Sunday, March 13, 2005
Nostalgia on Tracking Corporate Fortunes
My earlier post on "E-Reading" involved a bit of nostalgia that didn't seem to fit that discussion. In the early 1980s, I was engaged in a project to introduce computer-communications networking and distributed command-control technologies into US Army tactical operations. The project involved many experiments and exercises using computers to pass real time information over a tactical internet based on wired and wireless versions of the Arpanet. We tried several computer manufacturers, some of which have not survived.
One of the non-survivors was the GRiD Compass, one of the earliest laptops, now located at OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum . It was 38"x29"x5" with a small screen( 25 lines of 80 characters each). While heavy and limited, it had the advantage of being rugged; it was even used by astronauts in space.
One fascinating benefit of the project was observing the ebb and flow of technology company fortunes visible in a small group of buildings in Palo Alto. GriD was housed in four buildings and across a street and parking lot was one smaller building housing the newer SUN Microsystems, with whom we were also doing business. Over what seemed a short time, GRiD's business shrank while SUN's grew rapidly; and SUN would take over one, then another , of Grid's buidings. It seemed to fit their needs for quick expansion or contraction at minimum delay and expense. It also demonstrated the pragmatic adaptability of technology outfits that could both compete and cooperate on reasonably cordial terms.
One of the non-survivors was the GRiD Compass, one of the earliest laptops, now located at OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum . It was 38"x29"x5" with a small screen( 25 lines of 80 characters each). While heavy and limited, it had the advantage of being rugged; it was even used by astronauts in space.
One fascinating benefit of the project was observing the ebb and flow of technology company fortunes visible in a small group of buildings in Palo Alto. GriD was housed in four buildings and across a street and parking lot was one smaller building housing the newer SUN Microsystems, with whom we were also doing business. Over what seemed a short time, GRiD's business shrank while SUN's grew rapidly; and SUN would take over one, then another , of Grid's buidings. It seemed to fit their needs for quick expansion or contraction at minimum delay and expense. It also demonstrated the pragmatic adaptability of technology outfits that could both compete and cooperate on reasonably cordial terms.
