Triumph of the Nerds

If you're a woman watching this, be prepared to be discounted. You will be repeatedly reminded that your gender disqualifies you from being interested in computing.

And we have THEM to thank for all of this.

Your humble author can't help but wonder how Bob Cringely got the likes of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, Paul Allen and others in front of the cameras for an honest look inside the slightly twisted minds that begat the personal computer.

At 3 hours in length, "Triumph of the Nerds" isn't just a PBS miniseries. On home video, it becomes an epic. And why shouldn't it be? The personal computer has an impact on our lives equal to that of the light bulb and the automobile. But in the case of the PC, most of the people responsible for its creation and worldwide influence are still alive. These are flesh and blood humans, not fading historical sketches like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.

"Triumph of the Nerds" was originally produced as a 20-year retrospective on the personal computer. But the PC will be 25 years old in the year 2000. I can't wait to see Bob Cringely's follow up.

I found these clips on YouTube, it's a 3-part documentary about the rise of computers/internet from about 1976 to 1996. Definitely worth seeing if you're from this era and still want to know more about it. All the great names pass by, like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, etc... The documentary is made by Robert Cringely, a sort of "insider" to the whole booming of silicon valley. He deliver's a lot of accurate information, in my opinion, with a bit of humor here and there. So it's also fun to watch as well. And seeing as computers and the internet are the best things to come along since sliced bread, this is a MUST SEE! ;-)

I call "The Triumph of the Nerds" the best PC history documentary ever made. They talk about everything from your first home built PC, up to the Internet. Along with the people explaining everything were the people who actually had a big part in creating some of this stuff; Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and even the founder of Oracle Larry Ellison.

The only thing I don't like about this is that they still haven't made a decade later version that was promised in the documentary. I would have liked to see some of this compared to what's happening now. Something I would have liked to seen because several of Larry Ellison's comments are coming to life.

No matter what anyone says, this is truly where a great amount your personal electronics did originate.

This is a story of few very talented people working from their garage launching a mega billion dollar empire. The grass roots development of personal computers in the '70s and '80s are captured in this excellent program. From the development of Altair 8800, Apple II, and launching of Microsoft to the IBM PC, bringing about the change we know today as computer revolution, this program details the early history of personal computer development from an insider's view. All major historical events concerning the early computer revolution is treated fairly and in an unbiased way making this an excellent documentary on history of personal computer development, but it is also presented in a entertaining way that even an average couch potato can enjoy. The major players are all there and there are many good personal interviews which brings insights as to how the event really took place. A priceless piece of computer history in a three hour program.