Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!amdahl!mat
From: mat@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com (Mike Taylor)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: IBM Stretch
Message-ID: <98Op5c6gHi1010Efadw@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com>
Date: 16 Jul 88 00:13:22 GMT
References: <28200172@urbsdc> <11458@steinmetz.ge.com> <4480@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> <431@buengc.BU.EDU>
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 15

In article <431@buengc.BU.EDU>, art@buengc.BU.EDU (A. R. Thompson) writes:
> When Gene Amdahl first proposed his high speed box idea he was with IBM.
> They rejected the idea on the grounds you state.  He then said he would do
> it on his own.  The brass tried to stop on the grounds they thought he
> would fail, and they liked him too much to see him go down the tubes.
> Amdahl tells the story of one of the bigshots putting his arm around him
> and begging him not to ruin his career.  Well, he took the chance and the
> rest is history.

Frank Cary, then chairman of IBM, sent a telegram to Gene on the shipment
of the 100th. 470 system which read (roughly): "OK, Gene, you have made
your point.  You can stop now and come back."
-- 
Mike Taylor                               ...!{hplabs,amdcad,sun}!amdahl!mat

[ This may not reflect my opinion, let alone anyone else's.  ]