Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Instead of the traditional systems engineering and program-
ming support provided to mainframe computer users, there was
MCM
's encouraging message, “Good luck, and welcome to the
computer age!”
6
In sum, on 25 September 1973 in Toronto and 28 September
in Boston,
MCM
not only unveiled a small, inexpensive, ver-
satile, and easy-to-use personal computer, but also heralded
a new era in computing based on the social acceptance of the
new computing paradigm represented by hardware such as the
MCM
/70.
Mr. Kutt strongly believes that in the coming years, the
computer field is going to be made up of millions of small
computers and a limited number of large computers, each
of the small systems specializing in the jobs they do best.
With this trend developing, the
MCM
/70 could, in a few
years, become as familiar as calculators are today.
Any major technological breakthrough or scientific discovery
inspires utopian sentiments. It is likely that Kutt's grand vision
for future computing was received with a measure of skepticism.
In the past, the advent of steam power, electricity, electronics,
and even the Internet, had inspired ungrounded proclamations
of a techno-panacea leading to technology-based higher forms
of social liberation. But as with his vision of computing with-
out punch cards, Kutt's analysis of computing's development,
republished all over North America, was right on the mark. Or,
should I say,
almost
on the mark, as the 1973 publicity was the
MCM
/70's first and only brush with fame.
At the time of Kutt Systems' incorporation, the computer in-
dustry did not manufacture any digital, electronic computers
