Digital Equipment Corporation

Digital Equipment Corporation PDF Author: Alan R. Earls
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738535876
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Book Description
From its inception in 1957, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts, carved itself a role in American business unlike any other company. Launched by Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineer Ken Olsen with a $70,000 investment from the country's first venture capital firm, DEC rapidly became a pioneer in computer technology. In its heyday, DEC had a valuation of more than $12 billion and employed approximately one hundred twenty thousand people worldwide, making it second only to IBM. Its people and technology contributed to making computers increasingly affordable, which led directly to the advent of the personal computer, the first computer games, and computer networks. DEC was also a leader in the Internet revolution, claiming the dubious distinction of launching the first spam mailing and registering one of the first commercial domain names. Through photographs of people, events, and machines, Digital Equipment Corporation tells the story of the unassuming computer revolutionaries who reshaped the technological world. It is written for anyone who is interested in how the present era of computing ubiquity has evolved since the 1940s, when IBM chairman Thomas Watson predicted that the whole world might need no more than five computers.

Digital Equipment Corporation

Digital Equipment Corporation PDF Author: Alan R. Earls
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738535876
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Book Description
From its inception in 1957, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts, carved itself a role in American business unlike any other company. Launched by Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineer Ken Olsen with a $70,000 investment from the country's first venture capital firm, DEC rapidly became a pioneer in computer technology. In its heyday, DEC had a valuation of more than $12 billion and employed approximately one hundred twenty thousand people worldwide, making it second only to IBM. Its people and technology contributed to making computers increasingly affordable, which led directly to the advent of the personal computer, the first computer games, and computer networks. DEC was also a leader in the Internet revolution, claiming the dubious distinction of launching the first spam mailing and registering one of the first commercial domain names. Through photographs of people, events, and machines, Digital Equipment Corporation tells the story of the unassuming computer revolutionaries who reshaped the technological world. It is written for anyone who is interested in how the present era of computing ubiquity has evolved since the 1940s, when IBM chairman Thomas Watson predicted that the whole world might need no more than five computers.

DEC Is Dead, Long Live DEC

DEC Is Dead, Long Live DEC PDF Author: Edgar H. Schein
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1605093025
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 422

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Book Description
From an insider, the forty-year saga of the rise and fall of Digital Equipment Corporation, one of the pioneering companies of the computer age. Digital Equipment Corporation created the minicomputer, networking, the concept of distributed computing, speech recognition, and other major innovations. It was the number-two computer maker behind IBM. Yet it ultimately failed as a business and was sold to Compaq Corporation. What happened? Edgar Schein consulted to DEC throughout its history and so had unparalleled access to all the major players, and an inside view of all the major events. He shows how the unique organizational culture established by DEC's founder, Ken Olsen, gave the company important competitive advantages in its early years, but later became a hindrance and ultimately led to its downfall. Coauthors Schein, Kampas, DeLisi, and Sonduck explain in detail how a particular culture can become so embedded that an organization is unable to adapt to changing circumstances even though it sees the need very clearly. The essential elements of DEC’s culture are still visible in many other organizations today, and most former employees are so positive about their days at DEC that they attempt to reproduce its culture in their current work situations. In the era of post-dotcom meltdown, raging debate about companies “built to last” vs. “built to sell,” and more entrepreneurial startups than ever, the rise and fall of DEC is the ultimate case study.

The Ultimate Entrepreneur

The Ultimate Entrepreneur PDF Author: Glenn Rifkin
Publisher: Prima Lifestyles
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 356

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Book Description


Hidden History of Maynard

Hidden History of Maynard PDF Author: David A. Mark
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1625850751
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
As Maynard grew from a scattering of small hill farms to a booming center of industry and immigration, much of its colorful history was nearly forgotten. With a rollicking collection of his essays, newspaper columnist David A. Mark uncovers the hidden gems of the town's history. Learn why Babe Ruth shopped in Maynard during his Red Sox days and what they fed the animals at the Taylor mink ranch. Find out who is buried--and who is not--in the Maynard family crypt and which rock 'n' roll bands recorded in the studio upstairs from Woolworths on Main Street. Almost lost to time, these remarkable moments in history helped shape Maynard into the vibrant community that it is today.

