Bad month for tech

[ScottM]

First Steve Jobs, then Bob Galvin and Dennis Ritchie.

Dennis was the inventor of C and Unix and Bob was the son of the founder of Motorola. Bob was an amazing guy and I am lucky that I got to know him. He was a long serving CEO of Motorola and set the vision that made that company a very real technology giant. The press is reporting how disapointed he was after his son Chris was ousted as CEO by the board and the new regime went into breaking the company apart.

I used to have lunch with Bob about once a quarter when he would meet with a hand full of sr. engineering staff that were involved in future technology. He was a brilliant man and had ideas all the way to the end of his life. He was sought after by presidents to adivise on technology policy and pretty much is respobsible for opening China up for American technological companies. He was one of those people that when he spoke you wanted to listen.

A couple of years ago in the Motorola corporate HQ they put up a plaque of Bob right across from his father's plaque. I worked in that building and was there for the unveil. I think Bob honestly was very moved by him getting that honor. You may not know this about him but he was still influencing the current and past two president's on technology policy. He had their ear and was one of the guys who has been pushing Internet and broadband ideas globally. He will be missed.

 

[woodstock]

Sorry to hear this, Scott. Thank you for letting us know.

 

[TMetzinger]

Yep, for geeks, we're starting to see the fading of our own "greatest generation".

 

[denverpilot]

Heh heh...

 

[DaleB]

Three giants, without a doubt. Of the three I think I will miss Dennis the most. I wasn't nearly as familiar with Bob Galvin's story, though if course I'd heard of him. And of the two Steves, I'm happy that Woz is still with us. But I guess I never will get my copy of The C Programming Language signed.

 

[Ghery]

Three giants, without a doubt. Of the three I think I will miss Dennis the most. I wasn't nearly as familiar with Bob Galvin's story, though if course I'd heard of him. And of the two Steves, I'm happy that Woz is still with us. But I guess I never will get my copy of The C Programming Language signed.

Nor will I. RIP, Dennis.

 

[magicj]

#include <stdio.h>
main()
{
printf("goodbye, world\n");
}

 

[JeffDG]

Man, I had the original K&R C book and learned the language from it.

 

[1200AGL]

From his anti-forward to the Unix haters Handbook.

 

[rpadula]

Scott, thanks for posting that. I'd read about Dennis Ritchie yesterday, but not Bob Galvin.

 

[denverpilot]

#include <stdio.h>
main()
{
printf("goodbye, world\n");
}

Nicely done. I didn't even think of that.