He could have been as rich as Bill Gates, but Ken Sakamura says he’s fine earning enough to lead an “ordinary life.”
In the world of computers, the obscure Japanese engineer stands in the top rank along with Gates, having developed an operating system that is more widely used than even Microsoft Corp’s Windows. Sakamura’s system, TRON, is used to run items ranging from digital cameras to car engines, just as Windows operates personal computers.
TRON Man Shuns Gates-like Fortune
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It’s a tiny little executive, but it’s reasonably clean. In particular, Sun (full disclosure: my employer) borrowed one of TRON’s terms — a “cyclic timer” — for the new arbitrary resolution interval timer subsystem that we developed for Solaris 8. (The term was actually borrowed from uiTRON, a TRON derivative.) uiTRON was the only operating system that we could find that had elevated this notion to a first class in-kernel primitive; the rest seemed to implement the POSIX timers in terms of in-kernel one-shots…
RTFA! Really! It’s quite interesting.
from the article:
When it was first revealed in 1984, TRON, which can be modified for use on personal computers, was hailed in Japan as a homemade software which could break the dominance of Microsoft and free Japanese computer firms from the burden of paying for the basic software.
But the dream was shattered in 1989 when the United States threatened to designate TRON as an unfair trade barrier under its Super 301 trade law when it learned of plans by the Japanese government to use the software for computers in schools.
Looks like BillyG has already taken out OSS once before via the USGOV. It looks like something cool.
http://www.tron.org/index-e.html“> ” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.tron.org/index-e.html
There’s no preview, so I hope this works!
That snippet about hailing Tron as a way to break from Microsoft dominance in 1984 is complete crap. I don’t know how many of you young pups can remember back to 1984 but I can assure you that Microsoft dominated NADA (nothing).
I might see this guy as being “top rank” next to Gary Kildall (CP/M), or Linus Torvalds (Linux). What I don’t see is how B.G. qualifies on technical ability as being “top rank”. All the money in the world doesn’t buy you the distinction of being a University of Tokyo professor. Compared to the aforementioned pioneers, B.G. is the guy who looks pretty much “ordinary” to me.
Right, a better comparison for this Tron guy would be with Tim Paterson of Seattle Computer Products, who made $50,000 from the CP/M knockoff that became MS-DOS. But Gates was extraordinary as a businessman.
Re MS dominance: actually Gates already had a stranglehold by the mid-80s, but few noticed. Those few included Steve Jobs, Mitch Kapor, and (probably) Don Estridge.
” I don’t know how many of you young pups can remember back to 1984 but I can assure you that Microsoft dominated NADA (nothing). ”
Oh they only dominated the IBM PC compatible clone market, as the PCs and XTs and their clones were selling like hotcates. Other than than… sure they dominated nothing, much like they do today. Other than the Wintel world Microsoft dominates nothing…. DOS had quite a market share by the mid 80s and due to the abuse OS licensing clauses M$ was making a killing.
And Steve Jobs was not one of the few who noticed as he was solely focused on IBM, to the exent that he ignored the real danger: Billy G
.
There’s a good movie about how Microsoft started. Also about the beginnings of Apple. It’s called Pirates of Silicon Valley. You most likely have seen it. But it’s good, you can see how BG acted. Back then, he was a coder, maybe not a really good one, but he was.
Ken Sakamura’s position isn’t untypical for the Japanese, who view status in a different way to the greedy individualism of the west. What’s also interesting is the disproportionate rewards the software industry can screw out of the wider economy if it wants to.
I wonder how true everything in that movie really was…
Bill Gates was probably not much more than a script kiddy in ability. He is an absolutely brilliant businessman – the worlds best according to Warren Buffet ( the greatest investor in history). That is why BG is rich.
Yeah, just an average script kiddie?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/18949.html
Most of the website contents is in Kanji. If it is in Hiragana or Katakana, at least easier to read for me. Anyway, I can’t find any download location. This is interesting and maybe be can be used for reference.
C64 in america, spectrum/cpc/sinclair in europe, msx in japan. That was what dominated in 1984, not microsoft.
looking back at it it seem like the US government MADE M$ the same way they builded their oil empirium. That would explain why they let M$ go every time.
Nothing greedy whatsoever about individualism.
