Gordon Bell, a pivotal figure in the history of computing, passed away on May 17, 2024, at the age of 89. Known for his significant contributions to the development of minicomputers and personal computing.
Born in 1934 in Kirksville, Missouri, Bell displayed an incredible knack for experimentation from an early age. His groundbreaking work took off in the 1960s at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), where he played a key role in designing the first major minicomputer hits like the PDP-8 in 1965. He also invented the first UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter) for serial communication during his time at DEC.
Bell’s work at DEC was instrumental in shifting the dominance from expensive, room-sized mainframe systems to more accessible minicomputers. The PDP-8 and its successors lit the fuse for the personal computing revolution to come. In fact, the PDP-8 was one of the key machines on the ARPANET network that later became the Internet.
After retiring from DEC in 1983, Bell remained active as an entrepreneur, policy adviser, and researcher. He co-founded Encore Computer and helped establish the NSF’s Computing and Information Science and Engineering Directorate. In 1995, Bell joined Microsoft Research where he studied telepresence technologies and served as the subject of the MyLifeBits life-logging project.
Throughout his career, Bell took on many roles – researcher, inventor, entrepreneur, teacher, and more. He was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 1991 and even served a stint at the National Science Foundation helping build early internet infrastructure.
Bell’s legacy endures in the digital age he helped shape, and his contributions to the field of computing will continue to influence.
Read more: arstechnica.com