Реферат: Gene Amdahl Essay Research Paper

But Andor was plagued by bad chips, causing a delay of almost two years

before the first computers hit the market. Meanwhile, IBM came out with

its own midsize computer using some of the same technology employed by

Andor. To survive, Andor had to come up with other peripheral products

that it could quickly get on the market. But Andor never achieved the

success it was after with the small mainframes, and in 1991 it had scaled

back products to include only a data backup system. By 1994, the company

had yet to turn a profit. Eventually, the company declared bankruptcy.

The Main-frame Devotee

But Gene Amdahl was not ready to give up. In 1996, at the age of 74,

he started his fourth company, this one called Commercial

Data Servers (CDS). Through CDS, Amdahl intends to distribute IBM-compatible,

PC-based mainframes that use cryogenically-cooled CMOS processors and

a new processor design that he created. CDS is targeting its products

at companies that need the capabilities and selling price of a smaller

mainframe, a market that CDS believes IBM and other manufacturers aren’t

serving adequately.

Gene Amdahl continues his quest to merge mainframe technologies with

the more popular PC technology. Though many find these two areas incompatible

(mainframe means centralized, controlled computing; PCs are for individual

computing), Amdahl won’t give in to those who believe mainframes

are dinosaurs that have outlived their usefulness. And, apparently he

doesn’t intend to ever give up.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Who’s Who in America

Levine, Jonathan B. "Gene Amdahl tries for two out

of three" Business Week, June 27, 1988

Pare, Terence P. "Lions in winter" Fortune,

July 4, 1988