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In the early years of the computer industry, the military played a significant role in funding computing experiments. During World War II, the military funded various computing projects to aid in faster calculations. For example, the Navy supported the development of the Mark I, a large-scale calculator, and the Army funded the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator (ENIAC) project at the University of Pennsylvania.

In the 1950s, computing was primarily used for arithmetic operations, and companies like IBM started manufacturing large electronic computers for businesses. IBM’s sales staff became legendary, and their machines quickly surpassed competitors like the Univac.

In the late 1950s, Ken Olsen, an engineer, left MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory and formed the Digital Equipment Corporation. One of their innovations was the development of the minicomputer, a smaller computer that could interact directly with the user. This idea came from a group of computer researchers at MIT. Another concept that was catching on was time-sharing, which allowed multiple users to have interactive access to computers from individual terminals. Time-sharing eliminated the need for batch processing and allowed users to obtain results immediately.

The military’s interest in computing continued in the 1960s when the Air Force passed on the Q-32 computer to the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), which was responsible for developing new technologies for the military. ARPA was searching for someone to administer the Q-32 project and to lead a new program in behavioral sciences. They found their candidate in J.C.R Licklider, a psychologist who had a strong interest in computers and their potential.

Licklider believed that computers had the potential to act as extensions of human capabilities and envisioned a future where humans and computers worked as a symbiotic partnership. He saw the value in time-sharing and interactive computing, and his ideas shaped the direction of ARPA’s research.

Licklider’s influence on the field of computer science was profound. He wrote a seminal paper called “Man-Computer Symbiosis” in 1960, in which he argued for the close coupling of humans and computers for cooperative decision making. He saw computers as tools that could amplify human intelligence and expand our analytical powers.

After joining ARPA, Licklider worked to shift the focus of the agency’s research from command and control systems to advanced time-sharing systems, computer graphics, and improved computer languages. He also laid the foundation for the development of a network of interconnected computers.

Licklider’s tenure at ARPA was short-lived, but his ideas and influence left a lasting impact on the field of computer science. He believed that computers had the potential to transform society and enable greater collaboration and problem-solving. His vision set the stage for the development of the modern internet and the widespread use of computers in various industries.

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