Computer quotes (was computer proverbs)

[James A. Landau]

Aside to Mark---Fred Shapiro specifically asked for "computer proverbs" and
people have been using that in the subject lines ever since.  Yes, you are
right that they mostly fall short of being "proverbs", but it's better for
Fred to have a full slushpile than an empty page in his new book.

Bill Gates, "Bill Gates on Microsoft BASIC" in Steve Ditlea, ed "Idealism
Spawns Realism"  _Datamation_, vol and number not available,  October, 1982,
page 33ff

"one thing hasn't changed: mainframes and personal computers remain at odds."

"It is, after all, easier to learn a completely different [computer] language
than to learn one that is supposedly the same except for a few subtle
differences."

"Even BASIC requires a user to understand variables, loops, and line numbers.
 If we want millions of machines to be used effectively, we have to eliminate
this complexity by only presenting concepts that users already understand,
such as paper, files, or procedures."

Gary Kildall "Gary Kildall on CP/M" ibid pp 39f

"micro users can work with icons as opposed to keying information into the
computer system.  Icons are used in our society in many different ways.
Symbols on automobile dashboards are a good example---where a picture of a
gas pump is used instead of the word "fuel".  In computers, we will see
operating systems allowing us to work with pictures, not abstractions
expressed in cryptic written commands and responses.  With an icon, or
graphics-oriented system, the abstractions are hidden and users can
communicate in ways they find natural."

Note: the preceding quote, written in 1982, is a remarkable prediction of the
Apple LISA of 1983 and the Apple Macintosh of 1984 (or maybe Kildall had
advance knowledge).

Dan Bricklin "Dan Bricklin on VisiCalc" ibid pp 40f

"What I had in mind was a "magic blackboard" where, when one number in the
equation changed, the computer could automatically refigure the solution and
change all the numbers in the rows and columns accordingly."

"Business people were going into computer stores to buy Apploe II computers
ust so they could run VisiCalc."

"What we had done with VisiCalc was technically possible long before we had
attempted it.  It was a case of no one thinking of the fundamental concept or
application."

              - Jim Landau

PS - I told someone---I don't remember who---at Jesse's party that "to boot"
is derived from "bootstrap loader".  From the same article, Bill Gates says:

[referring to his successful attempt to sell Microsoft BASIC to MITS]
"The night before Paul [Allen] left to go to [MITS at] Albuquerque, I stayed
up reviewing everything to make sure it would run on the real machine.  Paul
worte the bootstrap loader on the planes.  Everyone, including ourselves, was
amazed when this BASIC worked the first time."