Talk:Gordon Bell

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This page is all messed up. The two most significant contributions of Gordon Bell are missing, and they are : The PDP-11 computer (not mentioned), and his work as a co-founder of Encore (one of the first multiprocessor computers to support > 2 or > 4 CPU's efficiently, using snoopy caches I believe.)

cgordonbell comments based on my page of articles http://research.microsoft.com/users/gbell/gbvita.htm

A PDP-11 Reference: Bell, C. G., R. Cady, H. McFarland, B. Delagi, J. O'Laughlin, R. Noonan and W. Wulf, "A New Architecture for Mini-Computers -- The DEC PDP-11, Sprint Joint Computer Conference, pp. 657-675 (1970). Bell, G., W. Strecker, "Computer Structures: What Have We Learned from the PDP-11" IEEE Computer Conference Proceedings, Florida (November 1975).

The Encore Multimax operated with up to 20 cpu's as one of the first machines with snooping cache. Bell, C. G., H. B. Burkhardt III, S. Emmerich, A. Anzelmo, R. Moore, D. Schanin, I. Nassi, C. Rupp, "The Encore Continuum: A Complete Distributed Workstation Multiprocessor Computing Environment", AFIPS Conference Proceedings, Vol. 54 (July 1985).

See also Bell, C. G., "Multis: A New Class of Multiprocessor Computers", Science, Vol. 228, pp. 462-467 (April 26, 1985) that describe the basis of snooping cache computers. I called them "multis, but alas the name didnn't stick. I did claim (correctly) that computers, for the foreseeable future, would be built this way.

This is Wikipedia so you know what to do: be bold! If you can improve this, have at it. But I think you'll find his earlier work long-predates Encore Computer; witness the Cmp multiprocessor that was built at Carnegie-Mellon University. :Atlant 12:00, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I don't know aenough about Bell (yet) to edit this article, but here's a partial timeline of his career, taken from the New Yorker article (which I've added to the page):

1957 - graduated from MIT with an M.S. 

(user:cgordonbell). 1958 - Fulbright Scholar at the University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia (user (user:cgordonbell). see Microsoft web page for viate (user:cgordonbell). 1959 - began work at MIT Speech Research Lab, including start of studies for a doctorate.

1960 - went to work for DEC
1966 - went on sabbatical to teach at MIT... 

(user:cgordonbell). NO IT WAS CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY AS THE PAGE CORRECTLY SAYS.

1972 - went back to DEC.
1972 - wrote "Law of Computer Classes".
1983 - left DEC.
(don't have a date for when he started working for Microsoft) 
       August 1995 User:cgordonbell

--Michael K. Smith 14:35, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

Contents 1 Possible References 2 Neutrality ? 3 Requested move 3.1 Survey 3.2 Discussion 4 Leaving DEC

[edit] Possible References

If somebody has time, please check these sources and try to revise the article and incorporate footnoted references. I recommend using {{cite}}.

• http://www.psc.edu/publicinfo/news/2003/2003-11-26_bell.html

• http://research.microsoft.com/~gbell/bio.htm

• http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1998/09/10/BU90714.DTL

I may be back later to help out. Feel free to leave me a reminder if I forget. Jehochman ^☎ / _✔ 17:43, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

---

Or http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/books/06cohenintro.html?ref=books about his "life-logging". --Gwern (contribs) 16:12 5 January 2008 (GMT)

[edit] Neutrality ?

The neutrality of this article disputed ? Why ? It is all true, what has been written there. C. Gordon Bell is really a pioneer in computing of his time. I am familiar with his publications and with the history of DEC.

Important items missing? This is a matter of space in Wikipedia. Most biographies will be more or less incomplete.

Best regards, 87.177.248.130 11:08, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Requested move

[edit] Leaving DEC

I am not sure about the comment that Gordon Bell left DEC because of a heart attack. I do know that prior to leaving he sent a flaming email to all employees denouncing the refusal of the executive to adopt the Windows, Icons, Mice and Pointers interface. I know because, like every other employee I got the message and I remember discussing it with a couple of Vice Presidents.

I am sure that this fact could be verified by any other DEC employee of the day —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.106.102.112 (talk)