MEDIA RELEASE PR38666
ACM Turing Award Goes to Creator of First Modern Personal Computer
NEW YORK, Mar. 9 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
Thacker, Founding Member of Three Major Research Labs, Linked to Tablet
PC and Other Major Innovations in Computing - Past and Present
ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery today named Charles P. Thacker the
winner of the 2009 ACM A.M. Turing Award for his pioneering design and realization of
the Alto, the first modern personal computer, and the prototype for networked
personal computers. Thacker's design, which he built while at Xerox PARC (Palo Alto
Research Center), reflected a new vision of a self-sufficient, networked computer on
every desk, equipped with innovations that are standard in today's models. Thacker
was also cited for his contributions to the Ethernet local area network, which
enables multiple computers to communicate and share resources, as well as the first
multiprocessor workstation, and the prototype for today's most used tablet PC, with
its capabilities for direct user interaction. The Turing Award, widely considered
the "Nobel Prize in Computing", is named for the British mathematician Alan M.
Turing. The award carries a $250,000 prize, with financial support provided by Intel
Corporation and Google Inc.
"Charles Thacker's contributions have earned him a reputation as one of the most
distinguished computer systems engineers in the history of the field," said ACM
President Professor Dame Wendy Hall. "His enduring achievements -- from his initial
innovations on the PC to his leadership in hardware development of the multiprocessor
workstation to his role in developing the tablet PC -- have profoundly affected the
course of modern computing."
Andrew Chien, Vice President of Intel Labs and Director of Future Technologies
Research at Intel Corporation said, "Charles Thacker's design of the Alto computer
embodied the key elements of today's personal computers, and is at the root one of
the world's most innovative industries that empowers individuals around the world.
We applaud Chuck's clarity of insight, focus on simplicity, and his incredible track-
record of designing landmark systems that have accelerated the progress of both
research and industry for decades."
"Google is pleased to join in honoring Charles Thacker for his far-reaching role
in the birth of one of the most important technologies in the 20th century," said
Alfred Spector, Vice President of Research and Special Initiatives at Google Inc.
"His contributions made possible the style of computing that we enjoy today, and we
are proud to be a sponsor of the ACM Turing Award to encourage continued research in
computer science, and the related technologies that depend on its continued
advancement."
Influencing the Course of Computer History
Thacker created and collaborated on what would become the fundamental building
blocks of the PC business. The Alto computer, developed in 1974, incorporated bitmap
(TV-like) displays which enable modern graphical user interfaces (GUIs), including
What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editors. These components have dominated
computing during the last two decades. Thacker was the co-inventor of the Ethernet
local area network, introduced in 1973, the "interconnection fabric" that allows
multiple digital devices such as workstations, printers, scanners, file servers, and
modems to communicate with each other. Today's Ethernets, which are thousands of
times faster than the original version, have become the dominant local area
networking technology.
At Digital Equipment Corporation's System Research Center, Thacker designed the
Firefly multiprocessor workstation, an innovation that has new relevance in the
current multi-core world. These systems are widely used across many domains for
their ability to improve productivity and create performance advantages, with
applications for embedded architecture, network systems, digital signal processing,
graphics, and special effects.
Thacker went on to Microsoft Research in 1997 to help establish its Microsoft
Research Cambridge laboratory, where he also oversaw the design of the first
prototypes on which most of today's tablet PCs are based. Described as the most
significant recent advance in the PC hardware platform, they enable faster, more
powerful operations and they offer fundamentally new capabilities for direct
interaction with users that are fast becoming part of the mainstream of computing.
After joining the Tablet PC team to help shepherd the product to market, he returned
to Microsoft Research in 2005, and is currently engaged in computer architecture
research at Microsoft's Silicon Valley campus.
Background
Thacker has published extensively and holds 29 patents in computer systems and
networking. He is a Distinguished Alumnus of the Computer Science Department of the
University of California Berkeley, where he earned a B.S. in physics. He holds an
honorary doctorate from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and is a
Fellow of ACM and the Computer History Museum. He is also a member of the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences and the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.
For the development of Alto, Thacker (with Butler Lampson and Robert Taylor)
received the 1984 ACM Software System Award. In 2004, (with Lampson, Taylor, and
Alan Kay) he was awarded the Charles Stark Draper prize for the development of the
first networked personal computers. In 2007, he was the recipient of IEEE's John von
Neumann medal.
ACM will present the 2009 A.M. Turing Award at its Awards Banquet on June 26, in
San Francisco, CA.
About the ACM A.M. Turing Award
The A.M. Turing Award was named for Alan M. Turing, the British mathematician who
articulated the mathematical foundation and limits of computing, and who was a key
contributor to the Allied cryptanalysis of the German Enigma cipher during World War
II. Since its inception in 1966, the Turing Award has honored the computer
scientists and engineers who created the systems and underlying theoretical
foundations that have propelled the information technology industry. Go to
About ACM
largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting computing educators,
researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the
field's challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession's collective voice
through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of
technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by
providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional
networking.
SOURCE: Association for Computing Machinery
CONTACT: Virginia Gold of the Association for Computing Machinery,
+1-212-626-0505,
vgold@acm.org
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