SLIDE 1 Making the Computer Personal: Making the Computer Personal:
Reconstructing Domesticity for the Reconstructing Domesticity for the Information Age Information Age
Thomas Haigh Thomas Haigh University of Wisconsin University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee SHOT, Amsterdam, October 2004 SHOT, Amsterdam, October 2004
SLIDE 2 Theme of Paper Theme of Paper
How did people decide they needed a decide they needed a computer in their computer in their home? home?
Cultural work of reconstruction reconstruction
Looked at another way way
What kind of a home would need a would need a computer? computer?
SLIDE 3
1: Getting Personal 1: Getting Personal
SLIDE 4 Home Computer Concept Home Computer Concept
Predates microprocessor
Originates as “ “home home terminal terminal” ” concept concept
Solution looking for a problem problem
“If she can only cook as If she can only cook as well as Honeywell can well as Honeywell can compute compute…” …”
- 1969 minicomputer in drag
1969 minicomputer in drag
sold in Neiman Marcus catalog catalog
around $10,000
SLIDE 5 The First Microcomputers The First Microcomputers
MITS Altair
Launched 1975
Supplied in kit form form
Limited use
But expandable expandable… …
SLIDE 6 Initial Constituency Initial Constituency
People who
Knew how to solder solder
Understood electronics electronics
Wanted to play with a computer with a computer
Served by Byte magazine magazine
88,000 circulation by circulation by spring 1977 spring 1977
SLIDE 7
Selling to Enthusiasts Selling to Enthusiasts
SLIDE 8
Before & After Before & After
SLIDE 9 Attempted Attempted Domestication Domestication
- “The Noval 760… appears in its natural
setting: unfolded in a living room, office, or den. The console… folds into the desk… so that the Noval 760 blends into the décor as a desk- like woodtone piece of furniture.”
SLIDE 10
Pot Plants are Common Motif Pot Plants are Common Motif
SLIDE 11
Tokenism I: The Rainbow Alliance Tokenism I: The Rainbow Alliance
“ “People from People from every walk of every walk of life are life are adding adding iCOM iCOM Floppy Disks Floppy Disks to their to their microcomput microcomput ers ers…” …”
SLIDE 12 Tokenism II: The Babe Tokenism II: The Babe
“ “combines the combines the 8080A CPU with a 8080A CPU with a front panel front panel featuring ultra featuring ultra-
convenient octal keyboard and keyboard and digital LED digital LED readout readout” ”
SLIDE 13 Pre Pre-
assembled Machines
Follow by around 1977 1977
Apple II
Radio Shack TRS 80
Commodore Pet
SLIDE 14
2: Buying and Selling 2: Buying and Selling the Home Computer the Home Computer
SLIDE 15 Home Computer Hardware Home Computer Hardware
Separate species, existed existed
from about 1978 to 1990
Much cheaper than “ “business business” ” PCs PCs
Sold in large numbers
Better sound and graphics graphics
Fewer peripheral options
Connect to domestic TV TV
Often used with standard cassette player standard cassette player rather than disks rather than disks
SLIDE 16 Home Computer Sales Home Computer Sales
- Sold in department and discount stores
Sold in department and discount stores
By 1983
- Several models under $100
Several models under $100
- Around 5 million units sold annually in US
Around 5 million units sold annually in US
Commodore 64 sells 30 million worldwide, 1982-early 1990s
SLIDE 17 Celebrity Endorsements Celebrity Endorsements
Isaac Asimov for Radio for Radio Shack Shack
Science Fiction writer writer
Familiar yet Futuristic Futuristic
“It It’ ’s like having s like having the cosmos at the cosmos at your fingertips. your fingertips.” ”
SLIDE 18
Bill Cosby for Texas Instruments Bill Cosby for Texas Instruments
SLIDE 19
William William Shatner Shatner for for Commodore Commodore
SLIDE 20 Like a Kid Like a Kid
Show the Alan Alda Alda video video
SLIDE 21
3: Using a Home 3: Using a Home Computer Computer
SLIDE 22 But What Is It For? But What Is It For?
‘ ‘It It’ ’s an interesting machine, but what do you actually use it s an interesting machine, but what do you actually use it for? for?’ ’ That That’ ’s one of the most frustrating questions asked of s one of the most frustrating questions asked of personal computer owners. It personal computer owners. It’ ’s also often the most difficult s also often the most difficult to answer. to answer. The Commodore 64, Getting the Most From it. (1983) The Commodore 64, Getting the Most From it. (1983) “ “It comes with its own BASIC language that It comes with its own BASIC language that’ ’s built in and s built in and uses plain simple English uses plain simple English…” …” Alan Alan Alda Alda, , Like a Kid Like a Kid, 1982. , 1982.
