On The Metal Amir Michael
Dec 6, 2019
Amir Michael, growing up in Silicon Valley, shares stories of childhood adventures, early experiences with programming, and the evolution of server hardware in data centers. They discuss UEFI preboot network stack, transitioning to hardware design at Google, working around a DRAM bug, the Open Compute Project, challenges of managing hardware fleets, and the shift to the cloud.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
A Silicon Valley Childhood
- Amir Michael, raised in Foster City, adorned his childhood bedroom with rejected silicon wafers from his father's work.
- He learned to solder at a young age, building circuits and modifying toys, showcasing an early passion for hardware.
Early Computing Adventures
- Amir's first computer was an XT running at 2 MHz, later upgraded to a Pentium 100 MHz.
- He enjoyed building and modifying computers, sharing software with friends, and exploring early online gaming through BBSs.
RaceMaster: The First Program
- Amir created "RaceMaster" in Turbo Pascal to track lap times for radio-controlled car races.
- This was his first programming experience, driven by a desire to quantify performance and add a competitive element.