This page will contain S100 Computer (and other antique computer) news and events that may be of general interest to viewers of this web site. 
If you have any news or events that you feel may be of general interest please submit them to me.


Internet Pioneer Larry Roberts Passed Away.

I regret to say that Larry Roberts who lead the team that created ARPAnet passed away on Dec. 26th at the age of 81. ARPAnet eventually went on to become what we now know as the  Internet".

He got the idea of computer-to-computer networks in the 1960s. He successfully implemented ARPAnet using the then revolutionary data packet switching concept to handle traffic. Access to the ARPANET was expanded in 1981, when the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded the Computer Science Network (CSNET). In 1982, the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) was introduced as the standard networking protocol on the ARPANET. In the early 1980s the NSF funded the establishment of national supercomputing centers at several universities and provided interconnectivity in 1986 with the NSFNET project, which also created network access to the supercomputer sites in the United States from research and education organizations. The ARPANET was decommissioned in 1990,  it was super-seeded by the Internet. 

Roberts left ARPA in 1973. He helped commercialize packet switching technology through his company Telenet, and spent some of his post-Telenet career aiming to improve the quality of internet networking. His companies Caspian Networks (since defunct) and Anagran have revolved around boosting quality of service for technologies like video streaming. His influence can be felt across the internet to this day.

 I regret to say that Bill Godbout was killed in a wild brush fire on November 11, 2018 in Northern California.  He was a legend in the early days of S100 bus  microcomputers. He started in the S-100 board business in 1976 by selling RAM memory boards out of his Godbout Electronics mail order business. His contacts and experience in getting chips fast and at good prices help him get going quickly and allowed Godbout Electronics to fill a market need for boards that Altair, IMASI and even Processor Technologies could not meet in those early days.  

In the end Godbout/CopmuPro had more different types of S-100 RAM boards than anybody else in the business. All their boards were static RAM boards. As the business grew they evolved into most other S-100 board types eventually putting together complete S-100 systems. Their S-100 boxes were arguably the most solid and reliable ever made. His innovative products played a large part in the success of the S-100. Bill played a major role in setting the specs for the S-100 bus IEEE-696 standard, being one of its authors.  See here for more details and a list of Godbout/Compupro boards.

I'm sad to say that Paul Alan co-founder of  Microsoft passed away on October 16, 2018.   All of us from the S100 Computers era will remember him (and Bill Gates) fondly for their early work on Microsoft Basic along with Ed Roberts of MITS. 

Paul was the founder and Chairman of an investment group called Vulcan Inc., which managed his various business and philanthropic efforts. He had numerous multibillion-dollar investments in technology and media companies, scientific research, real estate holdings, and private spaceflight ventures. He owned two professional sports teams: the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Paul was the founder of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Institute for Cell Science. He gave more than $2 billion to causes such as education, wildlife and environmental conservation, the arts, healthcare and community services.

Our sympathies go out to his family and friends.

I'm sad to say that Wayne Green founder of 73 magazine; Byte magazine; Kilobaud; 80 Micro magazine for the TRS-80 and others passed away on October 30, 2015.   Many of us from the S100 Computers era well remember receiving our weekly copy of Byte and Kilobyte.  These two magazines in particular played a catalytic role in bringing together the home brew computer community.  Our sympathies go out to his family and friends.

Electrical and Electronic Engineers Plaque to Honor Gary Kildall
Pacific Grove, CA.   4/25/2014 

Portrait of Gary.	The discussions took place at the Pacific Grove Town Hall
The actual unveiling ceremony took place a few blocks away on 801 Lighthouse street  (the original home of Digital Research)
The sidewalk placard -- there for many years to come. The IEEE provided a nice brochure which contains a summary of Gary's career published by Dr. Dobbs Journal back in 1980. It can be downloaded from here.

   

This page was last modified on 02/03/2023