The purpose of this class is to get a historical perspective on the development of computers, to get a feeling for the technological trends and commercial pressures that have affected it, and to have fun. Everyone is expected to attend and participate actively in classes, and to spend about an hour a week looking for/at related materials.
I reserve the right to require some or all of you to give a 5-10 minute presentation.
Although I have a rough syllabus in mind, I'd be delighted if we follow tangents in almost any direction.