The Soul of A New Machine

The Soul of A New Machine PDF Author: Tracy Kidder
Publisher: Back Bay Books
ISBN: 0316204552
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
Tracy Kidder's "riveting" (Washington Post) story of one company's efforts to bring a new microcomputer to market won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and has become essential reading for understanding the history of the American tech industry. Computers have changed since 1981, when The Soul of a New Machine first examined the culture of the computer revolution. What has not changed is the feverish pace of the high-tech industry, the go-for-broke approach to business that has caused so many computer companies to win big (or go belly up), and the cult of pursuing mind-bending technological innovations. The Soul of a New Machine is an essential chapter in the history of the machine that revolutionized the world in the twentieth century. "Fascinating...A surprisingly gripping account of people at work." --Wall Street Journal

Learn, Earn & Return

Learn, Earn & Return PDF Author: Harlan E. Anderson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780615305455
Category : Computer engineers
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
The autobiography of Harlan E. Anderson, co-founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), includes an appendix "The Rise and Fall of a Computer Empire" chronicling DEC's amazing growth and decline during the period after Anderson resigned and many photos which have never been seen before. Anderson writes on learning about computers and writing programs when the first stored program computers were still under construction. He writes about his earning days which were closely tied to the co-founding of Digital Equipment Corporation in 1957. For the first time, Anderson discusses his close relationship with co-founder Ken Olsen and how it came apart during the first decade of DEC's existence. Anderson also writes about his returning days which are still going on through his contributions to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and many other organizations.--harlaneanderson.com/

Creative Capital

Creative Capital PDF Author: Spencer E. Ante
Publisher: Harvard Business Press
ISBN: 1422129519
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 299

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Book Description
Venture capitalists are the handmaidens of innovation. Operating in the background, they provide the fuel needed to get fledgling companies off the ground--and the advice and guidance that helps growing companies survive their adolescence. In Creative Capital, Spencer Ante tells the compelling story of the enigmatic and quirky man--Georges Doriot--who created the venture capital industry. The author traces the pivotal events in Doriot's life, including his experience as a decorated brigadier general during World War II; as a maverick professor at Harvard Business School; and as the architect and founder of the first venture capital firm, American Research and Development. It artfully chronicles Doriot's business philosophy and his stewardship in startups, such as the important role he played in the formation of Digital Equipment Corporation and many other new companies that later grew to be influential and successful. An award-winning Business Week journalist, Ante gives us a rare look at a man who overturned conventional wisdom by proving that there is big money to be made by investing in small and risky businesses. This vivid portrait of Georges Doriot reveals the rewards that come from relentlessly pursuing what-if possibilities--and offers valuable lessons for business managers and investors alike.

Early British Computers

Early British Computers PDF Author: Simon Hugh Lavington
Publisher: Manchester University Press
ISBN: 9780719008108
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description


A History of Modern Computing, second edition

A History of Modern Computing, second edition PDF Author: Paul E. Ceruzzi
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262532037
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 468

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Book Description
From the first digital computer to the dot-com crash—a story of individuals, institutions, and the forces that led to a series of dramatic transformations. This engaging history covers modern computing from the development of the first electronic digital computer through the dot-com crash. The author concentrates on five key moments of transition: the transformation of the computer in the late 1940s from a specialized scientific instrument to a commercial product; the emergence of small systems in the late 1960s; the beginning of personal computing in the 1970s; the spread of networking after 1985; and, in a chapter written for this edition, the period 1995-2001. The new material focuses on the Microsoft antitrust suit, the rise and fall of the dot-coms, and the advent of open source software, particularly Linux. Within the chronological narrative, the book traces several overlapping threads: the evolution of the computer's internal design; the effect of economic trends and the Cold War; the long-term role of IBM as a player and as a target for upstart entrepreneurs; the growth of software from a hidden element to a major character in the story of computing; and the recurring issue of the place of information and computing in a democratic society. The focus is on the United States (though Europe and Japan enter the story at crucial points), on computing per se rather than on applications such as artificial intelligence, and on systems that were sold commercially and installed in quantities.

Pillars of Computing

Pillars of Computing PDF Author: Gerard O'Regan
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319214640
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
This accessible compendium examines a collection of significant technology firms that have helped to shape the field of computing and its impact on society. Each company is introduced with a brief account of its history, followed by a concise account of its key contributions. The selection covers a diverse range of historical and contemporary organizations from pioneers of e-commerce to influential social media companies. Features: presents information on early computer manufacturers; reviews important mainframe and minicomputer companies; examines the contributions to the field of semiconductors made by certain companies; describes companies that have been active in developing home and personal computers; surveys notable research centers; discusses the impact of telecommunications companies and those involved in the area of enterprise software and business computing; considers the achievements of e-commerce companies; provides a review of social media companies.