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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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"I may have invented it, but Bill made it famous," Bradley said. Gates didn't laugh.
To: John Beresford Tipton
I guess he's being upgrade?
2
posted on
01/29/2004 8:54:49 AM PST
by
Puppage
(You may disagree with what I have to say, but I will defend to your death my right to say it)
To: John Beresford Tipton
I guess he's being upgraded?
3
posted on
01/29/2004 8:54:57 AM PST
by
Puppage
(You may disagree with what I have to say, but I will defend to your death my right to say it)
To: John Beresford Tipton
Yep, that is the "keeper" quote.
4
posted on
01/29/2004 8:55:31 AM PST
by
NotQuiteCricket
(~maybe I'm bitter, and maybe I'm not....)
To: John Beresford Tipton
I guess he's going to
END TASK
To: John Beresford Tipton
I want to know who invented ALT+TAB...It has saved my job and my marriage!
Only problem is my thumb and forefinger are always cramped on my left hand!!!!!
6
posted on
01/29/2004 8:57:06 AM PST
by
marktuoni
(This space reserved for pithy comments...as yet I have none.)
To: Pan_Yan; Excuse_My_Bellicosity
ping
7
posted on
01/29/2004 8:57:08 AM PST
by
Pan_Yans Wife
(He who has never hoped can never despair.)
To: Puppage
I guess he's being upgraded?Or being outsourced to India.
8
posted on
01/29/2004 8:58:02 AM PST
by
Sir Gawain
(Pimptastically ghetto fantabulous)
To: John Beresford Tipton
I laughed!
9
posted on
01/29/2004 8:58:34 AM PST
by
thoughtomator
("I will do whatever the Americans want because I saw what happened in Iraq, and I was afraid"-Qadafi)
To: John Beresford Tipton
This could be a classic thread.
To: John Beresford Tipton
A three fingered salute to Mr. Bradley!
11
posted on
01/29/2004 8:59:14 AM PST
by
Joe 6-pack
("We deal in hard calibers and hot lead." - Roland Deschaines)
To: John Beresford Tipton
You don't suppose he's going out for a Big "Mac"?
To: John Beresford Tipton
A deserves a "3 finger salute".
To: Semper Paratus
On two hands. Or perhaps just a contorted right hand.
14
posted on
01/29/2004 9:00:30 AM PST
by
July 4th
(George W. Bush, Avenger of the Bones)
To: marktuoni
I'd sue the inventor of that key combination if I were you.
15
posted on
01/29/2004 9:01:41 AM PST
by
GigaDittos
(Bumper sticker: "Vote Democrat, it's easier than getting a job.")
To: John Beresford Tipton
16
posted on
01/29/2004 9:03:18 AM PST
by
GigaDittos
(Bumper sticker: "Vote Democrat, it's easier than getting a job.")
To: John Beresford Tipton
To: John Beresford Tipton
Ctrl-Alt-Del
Man, that would make one freaky tombstone.
I never actually thought about who it was who created it. Kind of like the guy who invented the "beep-beep-beep" when trucks move in reverse....
(glad it's only retirement -- maybe he'll "reboot" into another career. ahhh, someone probably already used that gagged before.)
ts
To: Tanniker Smith
I would not be surprised to see Leno use this.
He often mentions the death of people who did strange things. And this is in the same vein.
To: John Beresford Tipton
20
posted on
01/29/2004 9:20:17 AM PST
by
Lady Jag
(It's in the bag)
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