Diapositiva di PowerPoint
The ë80s: the first personal computers appear on the market
Those pioneers who attempted an approach with computer science, obtaining poor results, benefited from the arrival of the PC, because of the possibility of direct use, without intermediaries. They studied SW application manuals which were much less user-friendly than todayís. The PC was no longer a rigid device and gradually became an increasingly creative tool, which could be adapted to research requirements.
The process was complex, not only due to technical difficulties encountered by historians
who made mistakes and lacked expertise, but also because the academic world did not appreciate the importance of the application of new technologies and the fact that research results could change if data was processed and sources were examined using tools which did not commit errors.
However, early results were obtained despite the difficulties. Above all, in the quantitative history sector, which could use statistical processing software ñ the only type available at the time ñ better than any other sector.