I am trying to find some credible online sites or publications that
can provide me with technical definitions for the era of 1990 - 1994.
The subject matters relates to computers, computer sciences or
telecommunications.

For example:
  - What does the term "module" mean in 1993?
  - What does the term "CPU" mean in 1991?
  - What does the term "serial bus" mean in 1994?

Feel free to contact me for further clarification.

Good luck.

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Clarification of Question by wonkywabbit-ga on 08 Apr 2004 15:31 PDT

Thank you for the clarification. 

>Your question should probably be rephrased as "What is an example of
> (module,cpu,serial bus) for 1991 - 1994"

I am not just looking for a definition in that era, but also resources
(e.g., websites) that can provide me credible definitions of these
terms from that era.

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 08 Apr 2004 18:24 PDT

Take a look at this site:

http://www.vavasour.ca/jeff/cfdm.html

for CoCo magazine.

CoCo was shorthand for Color Computer, and referred to the TRS-80 in
the 1980's and early 1990's.  The magazine has been preserved online,
and if you pick an issue, and search it for a term of interest, you'll
likely find something.

For instance, I accessed the January 1993 issue #12 at:

http://142.179.110.134/~jeffv/cocodisk/issue12.htm

and searched for "CPU" and found:

" Well I did it!!!  I finally got up enough nerve
to open up my COCO and take a soldering iron to the
printed circuit board.  In this review I will share
with you my experiences on installing the 6309 CPU
and how the change relates to RS-DOS...."

RS-DOS!!!!  What the heck?

Anyway, let me know if this sort of thing meets your needs.  There are
certainly other sites like this, but most of them have a 1980's focus.

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Request for Question Clarification by aht-ga on 08 Apr 2004 18:51 PDT

wonkywabbit-ga:

A challenge in providing you links to websites that provide a 'period
reference' to these terms, is the reality that the World Wide Web
itself was born on a single, experimental server in 1991, and it was
not until 1994 that it began its exponential growth into what we now
know. As a result, unless someone has taken it upon themselves to
create a modern history site discussing the evolution of technical
terms in the early '90s, you will not have the definitive 'period
reference' that you are seeking; and even if such a site exists, the
content will be purely the opinion of the site operators.

It may be possible to provide you with references to published
documents/papers from those time frames where the terms appear; again,
the definitions will be purely the opinion of the authors.

From my own background (professional engineering and business
management), I can tell you that the term "module" is extremely
general, and has not changed in basic meaning since at least the 70's.
The meaning has expanded to be applicable to everything from physical
assemblies (the original meaning) to include virtual assemblies (such
as software 'modules).

I can also tell you that the term 'central processing unit' was first
coined in 1969 to describe Intel's successful attempt at a single-chip
assembly that could provide computing functions on its own. The
acronym CPU has been properly used to describe this class of chip ever
since.

Finally, I can tell you that even in 1994, the term 'serial bus'
referred to the use of serial (ie. sequential) communications over a
multi-tapped bus or loop. The protocols involved have varied from the
70's through to the present, but the concept has always been the same.
See http://standards.ieee.org/micro/1394overview.html for an example.
I still remember setting up RS-422/485 serial communications buses in
the late 80's/early 90's, when the protocols themselves were already
widely adopted for industrial communications applications (for when
these standards were introduced, see
http://www.bb-elec.com/tech_articles/current_loop_app_note/introduction.asp
).

Generally, what I am trying to communicate here is that these terms
were general terms that were basically assumed to be widely understood
within the technical circles that used them at the time.

In light of this, can you tell us what you would accept as credible
websites/definitions? Does it have to be from an 'official'
organization/company, or would you accept private-individual websites
where someone has posted their own knowledge (much as I have just done
above)?

Regards,

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher

I belive that the words you wish to define are always going to have
the same meaning. IE:

module = http://www.pcwebopedia.com/TERM/m/module.html
cpu = http://www.pcwebopedia.com/TERM/C/CPU.html
"serial" - http://www.pcwebopedia.com/TERM/s/serial.html
"bus" - http://www.pcwebopedia.com/TERM/b/bus.html

Your question should probably be rephrased as "What is an example of
(module,cpu,serial bus) for 1991 - 1994"

Try this:

http://www.geek.com/glossary/glossary_search.htm