From: jnc@mercury.lcs.mit.edu (Noel Chiappa)
To: coff@tuhs.org
Cc: jnc@mercury.lcs.mit.edu
Subject: [COFF] Re: "Hot Spot" High Performing Centres in Computing
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2023 17:10:10 -0400 (EDT) [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20231003211010.9182518C090@mercury.lcs.mit.edu> (raw)
> From: Dan Cross
> This is long, but very interesting: https://spectrum.ieee.org/xerox-parc
That is _very_ good, and I too recommend it.
Irritatingly, for such an otherwise-excellent piece, it contains two glaring,
minor errors: "information-processing techniques office" should be
'Information Processing Techniques Office' (its formal name; it's not a
description); "the 1,103 dynamic memory chips used in the MAXC design" -
that's the Intel 1103 chip.
> Markov's book, "What the Dormouse Said" ... goes into great detail
> about the interplay between Engelbart's group at SRI and PARC. It's a
> very interesting read; highly recommended.
It is a good book; it goes a long way into explaining why the now-dominant form
of computer user experience appeared on the West coast, ad not the East.
One big gripe about it; it doesn't give enough space to Licklider, who more
than anyone had the idea that computers were a tool for _all_ information
(for everyone, from all walks of life), not just number crunching (for
scientists and engineers). Everyone and everything in Dormouse is a
descendant of his. Still, we have Mitchell Waldrop's "Dream Machine", which
does an excellent job of telling his story.
(Personal note: I am sad and ashamed to admit that for several years I had
the office literally right next door next to his - and I had no idea who he
was! This is kind of like a young physicist having the office right next door
next to Einstein, and not knowing who _he_ was! I can only say that the
senior people in my group didn't make much of Lick; which didn't help.)
Still, get "Dream Machine".
Noel
next reply other threads:[~2023-10-03 21:10 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 6+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2023-10-03 21:10 Noel Chiappa [this message]
-- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
2023-10-02 13:08 Noel Chiappa
2023-10-02 13:36 ` Dan Cross
2023-10-02 14:50 ` Larry Stewart
2023-10-01 5:24 [COFF] " steve jenkin
2023-10-01 14:29 ` [COFF] " Larry McVoy
2023-10-01 16:42 ` Clem Cole
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