Gary Kildall: The Innovator Who Pioneered Home Computing
Gary Kildall: The Innovator Who Pioneered Home Computing In the 1970s and 1980s, a single innovator changed the way people use computers in their homes. That pioneer was Gary Kildall, founder of Digital Research and creator of the CP/M operating system – the basis for much of the home microcomputer technology we use today. The CP/M system was the most popular operating system of the time and can be credited with launching the home computing revolution. Throughout his career, Kildall played many roles in the development of the microcomputer. He was the first (in 1974) to recognize the potential of the microcomputer, and is credited with creating the first commercial minicomputer operating system – CP/M (Control Program for Microcomputers) – as well as the first commercial microcomputer – the Intel 8080. Kildall also developed the first commercial version of the BASIC programming language, and was an early advocate of open source software. So how did Gary Kildall revolutionize the home ...