There's a computer hidden somewhere up there that automatically figures out how tall you
are.
It's just one of the neat computer gadgets here at the Computer Museum in Boston, where
you can see anything from an ancient vacuum tube mainframe to their newest exhibit, a
giant walk-through personal computer.
But today the Computer Museum is doing something different.
They're putting on the second annual Computer Bowl to see whether the folks from the West
Coast or the East Coast know more about computer trivia.
If you'd like to play along and see how much you know about computers, stay tuned for the
Computer Bowl on this special edition of the Computer Chronicles.
The Computer Chronicles is made possible in part by the Software Publishers Association,
which reminds you that software piracy is a federal offense.
When a few people steal software, everyone loses.
Additional funding is provided by CompuServe, by PC Connection and Mac Connection, by Byte
Magazine and Bix, the Byte Information Exchange, and by Intel Corporation, personal computer
enhancement.
Welcome to the Computer Chronicles.
I'm Stuart Shafae and this is Gary Kildall.
Gary, we're going to start out with a little computer trivia question for you, okay?
This is a replica of the very first transistor.
The question is, who invented it, where, and in what year?
Well, I know it was at Bell Labs and I think it was Shockley and I believe it was in the
50s.
Two for three.
1947, not too bad though.
And this, by the way, is the very first commercial product, a transistor radio.
Here's all the transistors back here.
Took 15 years to get from the lab into the first product.
These are both, by the way, from the Computer Museum collection in Boston.
Gary, at last year's Computer Bowl, you were the subject of one of the questions and there
was some dispute about what the correct answer was, so I'm going to go right to the horse's
mouth now.
The question was, who invented CPM, what does CPM stand for, and where did he invent it?
Okay, well we got the first question right.
Okay, CPM stands for Control Program for Microcomputers.
The M is microcomputers, not monitors.
And I worked on that, developed that when I was teaching at the Naval Postgraduate School
in Monterey, and that led to digital research at a later time.
Now the computer industry is very young, right?
Yet we have a museum, we have computer trivia games and so on.
And some people bemoan the fact that the industry has changed a lot.
It doesn't seem to be as much fun, not quite as adventurous as it was in the early days.
Is that your perception?
Well, it's certainly a different business than it was, say, 12 years ago, 12, 14 years
ago.
It's more businesslike, more professional.
But in the old days, we had a very tight-knit group.
Everybody knew one another.
All the people are considered pioneers in the industry now.
And that was a lot of fun.
It was very social.
We had a good time together.
But realistically, the business has grown up, and you can always have fun with technology.
The social stuff comes along with it.
Right, right.
Well, we're going to have some fun today.
We'll meet the superstars of the computer industry as the West team challenges the East
team to see who knows the most about computer trivia.
We'll be back with the Computer Bowl from the World Trade Center in Boston in just a
moment.
Thank you, and good evening to all of you.
Good evening to those of you here on the East Coast.
For those of you in California, good afternoon.
For those of you in Texas, I'm not sure what time it's there.
But welcome all to Computer Bowl II, release 2.0 of the Computer Bowl.
We're here at the World Trade Center in Boston as the Computer Museum presents the second
annual Computer Bowl to see whether the East Coast or the West Coast knows more about computer
trivia.
Now, this very beautiful Computer Bowl has been in the hands, it's very beautiful, of
the East Coast team for the past year because the East Coast won Computer Bowl I.
But tonight, it is the revenge of the nerds from the West Coast as they try to capture
the title of the masters of techno trivia.
Let's begin tonight by introducing the defending champions, the East Coast team from Stratus
Computer, it's erudite engineer turned president and CEO, William Foster.
From Lotus Development Corporation, it's chief scientist, a euphemism for chief hacker, Robert
Frankston.
Next, from Boston University, inventor, entrepreneur, and professor of physics, Edward Fredkin.
From Prime Computer, the chairman of the board, the witty financier, Russell Planitzer.
