PI's 45th ANNIVERSARY -- From Art To Science

The author undoubtedly had no idea it would be almost 20 years before computer-to-plate technology was adopted on any kind of large scale.

Computerized database management systems were seen as bringing innovation to production and sales management, but the desktop computer and laptop were still the stuff of science fiction. As one article reported, "An estimator can simply sit down at an online CRT terminal, call up the estimating program and fill in the blanks on-screen."