Computers Quote by Frederick P. Brooks Jr
““Power tools for the mind. The most dramatic way to improve the productivity of management information systems (MIS) programmers is to go down to your local computer store and buy off the shelf what they would have built. This is not ridiculous; the availability of cheap, powerful shrink-wrapped software has met many needs that formerly would have occasioned custom packages. These power tools for the mind are more like electric drills, saws, and sanders than they are like big complex production tools.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Mythical Man-Month, 1975
Off‑the‑shelf software tools act like power tools, boosting programmer productivity.
In simple terms: Cheap tools boost efficiency.
Key Takeaway
Adopt ready‑made solutions.
Themes
productivity
software tools
programming
Mood
practical
technical
Type
advisory
inspirational
When to use this quote
- software development
- IT departments
- startup coding
Key Concepts
off‑the‑shelf
automation
efficiency
Questions to Reflect On
- When to build vs. buy?
- What limits off‑the‑shelf tools?
A Different Perspective
Custom solutions may still be needed for unique problems.
![“Lehman and Belady have studied the history of successive releases in a large operating system.[6] They find that the total number of modules increases linearly with release number, but that the number of modules affected increases exponentially with release number. All repairs tend to destroy the…” quote by Frederick P. Brooks Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/115/frederick-p-brooks-jr-11230_history_lehman-and-belady-have-studied-the-histo_145780.jpg)
