Quiz: Computer Nostalgia 2.0 The first computer ever designed was powered by a hand crank on the side: True or False? (False -- the Difference Engine, designed in the 1820s, was powered by steam and as big as a locomotive.)
How much do you know about Ye Olde Tech Trivia? Take our quiz to find out!
1. In 1982, young Richard Skrenta secured his place in computer history by creating a program called Elk Cloner. What made Skrenta's program noteworthy?
Answer 2. The manufacturer didn't call it a computer because it was thought at the time that few individuals would be interested in owning a comuter or able to afford one -- at a typical cost of $1 million -- if they wanted it. DEC's PDP-11, sold in 1970 for $10,800, is one of the most famous computers in history. What does "PDP" stand for?
a. Personal Data Processor
b. Programmed Data Processor
c. Personal Digital Processor
Answer 3. In 75 years of operation, the telephone system expanded to reach 50 million users. How long did it take the Internet to reach that number?
Answer 4. Time magazine broke with tradition for their 1982 "Man of the Year" award. What up and coming newcomer did they chose?
Answer 5. In 1972, ARPANET contractor Ray Tomlinson borrowed a symbol from the business world that you probably use many times a day.
What is it? 6. "There are two major products that came out of Berkeley: LSD and ________. We don't believe this to be a coincidence." What operating system was Jeremy Anderson talking about? Hint: It originated at Bell Labs in 1969 as an interactive time-sharing system.
Answer 7. The first personal PC to attract a substantial number of users appeared on the cover of the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics. Was it:
a. the Analytical Engine
b. the Altair 8800
c. the Commodore 64
Answer 8. In 1976, then-Atari president Joe Keenan dispatched the developers of a new personal computer from his office, saying "Get your feet off my desk, get out of here, you stink, and we're not going to buy your product." To whom was this speech addressed?
Answer 9. What year saw the first example of a widely-distributed spyware program bundled with freeware?
a. 1989
b. 1995
c. 1999
Answer 10. Born in 1815, she was the daughter of the Romantic poet Lord Byron and an accomplished mathematician. She's often credited as the first computer programmer and even has a programming language named for her.
Who was she? Can't get enough of the Golden Oldies? Try Computer Nostalgia: Do you speak Geek? How many could you guess correctly without peeking? Let us know!
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| Last updated on: Aug 11, 2008 |
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