Tribute to Larry Roberts - Under Appreciated Internet and Packet Switching Pioneer
Introduction:
Blog Timeline
May 2020
April 2018
Are Americans in danger of losing their Internet?
It’s hard to imagine life without the Internet: no smart phones, tablets, PCs, Netflix, the kids without their games.
January 2018
Tribute to radio and wireless transmission inventor Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla, whose name Elon Musk chose for his electric car company, was on the cover of Time magazine in 1931 for his achiev
March 2016
Andy Grove, ex-Intel CEO & Silicon Valley icon, dies at 79
There are several excerpted articles and quotes from those that worked for or with Andy Grove at Intel: San Jose Mercury article by
November 2015
October 2015
Oct 29, 2015: IEEE Special Citation for the Computer History Museum, Unveiling/Celebration
IEEE Santa Clara Valley (SCV) Section is proud to present this Special Citation at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View at noon
August 2015
Excellent Flash Memory Summit (FMS) History session with Eli Harari
On Thursday, August 13, 2015, a FMS audience enjoyed a marvelous "conversation" between FMS Technical Chair Brian Berg and SanDisk fou
Help on a History of IBM
Dear fellow members of ITHS, I am an historian, serve on the board of ITHS, and worked at IBM for 38 years.
April 2015
January 2015
December 2014
2014 Year End Review: IEEE Silicon Valley Tech History Committee
The IEEE SV Tech History committee fulfilled its mandate by holding four technical meetings in 2014. It was a close call as three of t
November 2014
October 2014
London Science Museum
The London Science Museum is opening its new Information Age Gallery on 24th October 2014 in the presence of the Queen and
September 2014
Ted Hoff: Significant Omissions from Malone's Intel Trinity Book
Written by Ted Hoff, PhD and edited by Alan J. Weissberger
Ted Hoff: Errors & Corrections in Intel Trinity book by Michael Malone
Editor's NOTE: This article was written by Ted Hoff, PhD EE and edited by Alan J.
The Evolution of the Desk
A group of students at the Harvard Innovation Lab have created a time-lapsed visualization of the impact of computers, IT, and technolo
Bloodless Beige Boxes | The Story of an Artist and a Thinking Machine
When was the last time you walked into a data center and were stopped dead in your tracks by the beauty of a computer? Right, probably
July 2014
History Session @ Flash Memory Summit, Aug 7th, Santa Clara, CA
Session 302-C: An Interview with Simon Sze, Co-Inventor of the Floating Gate (History Track)
June 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
A Billion Programmers
When I first wrote programs in 1953, there was no software and few programmers.
January 2014
Why Care Who Invented the First Computer?
During January some of you might have noticed a running dialogue among historians and other interested parties about who invented th
December 2013
Computer Pioneer Alan Turing Pardoned by UK for "crime" he didn't commit
The United Kingdom has finally pardoned Alan Turing for a gay sex conviction which tarnished the brilliant career of the code breake
Testimonials to Doug Englebart: Dec 9, 2013 @CHM
Computer visionary Doug Englebart was posthumously honored on December 9th at the Computer History Museum (CHM) in Mt View, CA.
November 2013
The Story of LEO
LEO, more formally known as Lyons Electronic Office, was the world's first business computer, having been developed by the British c
Highlights of Intel's Justin Rattner at CHM: Oct 8, 2013
The event was in the form of an interview/conversation led by CHM CEO/moderator John Hollar. Mr.
October 2013
Summary, photos & videos of Oct 1st IEEE Panel: Intel's Transition to Success!
This was a hugely succcessful panel session on Intel's transitions, twists and turns into the
August 2013
Oct 1, 2013 IEEE CNSV meeting: Intel's Transition to Success: From Memory to the Microprocessor
Panelists: Ted Hoff, Intel (1968-1983)
iCHSTM 2013
Almost two weeks ago I was at the 24th International Congress for the History of Science, Techn
June 2013
May 2013
Bob Metcalfe's Closing Keynote at Ethernet Innovation Summit - May 23, 2013, CHM in Mt View, CA
Bob Metcalfe's key points on the Ethernet Innovation Summit are summarized in this article:
April 2013
A Wonderful Adventure in Exhibition Space
Somehow my career has repeatedly led me into doing unexpected and wonderful things.
