Ken Olsen
Bob Koehler
R. I. P. Ken Olsen
MG
> R. I. P. Ken Olsen
That's very sad to hear, I had no idea (I just found out, in other words).
Rest in peace, dear Ken Olsen. May you enjoy Valhalla. Your
contributions to the world, particularly those that led to the excellent
and refined VMS, have provided me with both joy and confidence to this
very day.
- MG
DTL
Sent: Tuesday, 8 February 2011 6:35 AM
Subject: Message from the Olsen Family
Dear Digital Family of Friends:
Today I spoke with Betty Olsen who asked me to use my email list to
let family and friends know that Ken Olsen passed away, yesterday in
Indiana, with his immediate family all around him. Ken had been in
ill health for the last few months and was in Hospice care. Sad
time for their family now, but Ken and Alliki had a wonderful
life. It's sad to know that they both have now passed.
More information will follow in the Boston Globe obituary sometime
this week. I do believe there will be a Memorial Service (open to
the public) to celebrate Ken's amazing life sometime mid May at
Gordon College. Am sure to keep you all posted when that will
transpire. I have also notified the DEC Alumni (Peter Koch) and the
DEC Connection (Ava Schutzman) web personnel to keep you all informed.
Warm regards from Naples,
Joanne (Haddad) Jacobs
Hans Bachner
> Just received from Max Burnet - Ken passed away 7 Feb 2011 RIP.
>
> Sent: Tuesday, 8 February 2011 6:35 AM
> Subject: Message from the Olsen Family
<snip>
Are these dates off by one day?
As I'm writing this, it was "8 February 2011 6:35 AM" in China, or Perth
in Australia, a couple minutes ago, and it's almost 12 hours until it
will be 8-Feb 6:35 in New England.
Also, Wikipedia mentions that Ken Olsen died on 6 Feb 2011 (someone was
really fast there).
Give or take a day, it's sad news anyway.
Hans.
Hans Bachner
> Just received from Max Burnet - Ken passed away 7 Feb 2011 RIP.
>
> Sent: Tuesday, 8 February 2011 6:35 AM
> Subject: Message from the Olsen Family
Phillip Helbig---undress to reply
<marc...@SPAMxs4all.nl> writes:
> On 7-2-2011 21:30, Bob Koehler wrote:
> > R. I. P. Ken Olsen
>
> That's very sad to hear, I had no idea (I just found out, in other words).
>
> Rest in peace, dear Ken Olsen. May you enjoy Valhalla.
When he arrives there, he won't be surprised to find that it runs on
VMS.
tothestarsby2100
undress to reply) wrote:
> In article <4d506b5f$0$81475$e4fe5...@news.xs4all.nl>, MG
>
> <marcog...@SPAMxs4all.nl> writes:
> > On 7-2-2011 21:30, Bob Koehler wrote:
> > > R. I. P. Ken Olsen
>
> > That's very sad to hear, I had no idea (I just found out, in other words).
>
> > Rest in peace, dear Ken Olsen. May you enjoy Valhalla.
>
> When he arrives there, he won't be surprised to find that it runs on
> VMS.
It would be nice if anybody that worked for DEC while Ken Olsen was at
the head
could sign some sort of card.
Bob Eager
wrote:
Of course. The Valhalla Management System.
--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor
JF Mezei
community and his incredible achievements will live on despite his and
his company's passing away.
Although I never met him, I felt his philosophy through my involvement
with DECUS, and of course through meeting with Sue.
Message from user SYSTEM on OLSEN
OLSEN$OPA0:, OLSEN shutdown was requested by the operator.
%%%%%%%%%% OPCOM 07-FEB-2011 21:58:07.90 %%%%%%%%%%%
Logfile was closed by operator _OLSEN$OPA0:
Logfile was OLSEN::SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSMGR]OPERATOR.LOG;65
%%%%%%%%%%% OPCOM 07-FEB-2011 21:58:08.40 %%%%%%%%%%%
Operator _OLSEN$OPA0: has been disabled, username SYSTEM
%CNXMAN, proposing modification of quorum or quorum disk membership
%CNXMAN, completing VAXcluster state transition
SYSTEM SHUTDOWN COMPLETE - use console to halt system
JF Mezei
Ken Olsen, who cofounded Digital Equipment Corp. and built it into the
second-largest computer company in the nation by creating small but
powerful machines called "minicomputers," died Sunday.
