The Analytical Engine
technicshistory.wordpress.com · Personal blog · on HN since 2016
Technology history blog tracing the transistor, Arpanet, telegraph and telephone networks, and the breakup of AT&T in long multi-part series.
What HN saysHN commenters call it a great read, point newcomers to the start of its series, and compare it to The Victorian Internet.
18HN people shared it
7linked it in comments
38stories submitted
1.1Kstory points
7 years agolast shared
2016people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1The Transistor, Part 3: Endless Reinvention4 people · 160 points · first shared 2018 · 11 comments on HN
- 2The Unraveling – AT&T, the Government, and AntiTrust4 people · 5 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 3The Transistor, Part 1: Groping in the Dark3 people · 175 points · first shared 2018 · 28 comments on HN
- 4Arpanet, Part 1: The Inception3 people · 5 points · first shared 2019 · discussion on HN
- 5The Transistor, Part 2: Out Of The Crucible2 people · 84 points · first shared 2018 · 7 comments on HN
- 6Arpanet, Part 2: The Packet2 people · 51 points · first shared 2019 · 4 comments on HN
- 7One System, Universal Service?2 people · 36 points · first shared 2018 · 7 comments on HN
- 8Only Connect: on the automated telephone exchange2 people · 21 points · first shared 2017 · 1 comments on HN
- 9History of Computing: Extending Interactivity2 people · 13 points · first shared 2019 · discussion on HN
- 10An Expeditious Method of Conveying Intelligence2 people · 1 points · first shared 2016 · discussion on HN
- 11Lost Generation: The Relay Computers1 people · 185 points · first shared 2017 · 51 comments on HN
- 12Arpanet, Part 3: The Subnet1 people · 77 points · first shared 2019 · 7 comments on HN
- 13The Electronic Computers, Part 2: Colossus1 people · 60 points · first shared 2017 · 14 comments on HN
- 14The Electronic Computers, Part 4: The Electronic Revolution1 people · 54 points · first shared 2017 · 3 comments on HN
- 15The Unraveling of AT&T, Part 21 people · 51 points · first shared 2019 · 5 comments on HN
What HN people wrote when they linked it
sokoloff · 2018-06-22
Great read. For those who want to start at Part 1:
https://technicshistory.wordpress.com/2018/01/20/the-transistor-part-1…
Related: a modern day teen who makes low transistor count ICs in his garage: https://interestingengineering.com/this-teen-is-building-diy-integrate…
AmpHour Podcast episode on the teen: https://theamphour.com/390-an-interview-with-sam-zeloof/
Stratoscope · 2017-05-12
Start from the beginning of the story to get all the context. It's an interesting read:
https://technicshistory.wordpress.com/2016/11/25/an-expeditious-method…
And if you like this, I recommend The Victorian Internet:
https://tomstandage.wordpress.com/books/the-victorian-internet/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/162040592X
zeveb · 2018-11-02
The sequel, https://technicshistory.wordpress.com/2018/09/19/the-unraveling-part-1… is pretty interesting too.
I wonder to what extent the U.S. dominance of information technology is a result of the fact that even when we had a monopoly telecommunications provider, it was a private — rather than a state — monopoly, and how much is the result of us breaking the monopoly fairly early compared to other states.
panic · 2018-06-24
Here's the start of the series: https://technicshistory.wordpress.com/2018/01/20/the-transistor-part-1…
adidar83 · 2018-06-22
Or, part 3:Endless Reinvention
https://technicshistory.wordpress.com/2018/03/31/the-transistor-part-3…
sveit · 2018-06-15
This is by the author of "The Switch"[0], a history of the electronic switch. I found the series fascinating and am looking forward to this new series on the Internet.
[0] https://technicshistory.wordpress.com/2018/05/06/the-switch-introducti…