According to Friedman, the most important driver of early computer technology research was:
A)The British government
B)The US military
C)IBM
D)Amateurs like the Homebrew Computer Club
Which of these is NOT a characteristic unique to digital technology?
A)Representing information with discontinuous (discrete) values
B)Representing information as a continuous range of values
C)Encoding information as data
D)Processing information following clearly defined rules (called 'algorithms')
Friedman uses the metaphor of an oracle to describe what early computing practice? (Users would approach with reverence, ask a question to acolytes, and then wait for a response from a mysterious source).
A)Building a computer from a kit
B)Time sharing on a mainframe computer
C)Batch processing on a mainframe computer
D)Using slow dial-up internet service
According to Friedman, why did Apple represent itself as a woman in its famous "1984" advertisement?
A)Their advertising agency (Chiat/Day) wanted to make a strong contrast between the athletic, attractive woman who represented Mac, and the quirky Charlie Chaplin figure in IBM's commercials.
B)It made the Mac an appealing 'underdog' and an unintimidating machine. It also sought to broaden the potential user base.
C)Title IX anti-discrimination laws incentivized this casting choice.
D)Women were the largest demographic of computer users at the time and Apple wanted to solidify its position in this market.