Gordon Bell was an American electrical engineer who spent much of his career at Digital Equipment Corporation, where he designed the input output subsystem of the PDP-1, contributed to the architecture of the PDP-4, PDP-5, PDP-6 and PDP-11 minicomputers, and later led engineering on the VAX line of computers as vice president of engineering. In 1972 he described what became known as Bells Law of computer classes, the observation that a new category of computer, from mainframes to minicomputers to personal computers to mobile devices, tends to emerge roughly every decade to serve a new kind of use. He is often called the father of the minicomputer for this body of work.
Facts
AwardW. Wallace McDowell Award 2 AwardComputer History Museum Fellow 2 AwardFellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2 AwardFellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering 2 AwardIEEE John von Neumann Medal 2 AwardSeymour Cray Computer Engineering Award 2 AwardNational Medal of Technology and Innovation 2 Gordon Bell
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FAQs
What does Bell's law say about new kinds of computers?
A new and cheaper class of computer forms roughly every decade.
Bell's law is the observation that roughly every decade a new, lower priced computer class forms, based on a new programming platform, network and interface. Each new class brings new uses, so the pattern describes how the computing industry keeps reinventing the machine people use, from the minicomputers Bell helped build at Digital Equipment Corporation onward.
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Source Wikipedia: Gordon Bell
Invented
Gordon Bell led the architecture of the PDP-11 minicomputer at Digital Equipment Corporation, introduced in 1970.
VAX, Systems Gordon Bell led the architecture group that designed the VAX at Digital Equipment Corporation, introduced in 1977 as the 32-bit successor to the PDP-11.
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Nationality
Also in Geography Atlas: the nationality of this subject.
Source Wikipedia: Gordon BellLead sentence 1tier 2Quote, Lead sentence 1
Chester Gordon Bell (August 19, 1934 – May 17, 2024) was an American electrical engineer and manager.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Gordon Bell
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
Chester Gordon Bell (August 19, 1934 - May 17, 2024) was an American electrical engineer and manager.
- In Field: Computer Architecture, Lead paragraph
View the Source 2. Gordon Bell (Wikidata)
Wikidata P166: IEEE Fellow
Wikidata P166 (award received): IEEE Fellow.
Wikidata P166: ACM Fellow
Wikidata P166 (award received): ACM Fellow.
Wikidata P166: Eckert-Mauchly Award
Wikidata P166 (award received): Eckert-Mauchly Award.
Wikidata P166: W. Wallace McDowell Award
Wikidata P166 (award received): W. Wallace McDowell Award.
Wikidata P166: Computer History Museum Fellow
Wikidata P166 (award received): Computer History Museum Fellow.
Wikidata P166: Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Wikidata P166 (award received): Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Wikidata P166: Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering
Wikidata P166 (award received): Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.
Wikidata P166: IEEE John von Neumann Medal
Wikidata P166 (award received): IEEE John von Neumann Medal.
Wikidata P166: Seymour Cray Computer Engineering Award
Wikidata P166 (award received): Seymour Cray Computer Engineering Award.
Wikidata P166: National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Wikidata P166 (award received): National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
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