Takimag Column On The History Of Computing

My weekly column at Taki’s Magazine is up.  In it I review Paul Ceruzzi’s book on the history of computing, and indulge myself in some fond reminiscences.

I also regret that there is no mention of the Leo 326, a noble machine in its time and a triumph of British engineering. It was the last of a line originated by forward-looking managers in, of all places, the Lyons chain of tea shops. The assembler language was named Intercode, a cause for much ribald humor among programmers. The processor included a speaker so that you could hear your code executing. The operating system was named GEORGE. You never forget your first.

Read the whole thing at Taki’s Magazine.