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Inventor of Ctrl-Alt-Delete Combo Is Retiring From IBM
AP ^
| January 29, 2004
| AP
Posted on 01/29/2004 8:53:25 AM PST by John Beresford Tipton
Inventor of Ctrl-Alt-Delete Combo Is Retiring From IBM The Associated Press
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (AP) - The man who spent five minutes writing the computer code that would bail out the world's PC users for decades is retiring Friday.
David Bradley programmed one of the most well-known key combinations around: Ctrl-Alt-Delete. It forces obstinate computers to restart when they no longer follow other commands.
Bradley, 55, is leaving IBM Corp. after 28 1/2 years.
By 1980, Bradley was one of 12 people working to create the IBM PC. The engineers knew they had to design a simple way to restart the computer should it fail. Bradley wrote the code to make it work.
"I didn't know it was going to be a cultural icon," Bradley said. "I did a lot of other things than Ctrl-Alt-Delete, but I'm famous for that one."
His fame depends on the failures of others.
At a 20-year celebration for the IBM PC, Bradley was on a panel with Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates and other tech icons. The discussion turned to the keys.
"I may have invented it, but Bill made it famous," Bradley said.
Gates didn't laugh. The key combination also is used when Microsoft's Windows operating system fails.
Bradley, who will continue teaching at North Carolina State University after retirement, was once mentioned as a clue in the TV game show "Jeopardy."
"After having been the answer on final 'Jeopardy,' if I can be a clue in The New York Times' Sunday crossword puzzle, I will have met all my life's goals," Bradley said.
AP-ES-01-29-04 1126EST
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: bluescreenofdeath; ctrlaltdelete; ibm; retirement
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To: GalaxieFiveHundred
Excellent.
21
posted on
01/29/2004 10:14:07 AM PST
by
Cicero
(Marcus Tullius)
To: John Beresford Tipton
22
posted on
01/29/2004 10:16:10 AM PST
by
steve-b
To: John Beresford Tipton
What I want to know is who invented the "any" key? As in "Press any key to continue...".
23
posted on
01/29/2004 10:16:25 AM PST
by
dfwgator
To: steve-b
24
posted on
01/29/2004 10:17:57 AM PST
by
smith288
("YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWW" - Howard Dean)
To: marktuoni
I want to know who invented ALT+TAB...It has saved my job and my marriage!
-----
I know zactly what you mean!!!
To: dfwgator
26
posted on
01/29/2004 10:21:25 AM PST
by
Pyro7480
("We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid" - Benjamin Franklin)
To: John Beresford Tipton
Bill gets the Blue Screen of Death
Watch
27
posted on
01/29/2004 10:22:32 AM PST
by
smith288
("YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWW" - Howard Dean)
To: John Beresford Tipton
"I may have invented it, but Bill made it famous," Bradley said. Gates didn't laugh.It's only funny because it's TRUE!
28
posted on
01/29/2004 11:28:45 AM PST
by
zeugma
(The Great Experiment is over.)
To: rdb3
It's funny. Laugh. Penguin ping.
29
posted on
01/29/2004 11:31:29 AM PST
by
zeugma
(The Great Experiment is over.)
To: John Beresford Tipton
There was a three-finger thingie you could do on the HP-45 to start the hidden clock-timer. I can't remember the which keys they were.
30
posted on
01/30/2004 3:51:49 AM PST
by
snopercod
(When the people are ready, a master will appear.)
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