DEC and Symbolics History Revisited

Yes, the title of this blog is referring to Music and Saxophone playing, but I have taken a liberty writing of some personal items occasionally, too.

This is a follow up to my previous Blog post dealing with my personal history with Digital Equipment Corp. and Symbolics, Inc.

This update stems from Harlan E. Anderson, one of the DEC founders publishing his memoirs. Should make interesting reading.

Harlan's marketeer, Carole Gunst has a very interesting Hi-tech History Blog. In there she is writing: The First Domain Ever Registered Was Symbolics.com

Carole's articles are hitting home very effectively. I worked for DEC 1974-1985 most of the time in Maynard, Mass, USA. From 1986 I was with Symbolics in Cambridge, Mass, USA when Symbolics achieved that important record. While at DEC they received “the honor” of sending the first spam message in the Internet. That was about announcing VAX 11/750.

The rest is history:

The greatest invention since sliced bread – A Computer

My friend sent me this and I found it both amusing and nostalgic. I shortened it to include only the computer companies which I had a personal interest and of course DEC, my previous employer:

Image via Wikipedia

If IBM made toasters... They would want one big toaster where people bring bread to be submitted for overnight toasting. IBM would claim a worldwide market for five, maybe six toasters.

Image via Wikipedia

If Microsoft made toasters... Every time you bought a loaf of bread, you would have to buy a toaster. You wouldn't have to take the toaster, but you'd still have to pay for it anyway. Toaster'95 would weigh 15000 pounds (hence requiring a reinforced steel countertop), draw enough electricity to power a small city, take up 95% of the space in your kitchen, would claim to be the first toaster that let's you control how light or dark you want your toast to be, and would secretly interrogate your other appliances to find out who made them. Everyone would hate Microsoft toasters, but nonetheless would buy them since most of the good bread only works with their toasters.

If Apple made toasters... It would do everything the Microsoft toaster does, but five years earlier. The toast would make a little smiley face at you when it popped up, or else it would get stuck and there would be a little picture of a bomb burned onto it. If they break, these toasters would require a special set of MacToaster Tools to even open up. Worldwide market share would only be 5%, but all the bread in school lunches would be exclusively toasted on the MacToaster.


Does DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) still make toasters?... They made good toasters in the '70s, didn't they?


If Hewlett-Packard made toasters... They would market the Reverse Polish Toaster, which takes in toast and gives you regular bread.

Ex-DEC Finland trip to Tallinn, Estonia

Almost 60 ex-DEC employees took a day cruise to Tallinn on January 31, 2009. The vessel was Eckerö Lines' ms Nordlandia which was quite comfortable for the purpose. We enjoyed a breakfast on the way to Tallinn and buffet dinner on the way back to Helsinki.
In the picture above: Sven-Erik Nyberg, Martti Vainio and Harri Rautiainen.

More pictures:

Ex-DEC Tallinna

Thanks to organizers, Tiina and Sune.

Digital Ten Years After - Still Going Strong

It was party time on August 15, 2008 at Kaapelitehdas in Helsinki.

With disappearing of Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) from the business map its Finnish subsidiary was closed exactly 10 years ago. 250 ex-DECcies gathered at Kaapelitehdas restaurant to reminisce and enjoy food, drinks, music and each other's company. The organizing committee undertook a huge task in putting it all together, and everything worked out to perfection. Thank you Tiina, Sirpa, Kaj and Pältsy.

Although I worked for DEC in Finland in 1974-77 I met also many ex-DECcies whom I got to know while I was working at Headquarters in Maynard, Mass.

Enjoyed talking with (at least) following "old-timers" from the golden period, the formative years of DEC Finland:

Marketta Forssell, Antti Halila, Göran Hietarinta, Raimo Kajanen, Tuija Karviala, Helinä Lehmann, Calle Lindqvist, Sven-Erik Nyberg, Matti Pätäri, Pekka Roine (all the way from Geneva), Hannu Tamminen (another European vagrant) and Martti Vainio.

Why am I posting this in my music blog? During the cause of festivities "Digibandi" of ex-DECcies was playing with great groove and success. Among others, Pasi Leino was in base and Jokke Lahtiranta in drums. I had a pleasure to play with Jokke two weeks earlier at Otava Jazz camp; that is the connection.

I hope to get my hands on some pictures from the party to be posted here.

Like several participants here, I had the pleasure attending the German/Internat'l DEC gathering in Berlin last September. This was in Helsinki was another memorable DEC-night, thanks you everyone.