He was 84 and his death was announced by Gordon College in Wenham, for
which Mr. Olsen was a longtime trustee and benefactor. The college did
not provide a cause of death or information about where Mr. Olsen was
living.
Jilly
come off the streets of Colorado Springs into a career that has supported my
family and I for more than 32 years so far. May the DEC spirit live on.
"Bob Koehler" <koe...@eisner.nospam.encompasserve.org> wrote in message
news:fEC6BH...@eisner.encompasserve.org...
Marc Van Dyck
> R. I. P. Ken Olsen
I have worked for Digital for almost 12 years, from 1987 to 1999.
Left when Compaq took over, and glad I did. Did know the wonderful
years of Ken, as well as the long and painful decline that followed
his demise.
I will always remember the team spirit, the employee collaboration,
the sense of mission that prevailed during the days I worked there.
Never did I find, anywhere else I went after, anything even remotely
close to that feeling. Only for having been able to work for 12 years
in such a great company, I will always feel reconnaissance, gratitude,
and admiration for Ken.
This is a sad day indeed.
Hopefully some of his heritage is still well alive and kicking.
--
Marc Van Dyck
Neil Rieck
world in a better place than you found it. I think it is safe to say
that both the computer industry, as well as planet Earth, are better
off because of the efforts of Ken Olsen.
At an OpenVMS seminar in Toronto back in 2005, Sue Skonetski was
handing out a small number of "DEC is Dead, Long Live DEC" so I raised
my hand. Well what an unexpected surprise. Ken Olsen could see what
was going on at DEC and so commissioned Edgar Schein and others to
come and begin writing a pre-mortem as a warning to other American
companies. In today's world many CEOs want to cover up their mistakes,
or wax poetically about the good old days, but not Ken. He was
thinking about his industry and his country first.
Between "DEC is Dead, Long Live DEC" and "Show Stopper! The Breakneck
Race to Create Windows NT and the Next Generation at Microsoft" I was
shocked at how much DEC technology (both h/w and s/w) as well as DEC
employees ended up making a difference at other companies.
Ken, you made a difference and will be missed.
Neil Rieck
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/n.rieck/docs/recommended_books.html#dec-is-dead
http://www3.sympatico.ca/n.rieck/docs/recommended_books.html#showstopper
Paul Sture
Bob Eager <rd...@spamcop.net> wrote:
> On Mon, 07 Feb 2011 23:08:24 +0000, Phillip Helbig---undress to reply
> wrote:
>
> > In article <4d506b5f$0$81475$e4fe...@news.xs4all.nl>, MG
> > <marc...@SPAMxs4all.nl> writes:
> >
> >> On 7-2-2011 21:30, Bob Koehler wrote:
> >> > R. I. P. Ken Olsen
> >>
> >> That's very sad to hear, I had no idea (I just found out, in other
> >> words).
> >>
> >> Rest in peace, dear Ken Olsen. May you enjoy Valhalla.
> >
> > When he arrives there, he won't be surprised to find that it runs on
> > VMS.
>
> Of course. The Valhalla Management System.
LOL!
R.I.P. Ken.
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2011/02/08/dec_founder_olsen_dead/
--
Paul Sture
Simon Clubley
>
> LOL!
>
> R.I.P. Ken.
>
> http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2011/02/08/dec_founder_olsen_dead/
>
Have HP even mentioned his death yet ?
I don't see anything on the HP news page.
This is pretty poor on the part of HP. Given the coverage this is getting
elsewhere, HP should have been aware of this by now, even if they had lost
all prior memory of who Ken Olsen is.
Simon.
