought about computers, emphasizing their potential as tools for ordinary people.

Why did Xerox set up a research center in Palo Alto, California?

Xerox set up a research center to be part of the new electronic world and to explore paperless communication, as they recognized the potential obsolescence of paper.

What was the challenge faced by the scientists at Xerox PARC in making computers more user-friendly?

The challenge was to understand the problems of ordinary users and to design interfaces that were intuitive and accessible, despite the scientists' own technical expertise.

Outlines

00:00

📜 The Evolution of Books and Early Computing

This paragraph discusses the historical significance of writing and the evolution of books from illuminated manuscripts in the Middle Ages to the advent of the printing press. It highlights how access to books was initially limited to the elite few and how the introduction of chained libraries made books more accessible to the public. The paragraph then transitions to the early days of computing, comparing the initial high cost and complexity of computers to that of books before they became widespread. It describes the frustrations of early programmers and the eventual shift towards user-friendly computing interfaces, exemplified by Ivan Sutherland's development of Sketchpad, which introduced interactive computing and computer graphics.

05:02

🖥️ Pioneers of Interactive Computing

The second paragraph delves into the contributions of Ivan Sutherland and Doug Engelbart to the field of interactive computing. It notes the lack of immediate impact following Sutherland's groundbreaking work with Sketchpad, despite its potential to revolutionize computing. The paragraph then discusses Engelbart's visionary ideas and his demonstration of innovations like the mouse, which were not immediately adopted by the mainstream. It reflects on the challenges faced by pioneers in computing, including the slow response from the industry and the difficulty in shifting established paradigms. The narrative also touches on Xerox PARC's efforts to make computers more user-friendly, emphasizing the importance of understanding the needs and perspectives of ordinary users, not just technical experts.

Keywords

💡Illuminated Manuscripts

Illuminated manuscripts are handwritten books from the Middle Ages, typically decorated with gold or silver, and featuring elaborate illustrations. They were incredibly valuable, often equated to the value of a farm, and access to them was restricted. In the video, illuminated manuscripts symbolize the early exclusivity of written knowledge and the high barriers to accessing it, requiring scholars to travel to specific places and gain access through a select few.

💡Chained Library

A chained library is a historical library where books were secured by chains to prevent theft. This concept is mentioned in the script to illustrate how books were made accessible to the public while still under strict control. The idea of a chained library reflects the transition from total exclusivity to a more shared, yet still limited, access to knowledge.

💡Printing Press

The printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, revolutionized the production of books by allowing for mass production. Although the script mentions that books remained large and expensive after the printing press was introduced, it was a pivotal step towards making books more widely available to the public, thus democratizing access to written information.

💡Computer Graphics

Computer graphics is a field that involves the creation of visual content using computer technology. The script refers to Ivan Sutherland's work with Sketchpad, which was a pioneering program in computer graphics, allowing users to interact with the computer graphically. This concept is central to the video's theme of evolving human-computer interaction and making computers more accessible and user-friendly.

💡Interactive Computing

Interactive computing is a mode of using computers where users can directly interact with the system, often through graphical interfaces. The video discusses how Ivan Sutherland's work with Sketchpad demonstrated the potential of interactive computing, which was a significant departure from the batch processing and command-line interfaces that were prevalent at the time.

💡Punch Cards

Punch cards were a means of data storage and program input for early computers. The script describes the cumbersome process of programming using punch cards, which had to be meticulously prepared and then physically transported to a computer center for processing. This method is highlighted to contrast with the more intuitive and user-friendly computing experiences that would later be developed.

💡Mouse

The mouse, as mentioned in the script, is a pointing device used to interact with a computer's graphical user interface. Doug Engelbart's demonstration of a mouse is a significant milestone in the history of computing, as it introduced a more intuitive and accessible way for users to interact with computers, which is a central theme in the video about making technology more user-friendly.

💡Xerox PARC

Xerox PARC, short for Palo Alto Research Center, was a research and development facility that played a crucial role in the development of personal computing. The script discusses how Xerox PARC was tasked with making computers more accessible and user-friendly, which led to innovations like the graphical user interface, mouse, and Ethernet. This aligns with the video's narrative of technological advancements making computers more approachable for the general public.

