Tag: history
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MS-DOS paternity suit settled
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Andrew Orlowski
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An overlooked court case in Seattle has helped restore the reputation of the late computer pioneer Gary Kildall.
Last week, a Judge dismissed a defamation law suit brought by Tim Paterson, who sold a computer operating system to Microsoft in 1980, against journalist and author Sir Harold Evans and his publisher Little Brown. The software became the basis of Microsoft’s MS-DOS monopoly, and the basis of its dominance of the PC industry.
But history has overlooked the contribution of Kildall, … Read More
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Psion: The story of the Last Computer
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Andrew Orlowski
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This long (40-page) history of Britain’s last computer company, Psion, was written over four days. It’s the longest piece The Register has ever run, we made it available as a PDF (for a small fee).
Included are full transcripts of interviews with David Potter, Martin Riddiford, Mark Gretton, David Tupman and Nick Healey. (Charles Davies was interviewed too late for inclusion).
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Yes, we have no incompatibilties
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Andrew Orlowski
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Savour this irony.
Last week, we learned that incompatibilities Microsoft hadn’t written into its operating system posed a grave threat to users. Last week, we also learned that genuine incompatibilities Microsoft had deliberately written into its operating system posed no threat at all.… Read More
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The worse Google gets, the more money it makes?
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Andrew Orlowski
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Microsoft today is barely acquainted with how its software is produced. Now Google’s search results look similarly out of whack.It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when the mainstream press was barely acquainted with the genius and foresight of today’s technology leaders.
Fifteen years ago Bill Gates appeared on the BBC’s Wogan show – which the Beeb thought of as a nightly Johnny Carson, but which was really like watching Regis Philbin on cough syrup – … Read More