|
Q & A WITH BOB CRINGELY: CONTINUED
Do you think Bill Gate's and Micorsoft's
relentless pursuit of dominance of the PC
market has helped or hindered its growth, both
economically and intellectually? Helped, generally. Though Microsoft is dominant, they have created an industry so large that it leaves niches for folks with other good ideas -- ideas that might otherwise never get a chance to be realized.
Just finished watching triumph of the nerds. Can you tell me where i can get a quicktime verson of the big brother hammer slinging movie??? Don Brown Nope.
That's My Car!Your program, "Triumph of the Nerds" was spectacular, especially the trick vintage T-bird you were driving around. Is it yours? I've got a powder blue one just like it! As Jobs would put it, we (Mac) Nerds are ALL class.... Michael McCarley Phoenix, AZ No, that's MY car. It's a '66 Q-code with a 428 V-8 and all options except the 8-track.
Why did Steve Jobs take personal credit for the birth of the Mac at it's introduction? (As opposed to Bill Gates's Windows 3.0 and Windows 95 introduction where he recognized and credited the development teams that actualy did the work??) Willie Clark Pompton Plains, NJ Steve is more arrogant than Bill is.
I was heartened to see somebody finally saying out loud how Microsoft pinched Windows from Apple who nabbed it from Xerox. Its fun to hear the burglar cry "thief!" I was also glad to see someone talking about the Alto. But what about Doug Englebart? How could you leave out the guy that invented the mouse? Where is he now? Richard Smoke Portland, Oregon Doug Engelbart has an office at Logitech in Fremont and continues to fight the good fight. We did interview him, but he didn't fit well in the show. Maybe next time....
Hey Bob, what's up? I am 15 years old and I have been using computers since I could walk. My dad had me turn on our Apple II plus when I was two and I would play an educational game called "Sticky Bear" and a more entertaining one called "Asteroids". This is a game that I am sure most everone know of. Very cool.
Anyway, as a computer guy, what would you recomend
I work on. I mean, 10-20 years ago a good reco-
mendation would have been GUI's, but what about
for the late ninties? Telepathy?
I noticed you ended your program with Larry Ellison's vision of what sounded like a dumb terminal hooked to the internet. Is that really what he has in mind? Is he talking home entertainment, or am I supposed to save my confidential business documents to a site operated by someone else on the internet? I am having a great deal of difficulty understanding his vision. Braden Nesin Stockton,CA You understand it just fine. You just don't like it.
Enjoyed the series very much. Would like to read more about you silicon valley insiights. Are you writing for any other publications or web sites? Nope. sorry.
Enquiring minds want to know.
What are industry insiders saying about Larry Ellison's version of what will someday be, vis a vis the Internet, PCs and the flow of data? It's too expensive. PS Congratulations on the 'sex symbol' status :-)
Todd Scheven
Why is Commodore 64, its developer, and its GEOS software - a GUI if there ever was one - never cite d in histories of EDP? Madison National Bank here leased it for on-line banking in 1982 with software for fund transfers, bill paying, etc. It also had word processing, games, the whole magilla -- all accessed via icons much like Windows. With an add- itional 64K plug-in memory it seemed like heaven. Even Peter Norton wrote a Commodore 64 version of his Norton Commander utility program for it. I still have the software for banking, if not the machine to run it on. Beyond that, Robert, your program was excellent -- informative, beautifully delivered, and done with a touch of humor. Keep it up! Ray Connolly [formerly EN and Electronics] Washington, D,C, 20024 Maybe in the next series.
I enjoyed the program on PBS tonight. I felt that Intel and silicon in general were noticably left out of the main 'power' picture, when in fact it is the main driver behind all the progress, more than software 'nerds' and their mindshare leadership. This technology is well over the '30' year integration into society limit, yet is consistently neglected in the limelight of tech leadership. All that we are in terms of software accomplishments and networking, and its cyberspace future live and grow in crystals of silicon, and the gurus who bring it to life. If information is power in the brave new cyber-world, what does that translate into for the owners of the physical technology (silicon, today) where that technology lives? Even the venerable Gates & Co. could wind up a small etching on a future silicon chip.
Also, if such technology can bind the world in a new 'order'
bringing a world market and equality into our very homes, doesn't
that order of capability open the door to a whole new level of
abuse and misuse of power to those who know how to manipulate it.
Napoleon used tactics, Hitler tactics and media, might not a new
tyrant use tactics, media and information to subjugate, and how
can we guard against this. This is where I differ with Ellison, and
side with Gates, keep the power on our desks, not centralized... It's not power, but its use that interests me. Chips create the potential for power, but systems and software realize that power.
Hi Bob, How are Jobs, Wozniak, Gates, and Allen really like. What do you think will be the next generation in computer technology? Are you writing another book now? And how can I contact Charles Simonyi? Thanks! Anthony Paige You've asked for a book! Try charless@microsoft.com.
How in the heck did you get such frank interviews from EVERYONE? Surely this documentary could not have been made about ANY other industry. Witness Roger & Me. Daniel Bergstrom Urbana, IL (Birthplace of HAL) I agree.
Have you made up with Pammy ? I have a prediction. I think Microsoft is going down. Why do you ask ? Simple, they want to own my desktop. We welcomed Windows for it's help from DOS. Now they want to more than lend a hand. They put Icons on my desktop. Populate file manager(Explorer)with their options. Change file associations for their apps. Do they ask ? NO !!!!!!! I am moving to Unix. OS/2 is IBM's and they controlled me way too long. Apple always wanted to control everything. Now big Bill wants to control my window. Well no one controls my window, it's mine. Unix might not be that user friendly but I am in control. My future, a Silcon Graphics Indy for me. Sun Sparcstation for the wife. A set top Java machine for the kids.
When you host the next series in 10 years.
Microsoft will be history.
We the people will control. Microsoft can't own my desktop. It's so cluttered I can't even SEE my desktop.
Given the success of DOS and subsequent launch of Windows 1.0, why do you think it took Apple so long to decide to license its operating system? More to point, why didn't the lost lawsuit against Microsoft act as Apple's final wake up call?
Mac lovers are looking to blame someone. Who should we
blame? Sculley didn't have the guts and Spindler thought it was too late.
Rumours have run rampant over the last year about Apple being for sale. HP, Sun and IBM were all suggested as purchasers. Did Steve Jobs ever consider buying back his baby? Don Nicklin Nanticoke Ontario Canada Steve talked with Larry Ellison (his best friend -- is that a surprise?) about buying Apple together, but nothing came of it.
Dear Bob Cringely, My wife and I found your show to be quite enjoyable, however, we would like to take issue with a comment you made during the program's opening. In it you made the statement that, "Microsoft invented the first personal computer." Later you go on to report that Apple Computer, Inc. was the first company to build and sell a completely functioning personal computer (i.e. plug it in, and turn it on). Which statement is correct, or is this something that depends upon one's definition of "personal computer?"
Also, we noticed that there was a conspicuous
absence of pen based computers from your story.
Aren't they a future computing wave, as they offer
their users complete mobile interconnectivity
without a connecting wire? I said that MITS (not Microsoft) invented the personal computer. Pen computing has already come and failed.
Bob Cringely
|| Comments || Q & A With Bob || Bob in VDO || Nerds Home || PBS Online || |