--
Simon Clubley, clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Microsoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world
Neil Rieck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05Hdg7ArQbE (posted by Gordon College)
NSR
Neil Rieck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6We6VDtyHY
NSR
Neil Rieck
so here:
http://www.gordon.edu/kenolsen
NSR
Richard B. Gilbert
> On 2011-02-09, Paul Sture<paul....@sture.ch> wrote:
>>
>> LOL!
>>
>> R.I.P. Ken.
>>
>> http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2011/02/08/dec_founder_olsen_dead/
>>
>
> Have HP even mentioned his death yet ?
>
> I don't see anything on the HP news page.
>
> This is pretty poor on the part of HP. Given the coverage this is getting
> elsewhere, HP should have been aware of this by now, even if they had lost
> all prior memory of who Ken Olsen is.
>
> Simon.
>
Is there any evidence the HP knows who Ken Olson was??? IIRC it was
Compaq that bought DEC. HP's acquisition of Compaq came a year or two
later.
JF Mezei
> Is there any evidence the HP knows who Ken Olson was??? IIRC it was
> Compaq that bought DEC. HP's acquisition of Compaq came a year or two
> later.
Even if HP had not inherited what was left of DEC, as one of the older
computer firms, it should have sent a message of condolenceses and
marked how much of a mark Mr Olsen had left in the computer industry etc
etc.
JF Mezei
(after his retirement) to thank him for his contributions.
John Reagan
"Richard B. Gilbert" <rgilb...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:-p-dneVd25T1M8_Q...@giganews.com...
Of course. On the internal HP employee webpage, Ken's passing is a big
banner at the top (nice photo) with a link to a set of articles on timeline
of Digital events (and pointers to Compaq and Tandem heritage timelines).
Somebody went to the trouble to create the articles.
John
brendan welch
DEC, he lived in my town (Bedford, Massachusetts). After his death, I
mentioned this by email to the staff of the local town paper. They were
quite surprised (probably because they had not been born until many
years later.)
In a trivial off-topic, I had always wondered in exactly what house he
did live.
(I know there are more important things in this world). A few months
ago, here on COV, there was one of those postings which seem to explode.
It was about the history of VMS, as I recall, and generated a tremendous
number of spirited replies. It inspired me to again look into the
matter. I did this first while walking the dog, and inquiring of the
daughter of the woman who in those days was the leading real estate
person; she did not know, and has not got back to me. Then, because I
have to be in the town library 3 days a week, I inquired about that
aspect of the town history. It turns out I would have to pick a certain
year (which only now do I realize would be near 1957) and then search
through a list of voters, street by street. I chose not to use my time
that way, even though I might find out that someone I have known for
years lives in that very house.
George Cornelius
> In a trivial off-topic, I had always wondered in exactly what house he
> did live.
> (I know there are more important things in this world). A few months
> ago, here on COV, there was one of those postings which seem to explode.
> It was about the history of VMS, as I recall, and generated a tremendous
> number of spirited replies. It inspired me to again look into the
> matter. I did this first while walking the dog, and inquiring of the
> daughter of the woman who in those days was the leading real estate
> person; she did not know, and has not got back to me. Then, because I
> have to be in the town library 3 days a week, I inquired about that
> aspect of the town history. It turns out I would have to pick a certain
> year (which only now do I realize would be near 1957) and then search
> through a list of voters, street by street. I chose not to use my time
> that way, even though I might find out that someone I have known for
> years lives in that very house.
So it would appear that they do not have old telephone books on file,
at least for that time frame. Around here we had what was called the
'Polk City Directory', which contained information about the various
households in the city, plus, essentially, a reverse telephone book.
I happened to find a 1953 version of that directory online for my
hometown in Nebraska and was able to look up information on my family,
grandparents, neighbors, and friends.
For other locations I have lived in the past I have not been so
lucky, but I have seen the directories I would have an interest
in, say from the early 60's, for sale on eBay at reasonable
prices.
George Cornelius
Phillip Helbig---undress to reply
Mezei <jfmezei...@vaxination.ca> writes:
Right.
VMS has "Copyright 1976-???? by HP", so they don't mind claiming the
legacy here.