Yes I exist to provide for myself and my family. There is a type of economy in which we all provide for a collective whole, its called Communism.
When people make comments like this, I really believe they have no idea what money really is. Outside of loans from the US government(which are based on future tax reciepts), money is created. So in making money, I AM adding to the collective whole of the country. Whats more, in spending it I will buy the best products I can, which ensures companies which produce inferior products do not prosper. Looked at from that perspective, my money is my vote in the marketplace. People complain about corporations but they can do ABSOLUTELY nothing to you without due process. Period. Governments on the other hand have the right to use force against you.
So you revere a professor in Japan over BillG. Which one has produced more Jobs?
“So in making money, I AM adding to the collective whole of the country.”
Ok, so anyone earning more than you must be a better person, right?
“Whats more, in spending it I will buy the best products I can, which ensures companies which produce inferior products do not prosper.”
That’s a worthy goal, but it certainly doesn’t always work. As constantly illustrated by stuff like Betamax versus VHS (the technically inferior brand won out), market dominance is by no means necessarily driven by technical superiority. For a mass-market product, things such as control of distribution channels (e.g. Pizza Hut serving only Pepsi, not coke, because Pepsi pays them to do so) and marketing and branding (“creating awareness”) are much greater factors. Let’s take the television commercials for Windows XP for example; no mention of the *technical* merits, just showing someone flying about.
“So you revere a professor in Japan over BillG. Which one has produced more Jobs?”
On its own, that’s an absurd criterion by which to judge things. For instance, some idiot speaker on Radio 4 a year or so ago was arguing that by throwing his litter onto the street he was “adding to the collective whole of the country” as you put it, because he was creating jobs. Hey, there’d have to be street cleaners along to pick up his refuse. Let’s *all* go out and throw our refuse into the gutters, and do our utmost to litter every surface we can find. After all, it would create lots and lots of jobs, and that’s the important thing, right?
Where can i find TRON for x86, it seems pretty cool…
There is a type of economy in which we all provide for a collective whole, its called Communism.
No. It’s a value of respect and harmony, based on Confucianism. Bullying your way to the top of the resource pile is a capacity both Communism (at a group level) and Capitalism (at an individual level) share.
Ok, so anyone earning more than you must be a better person, right?
I dont recall saying ‘better’ about anyone. That word is a subjective term at best, demogoguery(sp?) at worst. Better at what? Yes, people who make more money than I do (outside of politics) contribute MORE to the country than I do. But if I am able to produce more I will recieve more money. My own income is a result of my own decisions. I would argue capitalism rewards hard work and ingenuity more than any other system.
The betamax problem was marketing, which is also why MS dominates the OS Scene. They spent more in marketing that most competitors spent on R/D even before they made billions. Perhaps competitors should learn from its example instead of vilifying the company(which has done plenty of anti-competitive things).
On its own, that’s an absurd criterion by which to judge things
Yes you’re right. Creating jobs is a worthless trait. Unless you wish to feed your family, that is. Money is created, not some static entity floating around. Something caused people to give their money to BillG. Unless he stole it, they received something in return for it. I think your problem rests with the consumers who give their money to MS.
Re: garbage argument( in more ways than one )
Littering is a violation of property(government or private) and property rights are at the core of capitalism. So that speaker’s argument doesnt hold water.
> C64 in america
Didn’t Microsoft write the BASIC for both the C64 and the C128?
Yours truly,
Jeffrey Boulier
http://www.personal-media.co.jp/welcome-e.html
I would argue capitalism rewards hard work and ingenuity more than any other system.
If I may join in the Radio 4 pimping, ‘Analysis’ explained how the free market has no sense of merit, so that blows that argument out of the water. Unfortunately the Neo-Conservative Guide to Economics for Dummies takes care to gloss over this detail. Ken Sakamura and TRON are a nice proof and comment of this.
“If I may join in the Radio 4 pimping, ‘Analysis’ explained how the free market has no sense of merit, so that blows that argument out of the water. Unfortunately the Neo-Conservative Guide to Economics for Dummies takes care to gloss over this detail. Ken Sakamura and TRON are a nice proof and comment of this.”
