DMC
Liverwurst
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|  #1 Posted on 25.2.03 2210.23
Reposted on: 25.2.10 2218.28 | Ok Wienerboard researchers I need your help one more time. I don't have much in the way of up-to-date info (articles or books) on computers, specifically on the history of the personal computer industry. While I can find many of the basic facts easily enough, I can't seem to locate anything on the *number* of personal computers in America historically. For example, how many personal computers were in use (in America) in 1980 compared to 1990? 1990 compared to 2000? Where can I find some kind of raw numbers for either of these eras? Does anyone have any books on personal computers which lists these facts, or know of any web sites which have this? (Google isn't even helping me on this!)
Help me Wienerboard. You're my only hope.
DMC
(edited by DMC on 25.2.03 2011) | Promote this thread! |             | CRZ
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| #2 Posted on 25.2.03 2211.52
Reposted on: 25.2.10 2218.29 | | Modesto used to have a FANTASTIC library. | DMC
Liverwurst
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| #3 Posted on 25.2.03 2212.39
Reposted on: 25.2.10 2218.31 | It still does. But I'm Lathrop-bound till Thursday, which is when I need it by. 
DMC | AWArulz
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| #4 Posted on 26.2.03 0730.48
Reposted on: 26.2.10 0734.56 | Try this:
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/bam/www/numbers.html
| DMC
Liverwurst
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| #5 Posted on 26.2.03 1114.19
Reposted on: 26.2.10 1118.37 | I found that earlier and it wasn't helpful. All of the quotes and numbers deal with the 1990s, and I'm looking for something that describes the number of personal computers in the 80s as well.
Oh well...a late-night trip to Borders may be in order.
DMC | The Sham
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| #6 Posted on 26.2.03 1144.26
Reposted on: 26.2.10 1155.59 | http://www.census.gov/prod/99pubs/p20-522.pdf
What kind of search strings did you use? I used:
personal computer use by decade census | AWArulz
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| #7 Posted on 26.2.03 1231.37
Reposted on: 26.2.10 1232.31 |
Nice work. I guess I missed "by decade" on that one. Darn it. That looks like what he needed.
Saw this on that other one though:
Percent of US homes with personal computers:
(from Marvin Sirbu, CMU). Data through 1994 appears in an NTIA report available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fallingthru.html
1985: 13.6%
1986: 16.6%
1987: 19.4%
1988: 22.4%
1989: 24.0%
1990: 25.4%
1991: 26.6%
1992: 29.6%
1993: 32.7%
-- Percent of households with televisions: 98%
-- Percent of households with VCRs: 80%
| DMC
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| #8 Posted on 26.2.03 1239.52
Reposted on: 26.2.10 1239.53 | Beautiful, thank you Sham. Maybe I dread the word "census" so I didn't use it, but those figures were very well presented and summarized. (Historians usually look at statistical charts and have anxiety attacks.) I guess also have a research problem of stubbornly sitting there and trying the same basic search words over and over in different combinations. I can't "see the forest for the trees" until I back up and think about it, and occasionally get some help. (I believe I tried "personal computer use in America," "personal computer history," "numbers of personal computers," etc.)
Again, much thanks.
DMC
(Interesting...any statistics experts know why the Department of Commerce numbers are higher than those of the Census Bureau? Different samples, different surveys? Would it be fair to combine the two and take the average, or simply report one set of data and note the source?)
(edited by DMC on 26.2.03 1047) | | ALL ORIGINAL POSTS IN THIS THREAD ARE NOW AVAILABLE |
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