Jojimbo
> I understand that when Ken Olsen worked at Lincoln Lab, before founding
> DEC,
If you get a chance read "Project Whirlwind". That project is notable
for the invention of core memory and the role played by a young
engineer, Ken Olsen. Great stuff, wish I could find my copy.
Regards, Jim
Neil Rieck
I didn't know he once lived in Bedford. In the 1980s I spent a few
months at a DEC training facility in Bedford (20 Crosby Drive) and
always wondered how they found that place. It consisted of multiple
buildings stuck in the Massachusetts woods connected by underground
tunnels. Ah, the memories.
NSR
Howard S Shubs
Simon Clubley <clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> wrote:
> Have HP even mentioned his death yet ?
>
> I don't see anything on the HP news page.
I noticed something large on the internal portal today, associated with
an article which includes a statement by Apotheker.
--
May all your good dreams and fine wishes come true! - The Wizard
May joy be yours all the days of your life! - Phina
Simon Clubley
> In article <iiu0h0$pkg$1...@news.eternal-september.org>,
> Simon Clubley <clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> wrote:
>
>> Have HP even mentioned his death yet ?
>>
>> I don't see anything on the HP news page.
>
> I noticed something large on the internal portal today, associated with
> an article which includes a statement by Apotheker.
>
Thanks for the information.
Now it would be nice if HP would do what other organisations have done and
explain to the world at large the importance of Ken Olsen and DEC to the
computing world as it is today and pay a public tribute to his passing.
Bill Pechter
I believe it's written by Kent Redmond who was a history professor when
I was at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Little did I know he'd write
that book and I'd end up working in DEC Field Service. Much smaller
world back then.
Bill
--
Digital had it then. Don't you wish you could buy it now!
pechter-at-pechter.dyndns.org
Bill Pechter
> On Feb 9, 3:39?pm, brendan welch <w1...@uml.edu> wrote:
>> On 2/9/2011 11:04 AM, JF Mezei wrote:> Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
>>
>> >> Compaq that bought DEC. ?HP's acquisition of Compaq came a year or two
>> >> later.
>>
>> > Even if HP had not inherited what was left of DEC, as one of the older
>> > computer firms, it should have sent a message of condolenceses and
>> > marked how much of a mark Mr Olsen had left in the computer industry etc
>> > etc.
>>
>> I understand that when Ken Olsen worked at Lincoln Lab, before founding
>> mentioned this by email to the staff of the local town paper. ?They were
>> quite surprised (probably because they had not been born until many
>> years later.)
>>
>> In a trivial off-topic, I had always wondered in exactly what house he
>> did live.
>> ago, here on COV, there was one of those postings which seem to explode.
>> It was about the history of VMS, as I recall, and generated a tremendous
>> matter. ?I did this first while walking the dog, and inquiring of the
>> daughter of the woman who in those days was the leading real estate
>> have to be in the town library 3 days a week, I inquired about that
>> year (which only now do I realize would be near 1957) and then search
>> that way, even though I might find out that someone I have known for
>> years lives in that very house.
>
> I didn't know he once lived in Bedford. In the 1980s I spent a few
> months at a DEC training facility in Bedford (20 Crosby Drive) and
> always wondered how they found that place. It consisted of multiple
> buildings stuck in the Massachusetts woods connected by underground
> tunnels. Ah, the memories.
>
> NSR
Field Service rumor said the Lunar Lander was worked on in that facility
before DEC got it...
ChrisKalisiak
80's, and still own some now (PDP, uVAX, Alpha).
I had heard long ago of the infamous quote from '77 at the World
Future Society, but only just this week learned about the story behind
that quote, as explained by Olsen.
Does anyone have a copy of, or a link to, a transcript of that talk?
I'd really like to be able to read the full context. It's easy to put
a spin on a quote taken out of context, but much harder when viewed in
context. I spent about a half-hour on Google looking for it (didn't
try AltaVista, admittedly), and didn't find anything.
