4 Oct
2023
4 Oct
'23
3:10 a.m.
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