Special:Badtitle/NS90:Milestone-Proposal talk:BIRTH OF THE PC OPERATING SYSTEM 1974/History Committee Advocate Endorsement

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This milestone--Birth of the PC Operating System 1974--will be one of the early links in the inevitable chain of milestones that over time will reflect the evolution of computing. The proposed citation is a crisp declaration of the accomplishment, namely: Dr. Gary A. Kildall demonstrated the first working prototype of CP/M (Control Program for Microcomputers) in Pacific Grove in 1974. Together with his invention of the BIOS (Basic Input output System), Kildll's operating system allowed a microprocessor-based computer to communicate with a disk drive storage unit and provided the software foundation for the personal computer revolution.

I visited the site of Kildall's home in a largely residential neighborhood of Pacific Grove, CA where he created and promoted CP/M. It was a satisfying experience that made me reflect on the time when I was introducing my students to CP/M.

The references provide a solid foundation for this milestone proposal which I fully endorse.