💡Human-Computer Interaction

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is the study of how people interact with computers and the design of computer technology to be more user-friendly. The video emphasizes the importance of HCI in the evolution of computing, from the early days of punch cards to the development of graphical interfaces and mice, which made computers more accessible and intuitive to use.

💡Paradigm Shift

A paradigm shift refers to a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions. In the context of the video, the term is used to describe the transition from the establishment's view of computers as tools for experts to a more inclusive vision where computers become accessible and useful to everyone. This shift is exemplified by the work of pioneers like Engelbart and Sutherland, whose ideas were initially not embraced by the mainstream.

💡Sketchpad

Sketchpad is a pioneering computer program developed by Ivan Sutherland in the 1960s, which allowed users to interact with a computer using graphical input. The script mentions Sketchpad as a groundbreaking example of interactive computing, where users could draw and manipulate graphics on the screen, showcasing a new way of human-computer interaction that was more intuitive and engaging.

Highlights

The art of writing in the Middle Ages laid the foundation for civilization.

Illuminated manuscripts were priceless and access to written word was limited.

Scholars had to visit specific places and get past an attendant priesthood to study.

Hereford Cathedral's high-security chests required three canons with separate keys to access books.

Printing made books less large and expensive, but still not widely accessible.

Chained libraries in the 16th century allowed instant access to books for visitors.

For books to become widely available, they had to become smaller, more affordable, and lose their chains.

Books are now written in hundreds of languages and about thousands of subjects, a stark contrast to their past exclusivity.

The modern computer was initially expensive and difficult to use, much like the early days of books.

Programming in the early days of computing was frustrating and required arcane languages and physical media.

Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad in the 1960s revolutionized computer graphics and interactive computing.

Doug Engelbart's 1968 demonstration showcased innovations like the mouse and changed the way we think about computers.

Xerox PARC was established to make computers easier to use and part of the electronic world.

Xerox PARC's goal was to humanize computers and make them accessible to everyone.

The challenge for Xerox PARC was to understand the problems of ordinary users, not just technical experts.

Children's natural ability to ignore complexity was seen as a model for making computers user-friendly.