And the captain of the East Coast team, the founder and chairman of the international
data group IDG, Mr. Pat McGovern.
Now, the challengers from the West, the outspoken editor and publisher of PC letters, Stuart
Alsop II.
Appropriately dressed for a West Coast team member.
From Microsoft, the chairman of the board, Bill Gates.
From Apple Computer, the vice president of advanced technology, Lawrence Tesler.
And from Hewlett Packard, the general manager of HP software engineering systems division,
Charles House.
And last but not least, the captain of the West Coast team, a partner of the venture
capital firm of Kleiner Perkins Coffee and Buyers at True California in John Doar.
All right, gentlemen.
Here's how we are going to play.
Gentlemen, and you guys.
Here's how we are going to play the game tonight.
We're going to have four rounds.
There are going to be three kinds of questions in each round.
There will be toss up questions.
They're worth 10 points a piece.
Any individual team member from either team can answer those questions.
There will be bonus questions.
They're going to look very much like toss up questions.
Any person can answer.
10 points a piece.
But if you get a bonus question correctly, your team is entitled to get into a bonus
round, at which point you can earn lots of points because there'll be one team only questions.
You can consult on the answer, but only the captain can speak for the team.
Now if you answer a toss up question incorrectly, the other team will have a chance to answer
that question.
If you ring the buzzer and interrupt before we finish asking the question, you will be
a bad boy and you'll be penalized.
The other team will get to hear the whole question.
And if they get it right, they'll get 20 points for that question.
So there's a penalty for being a wise guy and going too fast if you're wrong.
Remember, please don't answer until you ring your buzzer.
Wait for me to identify you so we can keep this under control here.
Now, to make sure that no one cheats, we have two resident expert judges whose job it will
be to decide any disputed answer.
From the east, the chairman and CEO of Stellar Computer, Bill Poduska.
And from the west, just to be fair, vice president of R&D at Sun Microsystems, Mr. Bill Joy.
Finally, in a classic case of getting kicked upstairs because he was too smart, the most
valuable player from last year's computer bowl, tonight's official questioner, the founder
of Lotus Development Corporation, the chairman of On Technology, Mitch Caper.
All right, gentlemen, start your brains and let the games begin.
Mitch.
Good evening.
Okay, for 10 points.
The summer of 1977 was a major year for personal computers.
That year, three famous PCs were introduced.
What were they?
All right, we have West Coast.
Go ahead, Larry.
The Apple II, the TRS-80, and the Commodore PET.
That is correct.
10 points for the West.
All right, pays not to wear a tie.
Next question.
For 10 points, Ethernet was named a networking standard in 1980 in a joint public announcement
by three famous computer companies.
All right, West Coast.
Go ahead, John Dorff.
The computer companies are Intel, DEC, and Xerox.
All right, another 10 points for the West.
Come on, DJ, nothing.
All right.
Go, you guys.
According to the Computer Industry Almanac, California has the most computer companies
in America, with over 38% of the total.
Massachusetts is number two.
Within plus or minus 5%, what is Massachusetts' share of the nation's computer companies?
A, within 5% or 10%.
Okay, go ahead, Larry Teslin.
30%.
No good.
I'm afraid the answer was 10%.
You could have gone 5% to 15%, but you're wrong.
Okay, let's go to the next question.
In 1980, one of the largest public stock offerings of modern times was made by a computer company.
The offering was the largest since the Ford Motor Companies in 1956.
What was the computer company?
All right, where do we have it?
Over here, East Coast, Foster.
Apple.
That is correct.
Okay.
10 points for the East Coast.
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are best known for the Apple computer they developed, but
they also teamed up to design a popular arcade game for the original Atari video game machine.
What was the name of the game?
Was it...
All right, we've got answer right here from Larry Tesler.
Breakout.
Breakout is correct.
Another 10 points for the West.
All right, before we get to the next question, a little prop.
If you can't see, this is a great dog built out of electronic parts.
Okay, let's get the question.
