Personal Challenge
The story of the Pro
Like many others, I subscribe to a variety of podcasts on a variety of topics. This morning, I listened to this week's episode of the MacCast which, it turns out, was entirely an interview with one person.
Avram Miller was the project manager for the DEC Pro 350 PC back in the early 80's. While the interview was interesting to listen to, I found myself poking around his blog. There, I found a real gem, in an article entitled Digital Equipment Movie about the Professional Computer Series, 1983. This previously unreleased video, Personal Challenge, (43 minutes) documented the birth of the DEC PC family, specifically focusing on the Pro 350.
Avram said he found the video embarassing, but I found it fascinating. While it was done in a typical 80's style, it was still a fascinating look at the inside of the Mill, at a lot of the design facets of the computers, and the prep work done for the unveiling. It was a great flashback for me, seeing the engineers sitting at a Catia workstation, working off hand-drawn circuit diagrams, and wire wrapping prototypes!
It was also cool to see the announcement of All-In-1 as a footnote to the Pro launch. Too bad both are now footnotes in computer history, and that wound up setting the sensation I took away from this movie: a touch of melancholy, for a day gone by, a lot of hard work by a lot of remarkable people, and a lot of squandered talent.
Thanks for posting the video, Avram.
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