'Computer World. Computer World. Computer World' sang Kratwerk in 1981, and they weren't kidding. In these Wintel-dominated times it's easy to take the Internet, ludicrous processing power, massive hard disk capacities and plug 'n' play connectivity for granted. Back in the day, however, things were very different. Gordon Laing's meticulously researched, elegantly designed homage fills a yawning gap in the bookshelves of computer afficionados and industrial design fetishists alike. With the benefit of a quarter of a century's hindsight, it's all too easy to poke fun at the often idiosyncratic and sometimes misplaced efforts of yesterday's hardware and software pioneers. Laing, however, treats his subjects with the reverence they deserve. Studded with fascinating insights gleaned through interviews with many of the industry's true innovators, Laing's authoritative survey rekindles happy memories of a more innocent era - one where computing was the domain of enthusiastic hobbyists rather than the commoditised behemoth it is today.