From Early Apple to AI: Donna Dubinsky's Tech Odyssey

Jan 29, 2024

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This is a new series of Crazy Wisdom where I invited my dad Stewart Alsop II to bring people from his past as a tech journalist and uncover the best stories from the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s about the personal computing revolution and apply them to the AI revolution currently happening.

Our first guest Donna Dubinsky talks about her career experiences at Apple, handheld innovator Handspring, her work as the CEO of Palm (of the Palm Pilot handheld mobile device), and current AI work at Numenta. She and Stewart Alsop II both go deep on how the personal computing industry led to the mobile revoltuions and now how we got to where we are today. Dubinsky encourages listeners to stay tuned to developments at NatCast, her current project associated with the CHIPS Act.

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Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and the AI Revolution 00:50 The AI Bubble and Lessons from Past Revolutions 01:28 Invitation to Engage with the Podcast 02:04 Introducing the Special Guest: Donna Dubinsky 02:31 Reminiscing about the Past: The Agenda Conference 03:30 The Evolution of Computing Devices 06:14 The Changing Landscape of the Computer Industry 06:58 The Ubiquity of Computing and the Future of the Chips Industry 08:11 The Evolution of Apple and Personal Device Preferences 14:28 The Journey of Numenta and the Future of AI 29:15 The Evolution of Mainframes and the Future of AI on Phones 37:31 The Early Days of the Tech Community 38:30 Transition from Mainframes to Personal Computing 39:04 The Launch of the Palm Pilot 41:30 The Evolution of the Microcomputer Business 42:59 The Role of Government in Advancing Technology 44:46 The Challenges of Manufacturing and Design in the Tech Industry 01:08:05 The Impact of Pricing on Perceived Value 01:09:17 The Highs and Lows of the Palm Pilot Journey 01:12:26 Current Work in AI and the CHIPS Act

Key Insights

Early Days of Computing and Mainframes: Initially, computing was not a common feature on everyone's desk. Mainframes, the early giants of the computing world, were massive and expensive, accessible only to large corporations and the government. These machines were housed in special rooms and were far from being personal or portable.
Transition to Client-Server Models and Personalization: Computing started evolving with the development of client-server architecture. From the large, centralized mainframes, the industry moved to a model where computing was more distributed. Time-sharing systems allowed multiple users to access mainframe resources, leading to a gradual democratization of computing power. This shift laid the groundwork for the development of personal computers.
The Era of Desktops and Handheld Devices: The next significant shift was the move to desktops and eventually to handheld devices. This evolution represented a dramatic change in how people interacted with computers, making them more personal and portable. The podcast mentions how devices like the Apple II brought computing into educational settings, revolutionizing how people could use these tools.
The Impact of the Palm Pilot: The Palm Pilot is highlighted as a significant milestone in personal computing. Before the Palm, handheld devices were simply smaller versions of existing technology. The Palm Pilot, however, adopted a different approach. It did not try to replicate all functionalities of a PC. For instance, it did not support printing directly, positioning itself as a window or client to the PC, thus embracing a kind of client-server model. This decision not only made the device more practical and focused but also less expensive to support.
Evolution of Form Factors: The podcast discusses the evolution of computing devices in terms of form factors. There were three main form factors: desktop (too big to carry), notebook (fit in a briefcase), and handheld (fit in a pocket or purse). Each form factor was defined by how users could physically carry and interact with these devices. It was believed that devices falling between these form factors would not be successful, although this was later proven not entirely accurate with the success of intermediate devices like tablets.