TY - BOOK AU - Ware,Willis H. ED - Rand Corporation. TI - RAND and the information evolution: a history in essays and vignettes SN - 083304513X (pbk. : alk. paper) AV - QA76.27 .W37 2008 PY - 2008/// CY - Santa Monica, CA PB - RAND KW - Rand Corporation KW - History KW - Computer science KW - Research KW - United States KW - Information technology KW - Military research KW - 20th century KW - Research institutes N1 - Includes bibliographical references (p.177-190) and index; Introduction -- The Department -- RAND's First Computer People -- RAND's Early Computers -- A Building for People with Computers -- Project Essays -- Lore, Snippets, and Snapshots -- Epilogue; Also available on the internet via WWW in PDF format N2 - This professional memoir describes RAND's contributions to the evolution of computer science, particularly during the first decades following World War II, when digital computers succeeded slide rules, mechanical desk calculators, electric accounting machines, and analog computers. RAND's accomplishments included important advances not only in hardware and software but also in analytic techniques that exploited the speed and power of computers. From the beginning, RAND researchers were focused on using computers to improve applied studies that addressed complex, real-world problems. They also addressed the problem of infusing computing capability into an organization and helped to define the emerging profession of computer science. This memoir includes photographs and vignettes that reveal the collegial, creative, and often playful spirit in which the groundbreaking research was conducted at RAND UR - http://www.rand.org/pubs/corporate_pubs/CP537/ ER -