内容简介：
In the mid-19th century, Charles Babbage conceived the notion of a programmable computer. His aAnalytical Enginea possessed several features of 20th-century computers, including memory and the concept of looping. The lack of suitable materials prevented the successful construction of a functional device at the time; however, a working model of Babbageas engine was constructed in 1991 from his original plans and it functioned perfectly Now, close your eyes and ponder for a moment what things might have been like if Babbageas device had been a success. Fast forward about twenty years after the device had been introduced. What application would there have been for computing in a world without networks, satellites or cell phones? Could the technology have been abused? Would there have been 19th-century cybercrime? Meet Ada Brandt, a twenty-four-year-old computer programmer from the town of Wellington Lake. Ride along and experience what might have beena]