Quotes: Computer-related



We have modified the bugs in the program.

A Japanese Go Company


Caveat on coding practices:
There he was,
lying face down,
flat on this back,
a dead contortionist.

The Goon Show (BBC Radio, late-1950's):
Spike Milligan, Peter Sellars, Harry Secombe



It's obvious you used a spell checker

???



Too bad about the general case.

David H. D. Warren
The only comment in the code
for optimizing database queries
in the CHAT system (1980)



You aren't suppose to understand this.

Comment in the scheduler code
UNIX Version 7 (late 1970's)



Building tomorrow's legacy systems today.

Manual dexterity: a critical skill for programmers and system administrators

Douglas Moran


On coding vs. documentation:
Easier done than said.

Doug Moran (circa 1979)
while trying to produce a 15-minute
talk on a system that he had spent
six months developing.



There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home.

Ken Olson, President of DEC,
at the World Future Society Convention, 1977



I cannot conceive that anybody will require multiplications at the rate of 40,000 or even 4,000 per hour ...

F. H. Wales (1936)



Despite the hype, I don't think a lot of people want to watch a movie on their computer. When they hear about this sort of stuff, people think it's going to change everything in five minutes, but your average person who goes to Blockbuster isn't going to be doing this.

Corey Wade, research director at Alexander & Associates,
downplaying the impact of the DeCSS hack
on the entertainment industry.



... factoring large prime numbers ...

Bill Gates



The internet is a party that everyone's invited to.

CDW Advertisement



I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.

Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943



Computers of the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.

Popular Science, 1949



There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.

Ken Olson, founder of Digital Equipment Corp, 1977



640K ought to be enough for anybody.

Bill Gates, 1981



This anti-trust thing will blow over.

Bill Gates, 1995