Honeywell Bull.
Do you have an answer?
Oh, my goodness.
He is right.
Just for the heck of it, give him the question.
The question was, what now defunct computer company used this animal as part of an advertising
campaign?
And the answer, according to Planitzer, Honeywell Bull.
Okay, next question.
The abacus.
The abacus was one of the earliest counting devices, probably originating in Babylonia
and spreading to other countries.
Of China, Greece, and Japan.
All right, we've got East Coast Foster.
China.
That is not the right answer.
Go ahead, repeat the question for the West.
The abacus was one of the earliest counting devices, probably originating in Babylonia
and spreading to other countries.
Of China, Greece, and Japan.
Which received the abacus first?
All right, who in the West would like to go for that?
Go ahead.
Stewart, yes.
That's all right.
Well, you've got to answer the question now.
The rules are you cannot consult here, so Stewart Alsop was going to give the answer.
Oh, okay.
I didn't know I'd put my hand up.
Yes, you did.
Egypt.
There, there.
Why are you using the buzz?
There, there.
Why didn't you pick the person who rang the buzzer?
There is a legitimate gripe over here.
I want to go to the judges now.
I want to go to the judges.
Stewart did not press his button.
Bill Gates did.
But they were consulting.
And they were consulting to...
No.
To Warren Gates.
It's on the tape.
No, no, no.
A double no.
A double no.
A double no.
Okay.
Let me remind you, please do ask your buzzer.
Stewart or other team members, when you go like this...
I was just trying to get away.
All I was doing was this.
I don't know.
I don't know.
Okay, Mitch, let's go to the next question.
This is a bonus question.
This is...
Careful.
In 1989, 16% of Next, Inc. was sold for $100 million.
All right.
We have the East Coast, Frankston.
Cannon.
Cannon is correct.
That's the right answer.
All right.
The East has earned the right to get into a bonus round.
The score is tied 30-all.
This is going to be important, gentlemen.
Remember, you can consult.
Only Pat McGovern can answer.
All right.
You can earn up to 30 points on these particular questions.
I'm going to ask you three questions.
They're worth 10 points apiece.
In the comic strip Doonesbury, what is the name of the character that is the most popular
character in the comic book?
I'm going to ask you three questions.
They're worth 10 points apiece.
In the comic strip Doonesbury, Mark learns to program a computer.
What computer does Mark use in Doonesbury?
The answer, gentlemen.
What computer does Mark use in Doonesbury?
We need an answer.
The answer is a PDP-1170.
It's a high-class comic strip.
Okay.
Two more chances for you now.
In the comic strip Bloom County, the character Oliver Wendell Jones has a personal computer.
What is the name of that computer?
Try a Mac.
Mac, wrong again.
Keep trying.
The answer is the Banana Junior.
One more time.
Last chance to get 10 points in this bonus round.
In the comic strip Doonesbury, Mark was a man in Bloom County.
Before getting his Banana Junior, Oliver Wendell Jones owned another computer.
What was it?
Let's go.
Let's go.
Banana Skin.
All right, so much for your bonus round, the answer was an IBM 6000.
All right, let's go to our next question.
Sorry.
But they just announced it.
The National Computer Conference reached its peak as a trade show during the 1980s, and
in its best year, 97,000 people attended.
What year was that?
Was it 1983, 1985, or 1987?
All right, East Coast, yes, Frankston?
1983.
1983 is correct.
Another 10 points for the East Coast.
Okay, we have time, I believe, for one more question in this round, Mitch.
Comdex has become one of the dominant trade shows in the computer industry.
In what year was the first Comdex held?
Was it 1978, 1980, or 1982?
And the East Coast, McGovern?
1978.
1978 is correct.
Another 10 points for the East Coast.
All right, that is the end of round one, ladies and gentlemen.
The score, the East Coast 50, the West Coast 30.
And we'll be right back.
And welcome back to Computer Ball 2.
This is round two, and right now, the East is ahead 50 to 30.
