Looking Back
It’s a brave new world we are embarking on with all of our embedded personal computers that have been programmed by others who hopefully have our well being in mind.
—Paul Terrell
What is a personal computer?
To those who first built them, a personal computer meant a computer of your own. It meant a lot. That was the promise of the microprocessor: that you could have a computer of your own.
And that, to some—the time in question being the tail end of the idealistic ’60s—implied empowering others as well. "Computer power to the people" was not just a slogan heard in those days; it was a motivating force for many personal-computer pioneers. They wanted to build computers to be used for the betterment of mankind. They wanted ...
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