Observation: Cloud computing is nothing new
Dec 02, 2010, 16:33 (2 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Michael Reed)
"Cloud computing is not only the latest buzz term, it might well
be the model of computing that powers the 21st century. However,
it's easy to forget that personal computing, in which each user has
a standalone system that can operate without a network, is itself a
relatively new approach.
"The first practical computers were enormous behemoths composed
of clicking resistors and vacuum tubes. Much of the early
development of these multi-ton monsters had been spurred by the
allied code-breaking effort during World War II. For the first
thirty years of the history of general purpose computers, computer
time was the exclusive privilege of large institutions and
governments.
"One of the first breakthroughs in bringing down the cost of
computer access was the concept of a time-sharing system."
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