All right, guys, let's get going.
Mitch, back to the questions.
During the development of computers in the 1930s and 1940s, what was not used for storing
computer data?
Old movie film, aluminum tape, or snake scales?
West Coast.
Snake scales.
Snake scales is correct.
Okay, 10 points for the West.
The Cray-2 supercomputer has a nickname inspired by the froth created in its liquid cooling
system.
What is that nickname?
Nickname for a Cray.
Nobody?
Nobody?
Going once.
Time is up.
The answer was bubbles.
Okay, go ahead, man.
Okay, we have a bonus question now.
At least three computer companies were named after their founders, but the founder no longer
works for the company.
Can you name three of those companies?
Okay, we have the East Coast Foster.
Amdahl.
That's one.
There's one company, and the other company is Cray.
That's two companies.
And the other company would certainly be Hewlett Packard.
Not correct, I'm afraid.
What was it?
That's not correct.
Okay, we're going to go to the West Coast now.
You've got a chance to answer that same question.
You know what the question is?
Okay, who would like to take a shot at this question?
Okay, Larry Tesler.
Cray Research.
Yes.
Cray, Amdahl, and Osborne Computer.
Not correct, not correct.
You had Cray.
You had Amdahl.
Shugart.
What's wrong with Osborne?
Osborne's correct.
Let's ask the judges.
Okay, let's ask the judges.
Is Osborne a correct answer?
Shugart's a disk drive company.
All right, Bill Poduska and Bill Joy are consulting there.
Our brain trust from the East and the West.
Does Adam Osborne qualify?
I don't think so.
Well, pardon?
The answer is Osborne.
The answer is no, the answer was wrong.
All right, we're going to try to get you another bonus question to see if we can get into this
bonus round.
One hardware computer company CEO is unlikely to leave his company.
According to Computer Reseller News, he is the highest paid executive in the computer
industry.
Can you tell us his company and his name?
Not so hard, not so hard.
All right, we have West Coast John Doerr.
No, Bill Gates.
Oh, I'm sorry, Bill Gates.
John Scully Apple Computer.
Correct, absolutely correct.
Bill Gates, okay.
That does get the West Coast into a bonus round now.
Now, computer company CEOs are very famous for their job hopping.
I'm going to name a succession of computer companies worked for.
I want you to tell me the CEO.
If you get two of these answers, you'll get 10 points, you get all three, you'll get 20
points.
Here are the three companies.
What was the CEO?
IBM, Shugart, Seagate.
Consult and John Doerr answers.
You don't have to press the button now.
Alan Shugart.
Alan Shugart is correct.
Okay, you've got one.
Here are the companies.
Prime, Apollo, Ardent, Stardom.
Bill Podoska.
Bill Podoska is correct.
Okay, you've got two out of three.
You can get 20 points if you get this last one.
Here are the companies.
AT&T, Apollo, Honeywell Bull.
The answer.
Roland Pampel.
Absolutely right.
20 points for the West Coast team.
All right, the score is now the West Coast 80, the East Coast 50.
Compaq Computer Company made the Fortune 500 list in record time.
How many?
All right, we have an answer from John Doerr, West Coast.
Four years.
Four years is correct.
Another 10 points for the West Coast.
Next question.
In desktop publishing, we often refer to TIFF files, T-I-F-F.
All right, we have an answer from the West Coast, Bill Gates.
Tagged image format file.
I'll repeat the whole question.
Yes, go ahead.
Repeat the question for the East Coast.
In desktop publishing, we often refer to TIFF files, T-I-F-F.
What do the letters in TIFF stand for?
Who would like to take a shot at that?
Yes, go ahead, Princeton.
Tagged image file format.
That is correct.
You have the right words.
Yes, you get 20 points for that.
Absolutely.
20 points.
That was an interrupted question.
Scoreboard.
Scoreboard.
That was 20 points for the East Coast.
All right.
Next question.
What was the first major movie to use computer-aided animation?
