Tracy Kidder chronicles the high-pressure development of the Eclipse MV/8000, a 32-bit minicomputer designed by Data General in the late 1970s. The narrative follows Tom West, a driven project manager who leads a team of young engineers, divided into groups called the Hardy Boys and the Microkids. These technicians work grueling hours in cramped basement labs to outpace competitors like DEC. The text details the specific logic of hardware debugging, the intricacies of microcode, and the internal corporate rivalries that dictated the machine's architecture.
This book serves engineers and managers who need to understand the human cost and organizational dynamics of technical innovation. Readers observe the reality of "burnout" and the peculiar motivation required to solve abstract hardware problems under impossible deadlines. It provides a historical look at a specific era of computing, yet the descriptions of team management and technical obsession remain applicable to modern software development. One walks away with a clear picture of how individual ambition and corporate pressure combine to produce a physical piece of technology.
- Published
- 1981
- Language
- EN