Thanks,
Chris
Richard B. Gilbert
> On 2011-02-09, Howard S Shubs<how...@shubs.net> wrote:
>> In article<iiu0h0$pkg$1...@news.eternal-september.org>,
>> Simon Clubley<clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> wrote:
>>
>>> Have HP even mentioned his death yet ?
>>>
>>> I don't see anything on the HP news page.
>>
>> I noticed something large on the internal portal today, associated with
>> an article which includes a statement by Apotheker.
>>
>
> Thanks for the information.
>
> explain to the world at large the importance of Ken Olsen and DEC to the
> computing world as it is today and pay a public tribute to his passing.
>
> Simon.
>
The "world at large" simply does not care! There are almost seven
billion people out there, most of whom have never heard of Ken Olsen
and/or Digital Equipment Corporation.
Ken's legacy will, sooner or later, touch just about everyone even if
they know it not!
John Wallace
wrote:
> On 2/10/2011 7:22 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>
>
>
> > On 2011-02-09, Howard S Shubs<how...@shubs.net> wrote:
> >> Simon Clubley<clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> wrote:
>
> >>> Have HP even mentioned his death yet ?
>
> >>> I don't see anything on the HP news page.
>
> >> I noticed something large on the internal portal today, associated with
> >> an article which includes a statement by Apotheker.
>
> > Thanks for the information.
>
> > Now it would be nice if HP would do what other organizations have done and
> > explain to the world at large the importance of Ken Olsen and DEC to the
> > computing world as it is today and pay a public tribute to his passing.
>
> > Simon.
>
> The "world at large" simply does not care! There are almost seven
> billion people out there, most of whom have never heard of Ken Olsen
> and/or Digital Equipment Corporation.
>
> Ken's legacy will, sooner or later, touch just about everyone even if
> they know it not!
You may think the world at large simply does not care, you may well be
right, but I nearly fell over when Google News told me that UK alleged
newspaper the Daily Mail had some coverage. OK they spelled the name
Olsden a couple of times as well as Olsen a few times, but actually it
was a half decent writeup given the usual celebrity-obsessed
journalists and readers at the Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1354951/Ken-Olsen-Computer-pioneer-dies-aged-84.html
Simon Clubley
> On Feb 10, 3:33�pm, "Richard B. Gilbert" <rgilber...@comcast.net>
> wrote:
>>
>> The "world at large" simply does not care! �There are almost seven
>> billion people out there, most of whom have never heard of Ken Olsen
>> and/or Digital Equipment Corporation.
>>
That has not stopped a wide range of organisations paying public tribute
to him and his legacy and HP should be among them.
>> Ken's legacy will, sooner or later, touch just about everyone even if
>> they know it not!
>
> You may think the world at large simply does not care, you may well be
> right, but I nearly fell over when Google News told me that UK alleged
For the un-initiated, "alleged" is right. :-)
Think of a newspaper version of Fox News, selling it's papers by scaring
people.
> newspaper the Daily Mail had some coverage. OK they spelled the name
> Olsden a couple of times as well as Olsen a few times, but actually it
> was a half decent writeup given the usual celebrity-obsessed
> journalists and readers at the Mail:
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1354951/Ken-Olsen-Computer-pioneer-dies-aged-84.html
>
Ok, I've read it and now I've seen everything. A nice and informative article
on computer history from the Daily Mail - perhaps this is one of the signs
of the world ending which the religious types keep going on about. :-)
Thanks for posting the link.
Neil Rieck
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2011/02/08/dec_founder_olsen_dead/
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/technology/business-computing/08olsen.html
NSR
brendan welch
brendan welch
also
http://search.boston.com/local/Search.do?s.sm.query=ken+olsen&s.tab=
which points to many others.
Neil Rieck
I knew he worked on Whirlwind and SAGE but didn't know about TX-0 and
TX-2.
I hadn't heard about these last two computers until I read the book
"Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution" by Steven Levy (which I
think was just came out again as a 25th Anniversary edition).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TX-0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TX-2 (pix of circuit module)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip_Chip_%28trademark%29
I wonder if the TX-2 circuit module evolved into DECs Flip Chip
NSR