I don’t understand what point you are making here. Ken Sakamura could be rich if he wanted to, he decided not to pursue TRON in the marketplace. His product certainly had merit, and he would have been rewarded well for it. It isnt more or less ‘noble’ to have done so.
Suppose he created Tron, Inc. and milked his OS for all it was worth. Im sure he would have worked long hours on his company promoting, marketing and developing it. This takes more time than most people realize. Its a tradeoff he did not want to make(but Bill G did).
Btw. You should avoid the buzzwords(neo-conservative) when debating as it doesn’t strengthen your position.
According to Steve Wozniak, the movie depicted very close to the truth. It was not just some hollywood movie.
C64 in america, spectrum/cpc/sinclair in europe, msx in japan. That was what dominated in 1984, not microsoft.
Almost all the 8 bits home computers by then ran a microsoft basic.
I don’t understand what point you are making here. Ken Sakamura could be rich if he wanted to, he decided not to pursue TRON in the marketplace. His product certainly had merit, and he would have been rewarded well for it. It isnt more or less ‘noble’ to have done so.
No, you clearly don’t get it when money isn’t the end goal. As has been proven, the free market isn’t a moral beast, and wealth is no measure of virtue. Capitalism is designed to put wealth in the hands of the few, and is certainly less noble than some of the alternatives, though those doing well out of it wouldn’t agree till they have to join the food queue.
You should avoid the buzzwords(neo-conservative) when debating as it doesn’t strengthen your position.
Like your throwing around ‘capitalism’ and ‘communism,’ with an implied moral judgement? If this isn’t typical neo-conservative mind-think, I don’t know what else is.
Nothing greedy whatsoever about individualism.
Oh I agree, screw everyone else. Avoid common goals you’ll just be wasting money making opportunities. Helping each other only makes the job easier and therefore less paid employment. If someone wants you to work with them charge them for it.
Yes I exist to provide for myself and my family. There is a type of economy in which we all provide for a collective whole, its called Communism.
Become a bachelor again and banish your communal home. Let your family work for themselves and get their own home. This will create more employment than if they depend on you. Combined your family will make more money.
When people make comments like this, I really believe they have no idea what money really is.
Absolutely. It doesn’t grow on trees. It’s more abstract than a tree.
Outside of loans from the US government(which are based on future tax reciepts), money is created. So in making money, I AM adding to the collective whole of the country.
True. The more you charge, the more salary or profit you demand, the better off the country is. Increased labor an costs means goods will cost more, and therefore people will have to make more money to buy the same goods. More money is good.
Whats more, in spending it I will buy the best products I can, which ensures companies which produce inferior products do not prosper.
No you should buy the most expensive and inefficiently produced products. By spending more money you create more demand for it, and as we know demand creates supply. Buying the most inefficiently produced goods means you are supporting more employment. The more people that are employed the more people there will be making money and the better the country will be.
By voting economically priced items out of the market you create inflation and therefore more money as people demand higher salaries.
Looked at from that perspective, my money is my vote in the marketplace.
Whats more the more money you have the more you can vote. One dollar, one vote, totally fair. If you don’t spend all your money it’s like not exercising your rights.
People complain about corporations but they can do ABSOLUTELY nothing to you without due process.
ABSOLUTELY. They have to bribe politicians just like everyone else. If you have the money, you can influence government just as much as they can. Pay your dues, and government will pave the way. Don’t pay your dues and you can do ABSOLUTELY nothing.
Period. Governments on the other hand have the right to use force against you.
I believe in euthanasia and machoism too. The more money we make the more taxes go to support the Government, which consists of the judiciary, executive, law enforcement etc. which are there to push objects into our orifices against our will.
So you revere a professor in Japan over BillG. Which one has produced more Jobs?
Oh no. That professor removed cost barriers to creating billions of devices made at thousands of workshops employing millions of people, creating products at a competitive price that can be purchased by billions of people making trillions of dollars worldwide.
Now charging for the operating system means there is a high unit cost per computer. This discourages mass consumption and therefore does not support the mass production needed for mass employment as evidenced by there only being 150 million PCs compared with billions of devices. Besides, software duplication is not labor intensive enough. But then the genius of BillG shines through. He takes his Microsoft profits and supports the labor intensive construction industry by making most of his wealth from real estate. Boy did his $50M mansion alone create a lot of jobs. Everyone needs a house, and the market is 6+ billion people and growing.
