This is a small biography of Mr. Jiang Tao, about Microsoft Legend Charles Simonyi, I feel very interesting, it is worth seeing. The programmer should not just just digital animals. "People are tenth, you can make a mistake; From Charlest Simonyi's experience, we can see more than just a personal process, but also see Microsoft's early twists and turns, and the respectable work of PARC, etc., which is not very enough. Mr. Jiang Tao is http://www.9cbs.net/expert/jiangtao, and some of the introduction of IT circle character, such as Steve Jobs, Mark Anderson and Yang Zhiyuan, I am interested. Go see.
Jiang Tao prequel
Its mountain stone can attack jade. "Global People" shows the style of the world IT elite. Although there is a lot of books to write foreign IT elites, most of them focus on the two most successful people in Microsoft Gates and Intel Graph, which is obviously not enough. Yahoo! How Yang Zhiyuan thinks to do a directory search engine? Do you still go to the navigation when you go to the Oracle's Ellison's Oracle's elima Who creates Java? Who invented WWW? Basic's inventors are not Gates, who is it? All of these we may be boring about some, but people who really understand are not much. Some people say that the United States is China today. If we really can see the history of the Silicon Valley, what is exciting!
Microsoft Chief Architect Charles - Simoni
Charles Simonyi is the inventor of "What You See What You get", which is the core of Microsoft Lai's Windows system, Charles Simoni, has also established Microsoft. The programmer management system, his title in Microsoft is Chief Architect, which is the core of Microsoft's highest think tank. He is a computer of Stanford University, and his doctoral thesis on "Hungarian Expiration" is a course, Word, Excel and other Microsoft applications, the development of Word, Excel, etc., Charles - Simonny is the legendary figure in the history of software.
"Youth Science Fans"
SIMONYI Growing in the end of the 50th, Budapest in Hungary (the United States also is also a very famous person Intel, Andy Gruf, also from Budapest). Most American programs genius typical family backgrounds are: children are particularly intelligent but very introverted, and more attention to science and technology is more reliable than those in the world because of their adult worlds. They are fully grown in their own world. Simonyi's family is very different. He lives in an environment that is encouraged and expressed, his father is a professor of electronics engineering, thinking that the problem is an indispensable part of personal growth. The problem solving is the main job of computer program design. Unlike parents with other programs, there is no way to make any guidance for children. Simonyi's father played an important role in his intellectual growth. "My father's method is to assume that the rescue method is already," SIMONYI recalls: "This is a good way to answer the problem. I once asked him a question: 'How many horses do you need?', He I will answer, 'five, you said that I am or wrong?', When I pointed out that it is impossible to be five hits, he said: 'Good, if it is not five, you must be a few, can you calculate it?' As a result, I can rule, because when I deny five homes, the answer has already come out, through this reverse solving, I am the curiosity of the answer, this curiosity is mainly fearless, there is no way to solve "three years experience Three generations of computers
Through the help of the father, Simonyi began to touch the computer at the age of 16, "I and the computer sleep together", Simonyi laughs and memories. The father gave him a job in the Night II computer at night. This is an old vacuum tube computer, only 4000 bytes of memory, which is under the control of Simonyi. In the end of the 1950s, the vacuum tube has already basically disappeared in the United States, but Hungary is still use, this is the misplaced time of the times. When the personal computer revolution began, the United States used the vacuum tube vintage computer or retired for a long time. Or have already died early. It's very young to get in touch with the computer, and there is a dislocation of the times to Simonyi double the benefits. "So youngest to get into contact with your computer, it is very unusual in Hungary. Now look back, the computer program is not much difficult, but also six The process of recent years can only be a child's game. But at that time the computer is very mysterious, people are very worried about letting me approach such a expensive computer. In just three years, I have experienced the use of three generations. The first generation. It is in Hungary, then in Denmark's Copenhagen has been used for a year and a half years. The second generation transistor computer is used, and then the CDC 6400 large computer is used in California, the CDC 6400 large computer. "SIMONYI in 1966 High school graduated, because people at the Hungarian incident live in the fear and closed, Simonyi lucky to invite Copenhagen University in Denmark, where he started using a