A review of PBS's “Silicon Valley” (American Experience)

This documentary focuses on a historical company called “Fairchild Semiconductor” …

I was expecting this movie to be about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, and the desktop computing revolution of the 1980’s. But I was wrong. This movie focuses on a historical company called “Fairchild Semiconductor International.” It was founded in 1957 as a division of “Fairchild Camera and Instrument,” a company based on the East Coast. But Fairchild Semiconductor was based in San Jose, California; in the area that would later become “Silicon Valley.” This area was actually an entrepreneurial haven, long before it acquired the name of “Silicon Valley.” Fairchild Semiconductor was a pioneer in the development of transistors and integrated circuits. Thus, it was also something of a pioneer in the computers industry, back in the day when NASA and the military accounted for more than half of the computers market. It was a true trailblazer, but it is virtually unknown today. This film gives it a thorough treatment, and thus takes a good look at the budding computers industry of this time.

My love-hate relationship with computers

"Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes, biology is about microscopes or chemistry is about beakers and test tubes. Science is not about tools, it is about how we use them and what we find out when we do."

- Michael R. Fellows, Ian Parberry (1993), "SIGACT trying to get children excited about CS," Computing Research News, January 1993

Those who first met me in my adulthood might be surprised to hear that I was once really into computers. In my generation, I was introduced to computers at a very early age, and I often enjoyed going to my dad's office to play with his computer. When our family got a computer at home, my sister still enjoyed going to my dad's work and being in his office, but my interest in this suddenly waned (as my dad often mentions with a smile). I decided to play with my computer at home instead.

Confessions of a Facebooker

It's probably been suspected by some, but I plan the vast majority of my Facebook statuses weeks in advance. With some posts (like those about historical anniversaries), I even plan months in advance, and schedule them for particular days.