I worked at DG during its last four years. I briefly encountered Mr. West a couple of times. His aura was palpable in the hallways. He remains a legend among DG alumni.<p>Around 1998, West started a new internet focused business unit called THiiNLINE. One of the unit's products was an embedded Linux based wireless router for the home. As a lucky beta-tester, I enjoyed wireless laptop access to my dialup internet connection well before such devices became common. At the time, THiiNLINE was considered a crazy venture. The past thirteen years have proven that West's vision was on the right track.<p>I had the extreme good fortune of having a Microkid as my mentor for seven years. I learned a ton from him and like to think that I picked up some of the "The Soul of a New Machine" ethos. For that, I will always be thankful to Mr. West and the Eagle group he created.<p>RIP, Mr. West.
RIP, Mr. West. I read the Kidder book in high-school, and it was definitely a factor that motivated me to get involved with computers and this industry. Feeling a tinge of nostalgia, I went back and re-read it a few months ago... and found that it stands the test of time well. It's a very interesting read, even if the technology has moved on considerably since the Data General days. And I still wish I'd had the chance to meet Tom West, but sadly, 'twas not to be.
In the Metafilter thread (actually on MetaTalk) thread about it, Jessamyn (his daughter) posted a few links about Tim West: <a href="http://metatalk.metafilter.com/20664/RIP-Tom-West#889672" rel="nofollow">http://metatalk.metafilter.com/20664/RIP-Tom-West#889672</a>
"'What he told them was that if you win at this level, then your reward is that you get to play again at the next level, but guess what: The next level is more difficult,' said Don McDougall of Palo Alto, Calif., a former vice president of technical products at Data General."<p>That's great insight into how to motivate people to do their best.<p>I read the book The Soul of a New Machine many years ago, but already long enough after it was published that the technology sounded a bit primitive. It was a grippingly good read, a glimpse into how different personalities mesh to solve a tough technical problem.
"Soul of a New Machine" was practically required reading when I was at Convex (where Steve Wallach, interviewed for the article, went to be CTO post-DG.)<p>To say that the culture of Mostek and DG influenced Convex would be gross understatement.<p>I learned a lot at my first "real job" in the industry. I've never found anyplace as "good" to work since. (Nor am I alone in expressing this.)
I posted this a few days ago, but it sunk like a stone. I'm glad to see it getting the attention here it deserves.<p>I met Tom a number of times-- I'm friends with his daughter-- and he was a hell of a guy. I'm glad the obit mentioned a few of his non-IT related adventures...
Sorry to hear this. I read this book as a kid and it has had a pronounced influence on my life and career. Never had a chance to work on any of the systems, but the ideas and excitement around the technical guts of the system inspired me.<p>/me raises a glass in toast.
Tom West captured the essence of what motivates me to work, and what I find motivates most of the incredible people I've had the opportunity to work with:<p><i>An engineer's essential desire, after all, is to design and build a
machine and see it through to completion, but completion itself is
therefore not the ultimate reward. In the Eagle days, West called this
paradox "pinball." In pinball, he reasoned, the prize for winning is
getting to play again. The story of the Eagle engineers since Soul is
one of a career-length version of pinball.</i>
From "Soul":<p><i>There’s no such thing as a perfect design. Most experienced computer engineers I talked to agreed that absorbing this simple lesson constitutes the first step in learning how to get machines out the door. Often, they said, it is the most talented engineers who have the hardest time learning when to stop striving for perfection. West was the voice from the cave, supplying that information: “Ok. It’s right. Ship it.”</i><p><i>He would bind his team with mutual trust, he had decided. When a person signed up to do a job for him, he would in turn trust that person to accomplish it; he wouldn’t break it down into little pieces and make the task small, easy and dull.</i><p><i>With Tom, it’s the last two percent that counts. What I now call ‘the ability to ship product’ — to get it out the door.</i>
Damn,<p>I had the opportunity to use some Data General Machines in the 1980s..fine machines, reliable, etc...<p>I am the only older one here that remembers using the machines?