The Enigma of the Micro
Lessons from the British Home Computer Boom
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12170802 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Leslie Haddon (0000-0001-7338-7232, corresponding author), David Skinner (0000-0002-8169-3958) |
| Year | 1991 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 435-449 |
| Publication date | 1991-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Science Computer Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0894-4393 • E-ISSN: 1552-8286 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/089443939100900305 |
| OpenAlex | W2026755979 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 6 |
This article first outlines the early development of the home computer in Britain, focusing particularly on the sahence of the first "boom" years. Based on later interviews with users, we illustrate the symbolic and collective nature of home computmg. We show that there were, in fact, competing conceptions of the role of this product. Producer debates about these were also reflected in consumer evaluations. Finally, we argue that it would be wrong to evaluate early British micros in too narrowly utilitarian terms—the utility of other technological products has also had to be constructed by producers and consumers. Keywords: adoption, Britain, consumption, history, hobby, home, microcomputer, production
Boom · Business · Consumption (sociology · Economics · Hobby · Microeconomics · Political science · Product (mathematics · Production (economics · Social science · Sociology · Digital Games and Media · Engineering · History of Computing Technologies · Law · Marketing
| Unique citing works | 6 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,21 |
| Citation span | 1997 - 2018 (22) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |