'Covering -- digital, analog and other types of automatic computers; Miniature computers; Present and future applications in business, industry and government'
For historical purposes, valuable reference because it contains a 'convenient checklist of computer characteristics; a listing of books, periodicals, papers & organizations offering further information on all aspects of automatic computing machinery; names & addresses of organizations from whom automatic computing equipment may be bought or rented; a large glossary of terms and expressions used in the automatic computing field' (all circa 1959).
'Section III of the book dealing with analog machines, & Section VII-5 dealing with military applications of computers, are the work of Wainwright; the rest of the book is the work of Berkeley' (from the Preface)
CONTENTS -- Machines that Handle Information -- Computers; Types of Automatic Computers; Automatic Digital Computing Machines -- The Automatic Digital Computer; Storing Information & the Memory Unit; Calculating & the Arithmetic Unit; Programming & he Control Unit; Input & output units; Reliability - checking & maintenance; Advantages & Disadvantages of an automatic digital computer; A checklist of characteristics of an Automatic digital Computer; Automatic Analog Computing Machines -- the Analog Principle & its use; Essential elements; A Simple Computer; Analog & Digital Computers Compared; Examples of analog computer units; Examples of Analog Computers; Functional considerations; error control; System & supply considerations; Future prospects; Other Types of Automatic Computing Machines -- types that are not digital or analog computers; Components of Automatic Computing Machines;
Miniature Computers & their use in Training -- Simon - its history & main features; Simon - numbers, operations & programming; How Simon is Constructed; Some Large-Scale Automatic digital computers - Univac; IBM Types 701, 702, 705 & 704; ERA Type 1103;
Applications of Automatic Computing Machines -- whose work can automatic computers do; what people may buy automatic computers; The attitudes of prospective buyers toward automatic computing machines; Appications of automatic computing machines in business; Military applications; Applications of automatic computing machines in other fields; Recognizing areas where automatic computing machines may apply;
References -- books and other sources of information; Roster of Organizations making automatic computing machines; Roster of automatic computing services; Glossary of terms and expressions; Index.
