| |
DEC Tech Talks
Here's a program we began in February 2022 -- DEC Tech Talks, via Zoom.
The purpose is to preserve our Digital stories, enjoy nostalgia with
friends, learn what else was happening at DEC, and discuss what might have
been. Coming up:
Tech Talk #6: January 11, 2023;
1 PM Eastern, 10 AM Pacific -
Gale "Jake" Jacobs
 |
Gale Jacobs joined Digital in
1973 and served in sales, marketing and management positions in
Portland, Oregon, Mexico City and Acton, MA. His talk will feature
cultural differences and the agony and ecstasy of serving as National
Sales Manager in Mexico during a time when the country’s economic
pendulum was swinging from soaring heights to abysmal lows, and
Digital’s efforts to manage the challenges. Plus, the trials and
tribulations of relocating from Oregon to south of the border and the
transfer back north to Acton. If you enjoy tequila, mañana, music,
cerveza and a good war story, be sure to join us for this Tech Talk!
Viva Mexico! Viva DEC! |
To sign up for Jake's Tech Talk, email info@decconnection.org.
Provide your name, and email address for the Zoom invite (which will be
emailed about a week ahead of the event). We now ask that, to attend
the Zoom session, you be a paid-up member of DEC Connection.
Here is where you
can join or renew.
Generally, these
sessions have run about an hour - 30-45 min. talk, 15-20 min. Q&A/discussion. We record the
sessions and post the links on this page.
To sign up to deliver a DEC Tech Talk, please email info@decconnection.org with
your name and a bit about your Digital background and what you'd like to
present.
Tech Talk #5: December 6, 2022 - Avram Miller
|
Link to amazon.com,
where you can get Avram's book.
Avram speaking to his project team, c. 1980. |
Avram Miller gave a fascinating
presentation on Tuesday, December 6. Avram was the
Program Manager for Digital's Professional Series of PCs in the early
1980s. He worked directly with Ken, Gordon, and other industry
icons to accomplish this challenge. He recently published a
book on his personal experiences in technology and one of the chapters
features Digital. You can read more about Avram's career on his blog,
https://www.twothirdsdone.com,
and his website
http://www.avrammiller.com. Avram refers us to a 36-min. video
posted on You Tube by the Computer History Museum called DEC:
Personal Challenge, 25th Anniversary Video, which can be found
at this link.
This documentary was produced by DEC and chronicles the
2-year odyssey to bring three personal computers, the Professional
Series (PRO-325 and PRO-350) and the Rainbow 100 to market a year after
IBM launched their PC. The narrative follows the challenges of the
CT Program Group - Avram Miller (project manager), Michael Weinstein
(merchandising), Ron Ham (software), Art Williams (hardware), and Vah
Erdekian (manufacturing), as they race to develop a personal computer to
show at the June 1982 National Computer Conference in Houston.
A link to the video recording of Avram's talk
will be posted here.
|
Tech Talk #4: October 19, 2022 - Nick
Pappas
|
 |
Our #4 Tech Talk was given by DEC
Connection member Nick Pappas, who contributed at Digital both in
Engineering and Services. Nick described his talk:
I started work at Digital in June, 1967 and left
in 1994. My talk will cover the period from 1967 to 1975. For most of
that time I worked in the Programming Department where I managed
language development projects for the PDP-10 and PDP-11. I also
implemented the unbundling and licensing of software late in that
period. And finally, I worked for Tom Stockebrand as a product manager
for a video terminal. My talk on October 19 is about the projects,
the people, and the DEC environment that I experienced in those days.
LINK TO VIDEO RECORDING
OF NICK's TALK.
|
Tech Talk #3: August 31, 2022 - Bob Nusbaum
 |
Our #3 DEC Tech Talk was delivered by DEC Connection member Bob Nusbaum,
another of our super-duper utility fielders - a great product manager. He
spoke about "High-Tech Darwinism" -- his experiences and
observations of Digital from his FMS and ALL-IN-1 product manager roles.
Bob worked at Digital for 18 years (plus 4 at CPQ). Discussion continues
as long as everyone wants afterwards.
LINK TO VIDEO RECORDING
OF BOB's TALK.
Link to Bob's
presentation slides. |
Tech Talk #2: July 12, 2022 - Nathan Brookwood
Tech Talk #1:
February 19, 2022 - Bob Anundson
 |
Bob Anundson, a DEC Connection member from Washington state, proposed that
we organize short presentations about Digital products, engineering culture, and
whatever else interests you, with Q&A/discussion time afterwards. In the
time-honored tradition of Digital, he who proposes does, and Bob has graciously kicked off this series with a prototype session. He focused mostly on
his Maynard experiences in Product Marketing using the PDP-11/10, 11/40, RK05,
VT50/VT52, and software licensing as examples between 1969 and 1975, in the
context of Digital culture.
LINK TO VIDEO RECORDING OF BOB's TECH TALK.
Link to write-up of Bob's experience at Digital he shared with
Maynard Public Library for their Digital collection. |
|
