Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
Want to make your computer go really fast? Throw it out a window.
—Anonymous
The desire to economize time and mental effort in arithmetical computations, and to eliminate human liability to error is probably as old as the science of arithmetic itself.
—Howard H. Aiken (1900–73) American Physicist, Engineer
Computers are magnificent tools for the realization of our dreams, but no machine can replace the human spark of spirit, compassion, love, and understanding.
—Louis V. Gerstner Jr. (b.1942) American Businessman
I don’t think there’s anything unique about human intellience. All the nuerons in the brain that make up perceptions and emotions operate in a binary fashion.
—Bill Gates (b.1955) American Businessperson, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Author
Pentiums melt in your PC, not in your hand.
—Anonymous
Computer science only indicates the retrospective omnipotence of our technologies. In other words, an infinite capacity to process data (but only data—i.e. the already given) and in no sense a new vision. With that science, we are entering an era of exhaustivity, which is also an era of exhaustion.
—Jean Baudrillard (1929–2007) French Sociologist, Philosopher
It took us three years to build the NeXT computer. If we’d given customers what they said they wanted, we’d have built a computer they’d have been happy with a year after we spoke to them – not something they’d want now.
—Steve Jobs (1955–2011) American Entrepreneur, Businessperson
I’m not against machines, as are some people who feel that the computer is leading us back into the jungle…I’m against machines only when the convenience they afford to some people is regarded as more important than the inconvenience they cause to all.
In short, I don’t think computers should wear the pants or make the decisions. They are deficient in humor, they are not intuitive, and they are not aware of the imponderables. The men who feed them seem to believe that everything is made out of ponderables, which isn’t the case. I read a poem once that a computer had written, but didn’t care much for it. It seemed to me I could write a better one myself, if I were to put my mind to it.
—E. B. White (1985–99) American Essayist, Humorist
At the present time there exist problems beyond our ability to solve, not because of theoretical difficulties, but because of insufficient means of mechanical computation.
—Howard H. Aiken (1900–73) American Physicist, Engineer
I see no reason why anyone would want a computer in their home.
—Kenneth H. Olsen (1926–2011) American Engineer, Businessperson
I only know one person who was able to write a program in ink and have it run the first time. That was Dick Bloch. He drove nearly all of us crazy because he could do that. Since the Mark I was a relay and step counter machine, it was not too difficult to change the circuits. Every once in a while, Dick would get the idea of a new circuit that would make his problem run faster. He’d get together with one of the operators during the night and they would fix the circuit. The next morning my programs wouldn’t run. It’s much better to have machines that the programmers cannot alter.
Commander Aiken was a tough taskmaster. I was sitting at my desk one day, and he said, You’re going to write a book. I said, I can’t write a book. He said, You’re in the Navy now. And so I wrote a book. I have it here with me. This is the Mark I manual.
Howard Aiken always said that one day we would have computers that would fit in a shoe box. I don’t t know how he knew that, but he did.
—Grace Hopper (1906–92) American Naval Officer, Mathematician
Part of the inhumanity of the computer is that, once it is competently programmed and working smoothly, it is completely honest.
—Isaac Asimov (1920–92) Russian-born American Writer, Scientist
The great thing about a computer notebook is that no matter how much you stuff into it, it doesn’t get bigger or heavier.
—Bill Gates (b.1955) American Businessperson, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Author
The robot is going to lose. Not by much. But when the final score is tallied, flesh and blood is going to beat the damn monster.
—George Goodman (b.1930) American Economist, Author
I think computer viruses should count as life. Maybe it says something about human nature, that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive.
—Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) English Theoretical Physicist, Cosmologist, Academic
Unless mankind redesigns itself by changing our DNA through altering our genetic makeup, computer-generated robots will take over our world.
—Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) English Theoretical Physicist, Cosmologist, Academic
The computer is a moron.
—Peter Drucker (1909–2005) Austrian-born Management Consultant
If you don’t know how to do something, you don’t know how to do it with a computer.
—Unknown
I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them.
—Isaac Asimov (1920–92) Russian-born American Writer, Scientist
The sad thing about artificial intelligence is that it lacks artifice and therefore intelligence.
—Jean Baudrillard (1929–2007) French Sociologist, Philosopher
Electronic aids, particularly domestic computers, will help the inner migration, the opting out of reality. Reality is no longer going to be the stuff out there, but the stuff inside your head. It’s going to be commercial and nasty at the same time.
—J. G. Ballard (1930–2009) English Novelist, Short Story Writer
All programmers are playwrights and all computers are lousy actors.
—Anonymous
Computers will never take the place of books. You can’t stand on a floppy disk to reach a high shelf.
—Sam Ewing (b.1949) American Sportsperson
Life was simple before World War II. After that, we had systems.
—Grace Hopper (1906–92) American Naval Officer, Mathematician
Man is the best computer we can put aboard a spacecraft… and the only one that can be mass produced with unskilled labor.
—Wernher von Braun (1912–77) German-born American Engineer, Scientist
What goes up must come down. Ask any system administrator.
—Anonymous
If you can’t beat your computer at chess, try kickboxing.
—Anonymous
I don’t think there’s anything unique about human intelligence. All the neurons in the brain that make up perceptions and emotions operate in a binary fashion. We can someday replicate that on a machine. Earthly life is carbon based and computers are
—Bill Gates (b.1955) American Businessperson, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Author
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
—Joseph Campbell (1904–87) American Mythologist, Writer, Lecturer