Slashdot Mirror
Erich Bloch, Who Helped Develop IBM Mainframe, Dies At 91 (google.com)
shadowknot writes: The New York Times is reporting (Warning: may be paywalled; alternate source) that Erich Bloch who helped to develop the IBM Mainframe has died at the age of 91 as a result of complications from Alzheimer's disease. From the article: "In the 1950s, he developed the first ferrite-core memory storage units to be used in computers commercially and worked on the IBM 7030, known as Stretch, the first transistorized supercomputer. 'Asked what job each of us had, my answer was very simple and very direct,' Mr. Bloch said in 2002. 'Getting that sucker working.' Mr. Bloch's role was to oversee the development of Solid Logic Technology -- half-inch ceramic modules for the microelectronic circuitry that provided the System/360 with superior power, speed and memory, all of which would become fundamental to computing."
In those days, among the company's other great attributes, the company didn't get involved in politics.
In today's IBM, the CEO just sent Lord Trump a feel-good letter about how to make profits together. At least one employee resigned over it.
The URLs are easily searchable, but I submitted it as a story, so maybe it will come up later? I gotta run now.
- IBM's CEO (actually any CEO but in this case IBM's) sending a formal public letter to the president-elect is a good Slashdot story for discussion.
- One employee quitting in a company of 400k+ employees is a tabloid news story being picked up mainstream media. That is not worthy of discussion on Slashdot.
- Don't kid yourself into thinking politics didn't come up back then.
Hope your submission does go through.