Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

UK Lab Responsible for VNC To Close

Posted by chrisd on from the we-have-the-way-in dept.

NexUK writes "Guardian Online has an article about the imminent closure of the UK based AT&T lab , the place that brought us VNC, the popular desktop remote control system. The article talks about a nice "Toys" budget where the employees could buy gadgets without prior authorization." AT&T Strikes again, I'm surprised they haven't bought PARC and closed it down too.

3 of 166 comments (clear)

  1. So what happens to VNC? by shaldannon · · Score: 4, Informative

    I think that's my biggest question. Luckily I've got a couple UNIX tarballs around, but that's just archival. Is development going to continue?

    --


    What is your Slash Rating?
  2. This is what breeds true innovation... by lw54 · · Score: 4, Informative
    In Hopper's lab there was a rule that anyone could buy anything on his own authority so long as it cost less than £1,000. If you wanted something more expensive, you had to get another signature, but that was usually a breeze.

    It was known colloquially as the 'toys budget' and it was, no doubt, sometimes used for frivolous purchases. But in the main it was not. And it meant that the lab's researchers always had the latest gizmos - and the freedom to take them apart and see how they worked.

    My first thoughts were how on earth could management implement and afford a policy like this. But in the end, I thought true innovation requires liberal policies such as these.

    The dotCOM era was full of excess, perhaps too much so, but this is proof that there are still companies out there striving to be the best.

  3. Olivetti was the creator. and its not dead anyway. by nurb432 · · Score: 4, Informative

    ATT only bought them and changed the source to reflect ownership. they *created* nothing.. barely even a bug fix since the buyout..

    Thats why groupls like tightVNC ( gpl ) or TridiaVNC ( commercial ) came about.. and will continue it far into the future..

    Its not going anywhere.. do some homework people.

    Still sad, though anyone could see it coming...

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----