Plato: An educational computer system from the ’60s shaped the future

Re:Plato: An educational computer system from the ’60s shape... by atleastoptimal on Saturday March 18, 2023 @05:46PM (#35213405)

Looking at the general mood people had towards computers in the 60s, it's clear computers and any computer technology seem to follow a three decade trend of speculation, readjustment and push back, then full adoption.

First decade: philosophical fervor, extreme optimism and speculative wonder into how the future will change

Second decade: Post-bust adjustment, pessimism, bias towards return to normalcy

Third decade: Full integration, time before feels alien

1960s: computers are a world changing, mind opening key to an unimaginably bright future

1970s: computers are just another tool and overhyped, not a change to the status quo

1980s: computers are inseparable from almost every part of our day to day lives

1990s: The internet is a world changing, mind opening key to a unimaginably bright future

2000s: the internet is just another tool and overhyped, not a change to the status quo

2010s: the internet is inseparable from almost every part of our day to day lives

2000s: AI is a world changing, mind opening key to an unimaginably bright future

2010s: AI is just another tool and overhyped, not a change to the status quo

2020s: AI is inseparable from almost every part of our day to day lives

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Re:Plato: An educational computer system from the ’60s shape... by edizms on Saturday March 18, 2023 @09:51PM (#35215176)

Interesting since cryptocurrencies are in their 2nd decade now.

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Re:Plato: An educational computer system from the ’60s shape... by userbinator on Sunday March 19, 2023 @01:20AM (#35216282)

1980s: computers are inseparable from almost every part of our day to day lives

As someone who lived through that period, I don't think so. That description would be more applicable to ~2010+.

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Re:Plato: An educational computer system from the ’60s shape... by atleastoptimal on Sunday March 19, 2023 @02:33AM (#35216574)

Due to the telescoping nature of innovations it was likely a longer and more spaced out series of advances. Nevertheless in business computers were ubiquitous by the 1980s

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Re:Plato: An educational computer system from the ’60s shape... by dmm10 on Sunday March 19, 2023 @03:17AM (#35216774)

Your comment does not reflect history in the U.S.A.. And judging from the GP "our day to day lives" is very much U.S. centric.

Transportation: ""By 1981, all GM vehicles would be equipped with their new Computer Command Control System ("CCC") emission control system that featured an ECM (Electronic Control Module) that featured a Motorola 6802 based 8-bit microprocessor manufactured by Delco Electronics. "" https://www.chipsetc.com/computer-chips-inside-the-car.html

Entertainment - video games:

""we saw the release of all-time classic games such as Pac-man (1980), Mario Bros (1983), The Legend of Zelda (1986), Final Fantasy (1987), Golden Axe (1988), etc."" https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/evolution-of-home-video-game-c...

Financial - personal:

ATMs were quite common if no ubiquitous by the mid 1980's "" "The origins of the cashless society: cash dispensers, direct to account payments and the development of on-line real-time networks, c. 1965–1985" "" https://web.archive.org/web/20140714184815/http://www.ebhsoc...

Business:

VisiCalc came out in 1979, and spreadsheets were common in business offices in the U.S.A. through the 1980's.

Entertainment - TV and movies:

Computers were also used in commercial and movie production (ex. the 1984 Macintosh commercial, Pixar founded 1986 more or less out of Lucasfilm, and note that the VideoToaster came out for the Amiga in 1990 bringing professional level video production to a much more accessible price point.)

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