Gary Kildall

Gary Kildall (1942-1994) was an American computer scientist and pioneer in the development of operating systems. He is best known for creating the CP/M operating system, which was the dominant operating system for microcomputers in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Early Life and Education

Gary Kildall was born in Seattle, Washington in 1942. He attended the University of Washington, where he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1968, and a Ph.D. in computer science in 1972.

Career

Kildall began his career at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where he worked on the development of the PLATO computer-based education system. In 1973, he founded Digital Research, Inc., where he developed CP/M, which became the standard operating system for early microcomputers.

In 1980, Kildall famously declined an offer from IBM to license CP/M for their new personal computer, the IBM PC. The story goes that Kildall was flying his private plane at the time and could not be reached for negotiations. IBM subsequently turned to Microsoft and acquired their operating system, MS-DOS, to use with the IBM PC.

In the years that followed, Kildall continued to develop operating systems and programming languages. In 1994, he died of a head injury sustained in a bar fight.

Legacy

Gary Kildall's contributions to the field of computer science were significant, particularly in the development of operating systems. His work paved the way for the development of modern computer systems and the widespread use of personal computers.

It's interesting to speculate on what might have happened if Kildall had accepted IBM's offer to license CP/M for the IBM PC. Would Microsoft and MS-DOS have become the dominant force in personal computing? Or would CP/M have continued to dominate the market? We'll never know, but Gary Kildall's impact on the history of computing is undeniable.

# Gary Kildall

Gary Kildall (1942-1994) was an American computer scientist and pioneer in the development of operating systems. He is best known for creating the CP/M operating system, which was the dominant operating system for microcomputers in the 1970s and early 1980s.

## Early Life and Education

Gary Kildall was born in Seattle, Washington in 1942. He attended the University of Washington, where he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1968, and a Ph.D. in computer science in 1972.

## Career

Kildall began his career at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where he worked on the development of the PLATO computer-based education system. In 1973, he founded Digital Research, Inc., where he developed CP/M, which became the standard operating system for early microcomputers.

In 1980, Kildall famously declined an offer from IBM to license CP/M for their new personal computer, the IBM PC. The story goes that Kildall was flying his private plane at the time and could not be reached for negotiations. IBM subsequently turned to Microsoft and acquired their operating system, MS-DOS, to use with the IBM PC.

In the years that followed, Kildall continued to develop operating systems and programming languages. In 1994, he died of a head injury sustained in a bar fight.

## Legacy

Gary Kildall's contributions to the field of computer science were significant, particularly in the development of operating systems. His work paved the way for the development of modern computer systems and the widespread use of personal computers.

It's interesting to speculate on what might have happened if Kildall had accepted IBM's offer to license CP/M for the IBM PC. Would Microsoft and MS-DOS have become the dominant force in personal computing? Or would CP/M have continued to dominate the market? We'll never know, but Gary Kildall's impact on the history of computing is undeniable.