transistor computer, although this computer has no operating system. One year later he came to the United States in Gani Furia. His father did not leave with him, but this rebellious fled to his father brought a lot of trouble. Simonyi entered the University of California, Berkeley, and he met the problems encountered in many immigrant students. As a foreign student could not get scholarships, computer program design capacity proved is not easy to work. But no matter how it is still working for the school's computing center, then the Butler Lampson, Butler Lampson and several professors jointly organized a Berkeley Computer Company, and they provided him with the shares invited him to work, this is very fresh. Things, although these shares will be worthless. Sometimes SIMONYI is very good at school, sometimes is particularly bad, so that the college dean inquiries about the reason, "Mr. Simonyi, your performance is sometimes good, sometimes bad, what is the reason? We can help you, is a drug or other What is the reason? "SIMONYI's answer is" reason is money and shares. " The dean had to say, then we can't do anything. "In the Xerox Inventive ', what you see" "
Berkeley Computer Company is a branch of the US Department of Defense Advanced Research Program (APRA) Genie Program, which is funded by the Director Bob Taylor, but due to the failure of the operation. After the company is bankrupt, the core staff are hired by Taylor, Taylor is responsible for the study center of Xerox. In this 1972 SIMONYI came to Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (Parc, Palo Alto Research Center), when he did not graduate from the school, studying the degree in Berkeley Engineering Mathematics at the work of PARC. . Senior scientific researchers pay tribute to the Palo Alto Research Center, because in the field of personal computer, some of the most revolutionary ideas are generated here. These excellent ideas reflect on the Macintosh computer of Apple in a few years, also reflected in the Windows software of Microsoft. There are many research projects in PARC, but the ALTO PC project is the most challenging. This is the first personal computer in the world, and Xer is given a lot of wonderful features. SIMONYI writes a text editor Bravo for ALTO computers, which is the text processing software of "What You See I you get", BRAVO changes information organization and display, which is PARC to computer Contribution to the development of human machine interaction interface. At that time, PARC was the best research institute in the world. It has excellent equipment and people. Taylor only hire the best personnel. The research center has no ordinary personnel, almost everyone is a doctoral, all the best experts in their own areas. But everything is everywhere. PARC has the best technology, but it is also the most detailed. In 1975, when BRAVO and ALTO computers were running, there were many senior characters to visit. The proposed method of "WYSIWY" is from a Citibank's visit. Simonyi demonstrates the use of different font display files on the computer screen, and then transmits the data to the printer, and the effect of the printed effect and the screen display are exactly the same, the representative of the Citibank said: "I understand, this is What you have come here is 11 years earlier than the standard of the "see" in the future. " The ALTO computer screen is larger than the apple's Mac screen, and there is also a mouse to be very expensive, selling price of 50,000 US dollars, the laser printer is $ 200,000. The microcomputer that compares to the child is like a child's toy. But his doctoral thesis is not about "what you see", but to study how to improve programmer productivity, describe how to organize programmer development software. The problem of software development is always an indefinite extension, how to complete the development of research in the specified time is the main topic. Simonyi believes that the software cannot be added as scheduled to increase the management burden, not the correct way to solve the problem, the key is to effectively use the programmer, and he proposes a method of setting up the program manager. The program manager is responsible for software design and management, with decision, programmers to encode software according to design. Simonyi believes that the faster the program manager makes the decision, the better than the discussion is greater than the bad decision, and at least 85% of the program manager is finally proved to be correct. The design, management, and decision is concentrated in the program manager, and the software development will be faster and more effective. The key to this method is how to establish such a level of management system, and it is obviously impossible in Xerox. "Finally, I finally feel that there is no future in Shi, this is not a problem with the market sector and management. It is also the technical department. Question. However, the failure of Xerox is to save me. If the Xero is successful, I can get a $ 1,000 bonus, I can't share successful results.
