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This encyclopedic reference provides a concise and engaging overview of the groundbreaking inventions and conceptual innovations that have shaped the field of computing, and the technology that runs the modern world. Each alphabetically-ordered entry presents a brief account of a pivotal innovation and the great minds behind it, selected from a wide range of diverse topics.

Topics and features:

• Describes the development of Babbage's computing machines, Leibniz's binary arithmetic, Boole's symbolic logic, and Von Neumann architecture
• Reviews a range of historical analog and digital computers, significant mainframes and minicomputers, and pioneering home and personal computers
• Discusses a selection of programming languages and operating systems, along with key concepts in software engineering and commercial computing
• Examines the invention of the transistor, the integrated circuit, and the microprocessor
• Relates the history of such developments in personal computing as the mouse, the GUI, Atari video games, and Microsoft Office
• Surveys innovations in communications, covering mobile phones, WiFi, the Internet and World Wide Web, e-commerce, smartphones, social media, and GPS
• Presents coverage of topics on artificial intelligence, the ATM, digital photography and digital music, robotics, and Wikipedia
• Contains self-test quizzes and a helpful glossary

This enjoyable compendium will appeal to the general reader curious about the intellectual milestones that led to the digital age, as well as to the student of computer science seeking a primer on the history of their field.

Dr. Gerard O'Regan is a CMMI software process improvement consultant with research interests including software quality and software process improvement, mathematical approaches to software quality, and the history of computing. He is the author of such Springer titles as World of Computing, Concise Guide to Formal Methods, Concise Guide to Software Engineering, and Guide to Discrete Mathematics.