Alan Turing’s Earthshaking Philosophical Insight
Being the curator of the Alan Turing Year exhibiti
March 2013
February 2013
The Day IBM Let Married Women Work
It's hard to imagine not being able to work at IBM if you're a woman who happens to be married, but
January 2013
CEO John Hollar's CHM Progress Report at Jan 7, 2013 IEEE Life Member Meeting
John Hollar, Computer History Museum (CHM) President and CEO, delivered a progress report on CHM activities at the January 7th IEEE
November 2012
CHM Event Commemorating the 25th anniversary of Sun Micro's SPARC Microprocessor
On November 1, 2012, a panel of Sun Micro luminaries discussed how the company "bet the ranch" on the SPARC microprocessor at an ear
The WITCH is Back: 61 year old computer lives again!
After a three-year restoration project at The National Museum of Computing, the Harwell Dekatron (aka WITCH) computer was rebooted o
October 2012
Doomsday Scenarios-Big Science Discussion @ Computer History Museum (CHM) in Mt View, CA on October 27, 2012
Several very provocative doomsday scenarios were discussed, but then refuted by subject matter experts called up to the stage to eng
Shockley Semiconductor Reunion at CHM + Brief History of Shockley, Fairchild Semiconductor & Intel
A handful of former Shockley Semiconductor Labs employees recently got together at the Computer History Museum in Mt View, CA to tou
Microsoft's Chief Research Officer Rick Rashid in Conversation with NYT's John Markoff @CHM
On October 16th, Rick Rashid, Microsoft Research's first employee and now its Chief Research Officer, engaged in a spirited conversa
August 2012
Ken Segall at CHM: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success
A Sell Out/SRO crowd of over 400 people attended an outstanding Computer History Museum (CHM) talk by Ken Segall, author of the boo
July 2012
The future of computers ain't what it used to be
Back in a previous century — when I was a doctoral student and aspiring academic — I met some interesting researchers wh
April 2012
It's a trap!
I listened to a radio program on the subject of trap str
Bell Labs
The Computer History Museum rececntly hosted a forum with John Gertner, the author of a new book about Bell Labs.
March 2012
September 2011
Another Historic Plaque
By now you must know that I am fond of historic plaques, especially
August 2011
After 30 years, is the IBM PC reign ending?
Thirty years ago, the International Business Machines company introduced its first general-purpose personal computer, the 5150.
June 2011
Happy birthday, Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the
April 2011
Mainframe History and the First Users' Groups (SHARE)
“Programming” (and programming support) was an old data processing concept that originally was broadly defined as the adaptation of
March 2011
February 2011
Happy Birthdays IBM
James W. Cortada IBM Corporation
Ken Olsen and his once-great company
Ken Olsen, co-founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, died Feb. 6.
January 2011
"Go away kid you bother me..."
Today, January 25th 2011, marks the first anniversary of Herb Grosch's de
December 2010
Greatest computing inventions of all time?
The 25th anniversary of Invention & Technology (from American Heritage) is marked by a list of the “top twenty five rev
June 2010
Simplicity Revisited
A while ago I mentioned a book I was reading called The Laws of S
December 2009
September 2009
June 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back
Last week Palm introduced a new smartphone, designed to compet
ByNovember 2008
September 2008
The Interface Strikes Back
Recently I bought a new laptop. Since then, I have been in heavenly misery.
July 2008
Introduction: Hazards of life…
Maybe this post ought have come first before my comment on the Three Societies Meeting just up the blog.
A few historians of computing among lots of historians of science
When recently I got contacted about the opportunity to contribute to this blog, I thought as a first post to report on the panels on
The First What?
The first business computer. The first Systems Analyst. As a curator, I always demur when asked "what was the first....?
June 2008
SAGE and the Origins of Modern Computing
An old, rare IBM film about SAGE recently surfaced on YouTube
Moore's Law Again, and a (Possibly) Naked Emperor
In an earlier post (March 20), I discussed Moore’s Law and its relation to the
May 2008
April 2008
"Cybernetics is the Universal Solvent of Technology"
Those words were spoken by the late Professor W.
March 2008
Moore's Law, Steve Case, and YouTube
Moore’s Law
An Alternative Universe
Within the past decade, the cell phone has spread around the world.
February 2008
What's a Blog?
A couple of months ago, when I was asked to become a contributor to this blog, my first reaction was, "Right.