Until I saw Visicalc on the Apple 2 computer, I saw the direction of my future development. The problem with Xerox is the big company, the better the product, the better, the production is increasing, more and more expensive, because it is difficult to change according to market changes. "" Turning point in a lifetime: add Microsoft "
SIMONYI decided to leave Xerox Company in 1980, his colleague Bob Metcalfe has just left the creation of 3COM, and provides him with a list of contacts. The first one is Microsoft's Bill Gates. November 1980 Simonyi met with Bill Gates and Steve Palmer, and Bill was very young, but the views of the computer were very vision. Simonyi only talked for 5 minutes with them, decided to work to Microsoft. They discussed Microsoft's future development, Bill predicts Microsoft World Corporation, which will fully provide a variety of software products including operating systems, applications, programming tools, and consumer software. Due to the work experience of Xerox, Simonyi's importance of the application and graphic user interface (GUI: Graphic User Interface "is deeply confident, but Bill recognizes this with its excellent vision, although he still doesn't know Xerox. The results. Simonyi recalls: "I know that he has enough funds to achieve these ideas, interesting is that there is 100,000 employees and billions of dollars of Xi Lei, but the young Bill can provide everything," need to hire Two people, "Okay, need more people? "," Do you need a office? "," What kind of computer needed? "This is a project that requires only hundreds of thousands of dollars." Bill spent $ 100,000 purchased a Xerox's personal computer Xerox Star, Simonyi used him to let the company know the mouse to know the graphical user interface. Gates In 1996, he said at the graphical user interface in the Las Vegas Comdex exhibition. "When Simonyi joined the company, I know that we will develop a successful graphical user interface in the future, and the problem is only what time.
"My biggest thing in my life is to join Microsoft, and participate in Microsoft's rapid development. One of the most important things that I have to do is recruiting, this is an important factor in the development of enterprises, we have a very good thing. Many time The people I hiring are staying in the company, most of them now have a high status, forming a very efficient, very responsible programming group. "
"Wealth brings to Microsoft"
Simonyi does not bring the Microsoft's not only the graphical user interface, but also brought two other wealth. The first item is the experience of developing application software. At that time, there were four types of software in the personal computer field: operating system like Gary Kildall's CP / M, programming language icon Bill Gates Basic, application icon spreadsheet Visicalc, and tools Provide additional features. Gates knows very little about the application software, in fact, the success of Visicalc, so that Simonyi leaves Xi. SIMONYI plans to develop a range of applications including spreadsheets, text processing, databases, and more. (This is actually a prototype of the Office Series afterwards later). The second wealth is Simonyi's theory about programmer productivity. It is called the "Software Factory" theory by Gates, and Gates divides the program manager into different levels, forming a management programmer's pyramid architecture, Gates is the highest programmer, He is the following is a few technologies, and each architect is the following is a few program managers, and finally the programmer. However, the theory of "Software Factory" has not been successful, because software development has too many uncertain factors, it is impossible to all in design regulations, software quality has to rely on programmers' genius. However, the development management system is well implemented, Microsoft has formed a huge and efficient development team. Microsoft is not like other software companies employing experience, and likes to directly hire students who have no experience in the university, because young people are more likely to integrate into "Microsoft mode". Simonyi believes: "The real genius is very valuable. At the beginning of the entrepreneurship, it is around the genius. In the development phase of the company, comprehensive organizational skills are more important, this requires different skills. The genius products often do not cooperate with others, we It is important to use the same core technology in a series of products, and cooperation is more important than genius. "" Application Wars: Failure is the mother of success "