What we need is forced labor, hyper-inflation, and higher birth rates. Work, spend, procreate.
Imagine trillions of people working, making trillions of dollars per minute. The world would be a google times better.
“No, you clearly don’t get it when money isn’t the end goal. As has been proven, the free market isn’t a moral beast, and wealth is no measure of virtue. Capitalism is designed to put wealth in the hands of the few, and is certainly less noble than some of the alternatives, though those doing well out of it wouldn’t agree till they have to join the food queue. ”
Hah! Facts at all to back up this bullshit?
None at all. The standard of living in this country is among the best in the world. We have almost no natural resources or population(compared with other countries). This is a country where the poor people are fat.
What you seem to have a problem with is this freedom/liberty thing. If you give up all your freedoms I’m sure people will jump in line to take care of you.
“ABSOLUTELY. They have to bribe politicians just like everyone else. If you have the money, you can influence government just as much as they can. Pay your dues, and government will pave the way. Don’t pay your dues and you can do ABSOLUTELY nothing. ”
Constitution is there to LIMIT government(Conservatism).
Go read up on the 14th amendment and you will realize Congress has abandoned certain elements of our Constitution long ago.
A liberal Supreme court hasn’t made the situation a whit better.
“Oh no. That professor removed cost barriers to creating billions of devices made at thousands of workshops employing millions of people, creating products at a competitive price that can be purchased by billions of people making trillions of dollars worldwide. ”
No. The people running the companies who took TRON and successfully produced products with it created the jobs. What Sakamura did was lower their costs.(What a nice guy.)
Sorry I meant 10th amendment. Its been a long day.
The standard of living in this country is among the best in the world.
The average standard of living is higher in the European Union, and our poor have a respectable safety net. All this while being more economically productive than the United States. Boo hoo.
This is a country where the poor people are fat.
Because they can only afford to eat garbage. Go Sparky.
“Didn’t Microsoft write the BASIC for both the C64 and the C128?”
No. BASIC is and was an open language, it was not “written by Microsoft”. Microsoft had an interpreter available, but they do not own the language specification nor were they the first to create an interpreter nor were the 8 bit computers necesarily using Microsoft code in their interpreters. You will not find any “copyright Microsoft” on the splash screen of any C64 nor C128. I can’t vouch for any of the other old 8 bit systems.
When I turn on my C64, it says MICROSOFT BASIC 2.0, white text on a blue screen. Commodore asked Microsoft to port BASIC to the C64 (not certain about the C128, since that BASIC is 7 times better), just like MITS once asked Gates. My MSX also says MICROSOFT. I think my Dragon 32 does, too.
No, Microsoft didn’t invent the BASIC language. But no-one said so, either. Specifically, he asked:
“Didn’t Microsoft write the BASIC for both the C64 and the C128?”
Yes, they did. No, they didn’t invent BASIC, but then again, who says they did? They still wrote Microsoft BASIC.
Okay, we’re no longer on the front page so maybe nobody’s reading.
But the point is, Anonymous@—.ndchealth.com, you can make people dig holes and fill them back up for no reason. This creates jobs. You can create a fad and start and industry that employs many people to coloured plastic tea cups. Job creation itself is not a meaningful measure when you want to measure qualitative contribution to the world.
You can go patent/copyright crazy and thereby create many jobs by making people use a more labour intensive but unpatented process, or make them do extra work by trying to create an alternative (e.g. write an new OS).
Money or GDP is not a useful measure either. You can print money at one end and burn it at the other.
In terms of contributions to humanity we can find things to admire in the contributions of both Bill Gates and Ken Sakamura. I believe they both enriched the lifestyles of some selection of people.
On the Constitution, we agree there are issues to be resolved and the government is not perfect in it’s behaviour.
“The average standard of living is higher in the European Union, and our poor have a respectable safety net. All this while being more economically productive than the United States. Boo hoo. ”
Sorry facts get in the way of your bullshit.
US :$10.082 trillion
Britain:$1.52 trillion (2002 est.)
France:$1.54 trillion
Germany:$2.184 trillion
Facts are scary, aren’t they? Boo hoo.
Why don’t you live there and stop whining about the US?
Yea, you guys are health nuts in Europe.