Soylent Green, Future World, or Star Wars?
All right, we have West Coast.
Stuart Alson.
Star Wars.
East Coast.
Anybody like to take a shot at that?
You heard the whole question.
You're consulting.
You cannot consult, please.
You cannot consult on this.
Frankston.
Future World.
Future World is correct.
10 points.
It was not interrupted.
It did look like consulting.
No consulting, guys.
We're working here.
The first use of the phrase personal computer was reportedly used to describe a computer
built at MIT by some hackers.
It cost nearly $3 million, and it filled up one small room.
What was the name of that personal computer?
All right, we have East Coast.
Fredkin.
TX-0.
TX-0 is correct.
All right.
We have a tie score now, 90-90.
Next question.
What is the average annual sales volume for one salesperson in a typical retail computer
store?
Is it $172,000, $222,000, or $372,000?
We have an answer from the West Coast.
$172,000.
I'm sorry, say again?
$172,000.
I'm afraid you heard the buzzer.
That's wrong.
Who on the East Coast would like to take a shot?
Next question.
I said the same thing twice.
Pardon?
Should I repeat it?
If you repeat the question, sure.
What is the average annual sales volume for one salesperson in a typical retail computer
store?
Is it $172,000, $222,000, or $372,000?
Pat McGovern.
$320,000.
No, $200,000.
The second answer.
$222,000.
You are wrong.
Wrong?
The answer, believe it or not, is $372,000.
Okay, let's move ahead to the next question then.
The first university ever to have a computer science department celebrated its 25th anniversary
last year.
Was that university Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, the University of North Carolina, or MIT?
All right, who's going to give that a try?
We have East Coast, Foster.
Stanford.
Okay.
On the West Coast, House.
Carnegie Mellon.
The answer is the University of North Carolina.
All right, here's your next toss-up question.
How much is the decimal number 27 expressed in hexadecimal?
All right, we have West Coast, Larry Tesler.
It is 1B.
No, he didn't say that.
Pardon?
Ask him again what he said.
What did you say, Lawrence Tesler?
I said 1B.
Yes, he did.
I heard 1B.
Is that what you heard?
That's what I heard.
Yes, I did.
I'm sorry.
That's the correct answer.
He's on your side, Bill.
It's okay.
That is the correct answer.
That is the correct answer.
10 points, okay, for the West Coast team.
Go ahead.
Okay, speaking of numbers, what is the ASCII decimal equivalent for the escape key?
East Coast, Frankston.
27.
That is correct.
Or 1B.
During World War II, the U.S. Army funded the development of the ENIAC computer.
What did the Army want to do with the computer?
All right, we have East Coast, Foster.
They wanted to compute range tables.
Okay, we're calling that what it is, to calculate ballistic paths with range tables.
Okay, 10 points for these.
Next question.
When did the Hewlett-Packard calculators became famous for the unique approach they used to
perform operations?
All right, we have the East Coast, Foster.
Reverse Polish notation.
Correct.
We are at the end of round two right now with a score East Coast, 120, West Coast, 100.
We are going to take a very short non-commercial break.
For those of you here in the World Trade Center and for all of you watching live at our satellite
downlink locations, we'll be back in just a few minutes.
For those of you who are watching this at home right now, we'll be back next week with
part two of the Computer Bowl to see whether the East Coast or the West Coast is the champion
of computer trivia.
For this edition of the Computer Chronicles, we'll see you folks next week.
The Computer Chronicles is made possible in part by CompuServe, which offers online information
related to today's subject.
Publishers type GoChronicles.
Non-members call for more information.
Additional funding is provided by the Software Publishers Association, by PC Connection and
Mac Connection, by Byte Magazine and VIX, the Byte Information Exchange, and by Intel
Corporation, personal computer enhancement.
For a transcript of this week's Computer Chronicles, send $4 to PTV Publications, Post Office Box
701, Kent, Ohio, 44240.
Please indicate program date.
Thank you.