After Microsoft, the Multiplan spreadsheet software developed by Simonyi is very good, and Simonyi has created multi-level menu (MENU) control in MUTILPLAN, which will become software industry standards. In response to the most popular spreadsheet software Visicalc, Multiplan, Multiplan, took a strategy that today Java, supporting various operational platforms and computers, which was great at the time. But but committed a fatal mistake, due to IBM's persistence, Multiplan is mainly due to computer design of 64K memory, and performance is limited. A black horse Lotus 1-2-3 was launched in 1982, Simonyi recalls: "I first saw Lotus 1-2-3, I knew that we encountered trouble." Lotus 1-2-3 target It is 256K memory computer with more performance and fast, Lotus will soon win sales first, but also become the world's first software sales of more than 1 million sets of software. But unexpected is that Mutilplan has achieved success in Europe. Microsoft Word is the second application developed by Simonyi leaders. On January 1, 1983, Microsoft released Word for DOS 1.0. This is a milestone software product. Technology is very long, Word starts from the bottom of the graphic interface, is The first set can display bold, slope, and display text processing software that can display special symbols on a computer screen. Supports mouse and laser printers, and Word use interface and Multiplan, SIMONYI plans to produce Multi series products, and MUTILFILE, MULTICHART, etc., but the market department feels too long, it is recommended to use all products to use Microsoft named, this is extremely Good offer, Microsoft logo is displayed on each set. Unfortunately, Microsoft was defeated again. This time the opponent is WordPerfect. WordPerfect passed the user's word of mouth promotion and excellent after-sales service, later hosted. WordPerfect's advertisement in computer magazine is a company's vocal note, a large phone bill, the company's thoughtful service. The frontal battle is not good, Microsoft will transfer the battlefield. Microsoft spreadsheet software Excel has achieved success on Apple's Mactintosh computer, and Simonyi is lightly familiar with the graphical user interface. When designing application software, it takes into account the graphical interface. They all use C language programming, other opponents such as Lotus 1-2-3 Programming in assembly, transplant is difficult. Microsoft shows its power on the graphical user interface. "Windows: Successful Symphony"
Bill Gates has long realized the importance of the graphical user interface. In 1982, he talked about that only allowed users to easily use software, software applications can be popularized. Microsoft concentrated on all power to develop graphic operating systems. After hard development, once again, there is a failure of another opponent on graphic operating system, and Windows1.03 finally listed in November 1985, Simonyi will Windows The system is compared to symphony in music. Microsoft shifts all products to the Windows system platform, and the competitors do not move, this time Microsoft finally played successful symphony, 1987 Microsoft replaced Lotus became a premiere software company. Excel Windows version is popular, Windows has become the best-selling software, while Lotus 1-2-3 Windows is only available for two years, history has opened a new page. In 1990, Windows 3.0 came out, this is a milestone in the history of software development. From this time, SIMONYI's dream is true, the graphical user interface has become a software standard, and Microsoft's application software has been in the world, and there is uncomfortable. Text-handling Word, spreadsheets Excel is the largest Windows application for sales, bringing Microsoft with billions of dollars in profits. "Meng name"
In 1991, Simonyi is no longer responsible for the development of application software, but hosts the Microsoft Research Center to study the new generation of programming methods: "Inteentional Programming". The programming language provides the programmakers with abstract means, but the programming language is very slow, and the new language is difficult to produce and is not easy to accept. Value is a programmed abstract approach, not a language. This is similar to the theory of the biological evolution of Darwin, which is developing rather than individuals. Purpose Programming Attempts to create an abstract ecosystem, abstract can exist independently. Abstraction is completely described, abstraction represents the intent of the programmer wants to solve the problem. The destination programming is very puzzled, but Simonyi believes that this will bring software development revolution, and ordinary people can also program software programming until now the destination programming is still in theory of theoretical research, and there is no expectation in the future. In 1996, Simonyi spent 12 million US dollars. The lake in the suburbs of Seattle has built an area of 21,000 square feet, very spectacular, facility and ultra-modern house, and the century palace of Bill Gates, another Microsoft founder Paul Alen living nearby. After years of hard work in Microsoft, this is SIMONYI should be obtained.
Simonyi donated approximately 500 to 6 million US dollars to Stanford University, Oxford University and Princeton Advanced Research Institute. Richard Dawkins, anonymous, an Oxford University professor, has been funded by $ 3 million, and Dawkins is fundamentally studied by insects. Simonyi admitted that he was fascinated by Dawkins's research on Huang Feng, spider, and spider web. The theory of evolution is inspired by "purpose programming" responsible for Simonyi. The rich people in Silicon Valley are not generous in charity. The main reason is that they are too young. "Special young people, no matter how rich, it is very generous to the money. The more generous." The famous reporter John Markoff New York Times (1990.11.12) reported a anecdote, "Simonyi likes to lead the visitors to his new basement, visit the workshops of the lathe and machine, 'in Hungary,', he is proud to say 'they say Workers cannot have production machines. '"