SLIDE 23 Programming Programming
- BASIC language built into
BASIC language built into almost all home almost all home computers computers
- turn them on, there it is
turn them on, there it is
- Instruction manuals teach
Instruction manuals teach programming programming
presented as way to get value out of purchase value out of purchase
The ONLY thing you can do out of the box do out of the box
SLIDE 24 Programming for Everyone Programming for Everyone
The TI Home Computer was designed to be used for extensive personal
- programming. The built-in
BASIC language makes the TI99/4 a valuable desktop tool… a great way to teach your children about computers.
SLIDE 25 Computer Advice Books Computer Advice Books
Mostly follow format of manual manual
Introduction
Physical set up
How to program
60% or so of total
Reference tables
SLIDE 26 Program Listings Program Listings
Many books consist ONLY of programs to ONLY of programs to type in type in… …. .
This one includes
Nutrition Pack
Family Budget Comptroller Comptroller
Studying State Capitals Capitals
Your Math Teacher
SLIDE 27 Domestic Domestic Automation Automation
Simple Programming: You write your control programs in BASIC or Assembler language.
- Literal translation of industrial
applications.
SLIDE 28 Limited Range of Applications Limited Range of Applications
- Same topics appear repeatedly in early
Same topics appear repeatedly in early (1977 (1977-
1982) programs
Type-
in from magazines
Printed in books
Sold on cassette
- Used in computer advertisements
Used in computer advertisements
- Few seem particularly compelling
Few seem particularly compelling
- Reflect shared assumptions about home and
Reflect shared assumptions about home and computer computer’ ’s place in it s place in it
SLIDE 29
Gender Roles Gender Roles
SLIDE 30
Centerpiece of the nuclear family Centerpiece of the nuclear family
SLIDE 31
The Magic The Magic Machine Machine
“ “Mum laughed, Mum laughed, and said the and said the magic machine magic machine can start by can start by cooking cooking dinner dinner… …. .” ” Byte Press, 1979 Byte Press, 1979
SLIDE 32 Husband Husband
Masculine
Tax preparation
Financial calculations
Checkbook balancing
SLIDE 33 Wife Wife
Feminine
Recipe databases
Calorie counting
Knitting
Biorhythms
This book included programs for programs for
“Shopping Shopping” ”
“Pantry Inventory Pantry Inventory” ”
“Recipe Recipe” ”
“Chore reminder Chore reminder” ”
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SLIDE 35 Children Children
Educational applications applications
Maths drill drill
Geography quiz, etc.
Programming
SLIDE 36
Radio Shack, 1983
“The Computer That The Computer That Said NO To Drugs Said NO To Drugs” ”
SLIDE 37
4: Conclusions 4: Conclusions
SLIDE 38 The Broader Context The Broader Context
- Late 1970s also saw popularization of
Late 1970s also saw popularization of ideas of ideas of
Information technology
- Information society/Post Industrial Society
Information society/Post Industrial Society
Computer literacy
Microcomputer revolution
SLIDE 39 The Third Wave The Third Wave
Futurist Alvin Toffler
- 1980, influential example of
1980, influential example of “ “information age information age” ” thinking thinking
SLIDE 40
Utopian best seller
Intelligent machines by early 1990s early 1990s
SLIDE 41 Computer Literacy Computer Literacy
A loaded term
Assumed to require require programming programming skills skills
Creative Computing, 1977
SLIDE 42 It It’ ’s s Educational! Educational!
Computers play games but are good games but are good for you too for you too
SLIDE 43
The Actual Use: Games? The Actual Use: Games?
SLIDE 44 An Irony An Irony
- The success of the home computer hinged
The success of the home computer hinged
- n idea of a
- n idea of a “
“microcomputer society microcomputer society” ” changed beyond all recognition. Never changed beyond all recognition. Never happened. happened.
- BUT, those involved in domesticating the
BUT, those involved in domesticating the computer were trapped in a 1950s sitcom computer were trapped in a 1950s sitcom vision of the perfect suburban family vision of the perfect suburban family already fatally undermined by REAL social already fatally undermined by REAL social change. change.
SLIDE 45
