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Paul Allen has died

cnbc.com

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Re: Paul Allen has died

#141

Post by ekianjo »

koiz wrote: post #93
dpq wrote: post #51

When I was a kid, programmers - the elders, those whose lives and achievements had been described in all my introductory books - seemed to be immortal, because all these people who changed the world and created the wonderful universe of computers and software - they were all alive then (at least those I knew and cared about). That time is long gone now... and we are no longer immortal. We have lost so many of our kin…

At least the ideas are immortal.

Only as long as there are warm bodies to hold them.

Re: Paul Allen has died

#142

Post by DavidAdams »

ribs wrote: post #83
6nf wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My uncle went to the dentist complaining of bit of bleeding in his gums. The dentist immediately sent him to get blood tests done and the next day he was diagnosed with leukaemia. Three days later he passed away.

Like Arthur Kane, bass player for the New York Dolls. Goes to the hospital thinking he has the flu, is diagnosed with leukemia, 2 hours - HOURS - later, he dies.

If you haven't seen the movie "New York Doll," about Kane's interesting life trajectory, I recommend it: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436629/

Re: Paul Allen has died

#143

Post by [deleted] »

Delmania wrote: post #105
gist wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What? Loss to humanity? Sorry but he was no Steve Jobs or even close. He exited Microsoft in 1982 and essentially spent money that he made off of Microsoft (to do some good things let's say if you forget the patent trolling). Not minimizing what he did that was positive but don't compare it to Steve who actually did 'change the world' (no Jobs fanboy but need to point out what he did was way more than Paul Allen). Se…

I'm 100% certain he did more good for this world with his wealth than someone like you can even begin to dream of. He helped to build a successful computer company, intelligently navigated the exit to make significant wealth, and then donated 2 billion to various causes. Tell me, what the hell have you done for anyone?

[deleted]

Re: Paul Allen has died

#144

Post by wallflower »

GioM wrote: post #79
liftbigweights wrote: post #59

Was never a fan of allen or microsoft as I felt that Microsoft's monopoly has held back computing by a generation, but it's still sad to see cancer finally get this guy after a lifetime of struggle. He left microsoft because of cancer in the 80s. Hopefully he left much of his wealth for cancer research and lots of good can come from that.

In the 90s, yes. But in the early 80s when there were dozens of different computer architectures competing, the rise to dominance of MS-DOS brought about the standardization of computer hardware on a single platform. That, in turn, led to lower prices as hardware was commoditized, and to accessibility for millions worldwide who could never before buy a computer.

Before Windows (technically 3.1, the breakthrough mainstream version), getting your computer to print something to a printer required the software (e.g. WordPerfect) to handle the printer driver itself.

Before Windows 95, to connect to the internet you had to do a fair bit of config.sys and network driver tweaking and use Peter Tattam’s Trumpet Winsock. Windows 95 incorporated TCP/IP into the operating system, paving the way for Netscape Navigator to reach quick adoption.

Standardization helped accelerate the growth of personal computing. While they were not necessarily open standards or the best standards, not having to worry about custom printer drivers freed up companies and software developers to write more apps...

Which brings us to Microsoft Visual Basic. The JavaScript of its time. Before VB 4, you had to know and understand Charles Petzold’s WinAPI books to make a Windows app. Arguably, some apps were poorly designed or implemented but it bulldozed the way to wide usage of applications for business.

Re: Paul Allen has died

#145

Post by donohoe »

Delmania wrote: post #105
gist wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What? Loss to humanity? Sorry but he was no Steve Jobs or even close. He exited Microsoft in 1982 and essentially spent money that he made off of Microsoft (to do some good things let's say if you forget the patent trolling). Not minimizing what he did that was positive but don't compare it to Steve who actually did 'change the world' (no Jobs fanboy but need to point out what he did was way more than Paul Allen). Se…

I'm 100% certain he did more good for this world with his wealth than someone like you can even begin to dream of. He helped to build a successful computer company, intelligently navigated the exit to make significant wealth, and then donated 2 billion to various causes. Tell me, what the hell have you done for anyone?

That’s not the point. While it’s great to remember the good he did, it’s fair to remember that he was also a bit of a patent troll. That’s all.

Re: Paul Allen has died

#146

Post by tinkerteller »

It's bit funny to see all these outpouring of emotions. Just last month we been talking about him and some folks pointed out how he has spent a tiny fraction of accidental lottery in to actual good such as Allen Institute and Semantic Scholar. A REALLY tiny fraction of his immense wealth. Many people think he has spent an order of magnitude more on organizing private rock concerts in desert, building yacht with his private music studio, buying up sport teams, bidding for momentas and slapping his name all over things to stroke his ego. I wouldn't want to say bad stuff for him on this day but I rather not encourage billionaires doing this get impression that HN crowd is in tears for them living extraordinarily exuberant lifestyle while throwing bread crumbs to science.

Re: Paul Allen has died

#147

Post by Qworg »

I worked as Paul's technical adviser at Vulcan - he was funny, warm, and prickly in turns, well aware of the outsized shadow he cast, and absolutely dedicated to bringing the sci-fi future he so loved into reality.

His legacy in the Institutes, in his philanthropic ventures, and in the bones of Seattle itself cannot be overstated. Outside of the sciences, he built South Lake Union (home of Amazon and many other tech companies), saved the Seahawks, supported thousands of famous musicians, and played a mean guitar himself.

I'll miss him.

Re: Paul Allen has died

#149

Post by rwc »

It's shocking to me that even now, hours after the announcement, Microsoft.com is completely bereft of mentioning the news. I know Paul Allen's impact at MS isn't akin to Bill Gates in popular culture, but it seems soulless to make no effort whatsoever.

Re: Paul Allen has died

#150

Post by ad_hominem »

It doesn't detract from his greatness but I didn't like his hypocrisy in giving millions to gun control initiatives while personally owning a Panzer tank, SCUD missile launcher, MiG fighter jet, etc.
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