Meilensteine der Rechentechnik.Bd.1

The award-winning work Milestones in Analog and Digital Computing is available in the second, completely revised and greatly expanded edition. The two volumes, which comprise 1600 pages in total, are a complete work, but can also be used individually. This publication deals with both analog and digital devices and includes related areas such as automata (e. g. automaton figures and musical automatons) and scientific instruments (e. g. astronomy, surveying, watchmaking). Early typewriters and program-controlled mechanical looms are also touched on.

The focal points of the first volume are: Basics, mechanical calculating machines, slide rules, historical automatons, development of arithmetic, step-by-step instructions for analog and digital calculators. All important technical terms are explained. The world's most magnificent cylindrical calculating machines and androids are presented in words and pictures. The book also contains fundamental considerations on topics such as digitization and artificial intelligence, the role of technological history and the preservation of technical heritage.

The second volume is mainly devoted to the electronic machines: Invention of the computer, worldwide development of computing technology, especially in Germany, England and Switzerland. It also includes a German-English and an English-German technical dictionary. The glossaries are intended to promote the reading of complicated foreign-language texts and facilitate translations. In addition, there is a comprehensive worldwide bibliography.

Both volumes report on sensational new discoveries of documents and objects (including the world's largest mass-produced cylindrical slide rule, the world's smallest mechanical parallel calculator, the first mechanical process calculator) and are also suitable as reference works. They are generally understandable and are aimed at everyone who enjoys history of technology, mathematics, computer science and art.