Transcripts

the clerks and scribes of the Middle

Ages who practice the art of writing

pioneered a medium which would become

the very foundation of civilization yet

for many centuries access to the written

word was confined to the very few

illuminated manuscripts in the Middle

Ages were priceless one had the value of

a farm scholars wishing to study had to

come to places like this and to get past

an attendant priesthood three canons

with separate keys were needed to open

the high-security chests where books

were kept at Hereford Cathedral after

printing was introduced books remained

large and expensive it seemed unlikely

there would ever become available to a

wider public the latest technology that

came in at the end of the sixteenth

century was the idea of a chained

library whereby books could be instantly

accessible to anybody who visited the

library and by simply extracting a book

with the the chain just long enough for

the book to be lowered from the case

onto the desk in front of the reader

and the other person could study the

book as much as they wanted with no fear

of them being able to remove it for

books to become generally available they

would have to lose their chains and

become smaller and more affordable today

books are everywhere written in hundreds

of languages about thousands of subjects

once the exclusive property of a small

educated class they have become the

foundation of modern culture in the past

few years a competitor to the book has

begun routing itself in the culture of

the young but when the ancestors of the

modern computer first appeared they too

were fabulously expensive and they too

would in the hands of a mathematical

priesthood forty-five years ago the idea

that computers would ever play a popular

role seemed even less likely than that

illuminated manuscripts could lead to

the paperback book even mathematicians

found computers very difficult to use

they had to prepare their programs in

the arcane language of the computer

punch them onto tape or cards and bring

them to a computer center to be run and

it rarely worked first time hey what's

going on here nothing must be wrong with

the oscilloscope I found programming on

the old big machines to be unbelievably

frustrating and I used to get really

angry about it because I couldn't

understand why the things weren't easier

to use I think it was bleak

human being having to punch holes and

lots of cards can keep these cards all

straight and then take this deck of what

might be hundreds and hundreds of cards

to a computer and you go away and you

come back the next day and find out that

your program executed up until card 433

and then it's stopped because you left

out a comma so you take your deck of

cards do you go back and you fix that

and you go back to the computer again

and this time it the program got two

card four thousand and six and it

stopped because you forgot to punch a oh

in stead of a zero or some other

stupidly

I think it was bleak I think it was

dehumanizing

a group of Stanford students filmed

their experience perhaps a little

exaggerated

if programmers were driven to suicide by

computers

what chance was there for ordinary

people ever to use them yet within a few

decades the image of the computer would

change like the book it would get

smaller cheaper and becomes so easy to

use that millions would become literate

in the new medium

we're going to show you a man actually

talking to a computer in a way far

different than it's ever been possible

to do before surely not with his voice

no he's going to be talking graphically

he's going to be drawing and the

computer is going to understand his

drawings and the man will be using a

language of graphical language that we

call sketch pad that started with Island

Sutherland some years ago when he was

busy working on his doctoral degree in

an era when almost everybody thought

that computers were only for crunching

numbers a young graduate student ivan

sutherland had used clever software to

make the computer manipulate engineering

drawings with sketch pad Sutherland had

created the field of computer graphics

and almost 30 years ago demonstrated the

power of a whole new way of talking to

the computer interactive computing but

would anybody listen we were off to a

fabulous start in 1960 with uh Ivan

Sutherland sketchpad one of the most

extraordinary programs ever written and

the amazing thing to me is that this did

not start a vast movement in fact it

just stood there's an example that

people would gaze at they'd look at the

movie and say yeah gee well that's very

inspirational and then go back and do

exactly what they were doing which had

nothing to do with interactive computing

because there wasn't any interactive

computing if everyone was does our job

well along feel very interesting a few

years later another visionary Doug

Engelbart appealed to his colleagues to

change the way they thought about

computers in a spectacular demonstration

he showed off a series of brilliant

innovations including a pointing device

called a mouse I don't know why they

call it a mouse sometimes I apologize it

started that way and we never did change

it Doug Engelbart is the single most

important person in the history of

computing and it's shocking how few

people have actually heard of him it

would be as if we all use electricity

light bulbs but nobody had heard of

Thomas Edison 25 years later Doug

Engelbart walks unrecognized on the

Stanford campus his bold gamble didn't

come off we just thought order then

within a year or two there'll be all

sorts of people joining us pursued in it

become more of an acceptable activity

and you know it seemed in what I hear

from various places is that it's

stimulated motivated some people but it

didn't seem to connect us to something

that was a viable strand of pursuit for

people to pick up and it just didn't

commercial computer makers were slow to

see that computers might become a tool

for ordinary people and just didn't get

the point of what angle Bart and

Sutherland were saying because the

establishment never gets it that's how

it is with paradigm shift the

establishment does not see where the

next wave is coming from and even if

they hire somebody to tell them where

the next wave is coming from they never

believe them which is exactly what

happened with Xerox and Xerox PARC one

of the implications of Engelbart's

demonstration was paperless

communication and that did not go

unnoticed in one quarter

Thank You Debbie that was fast which is

the original oh you've just seen the

Xerox nine the Xerox Corporation owed

its prosperity to pay for kotti a minute

if one day paper was to be outdated and

they wanted to be part of the new

electronic world so in a visionary act

they set up a Research Center at Palo

Alto in California Xerox PARC and they

agreed to fund it for ten years

as a function of spatial frequency they

gathered together the brightest young

computer scientists they could find and

gave them a challenge make computers

easier to use the reason that most of us

went to work there was that we felt that

this would be a an opportunity to bring

computing to everyone remember a

computer at that time was thought of

something that was very forbidding

difficult highly technological you had

to be a real expert and a doctorate to

understand you know that was kind of the

public image and we somehow had to

humanize computers and make them a

common object that anyone could use

in the years ahead this unconventional

group of young scientists sought a

different way of interacting with a

computer that they knew they had far too

much technical knowledge to understand

the problems of the ordinary user

technical people live in this tiny

little world actually we like to think

it's a big world it's actually a tiny

little world and it's full of phrases

that we learned when we're taking math

classes and it's it's hermetic and it's

full of people who like to learn

complicated things they delight in it

and so what you need to have is some way

of constantly shocking yourself into

realizing that the users are not like us

and children do it really well because

they don't care about the same kinds of

things that adults do and they can

always go out and play ball they didn't

they haven't learned to feel guilty

about not working yet it forced us to

start thinking about how human

mentalities might work