Use a hardware history book as a research tool

A hardware history is most useful when it connects design choices, production and the experience of using a system. An image of a prototype can raise questions that a finished-product specification does not answer.

Check captions, dates and the provenance of illustrations. A prototype, an advertisement and a retail unit may look similar while representing different stages of a project.

Keep a list of unanswered questions as you read. A good research note states what a source supports and what still needs confirmation. This page is a reading guide rather than a statement about an upcoming release.