Mark Dean: Amazing Computer Technology

Mark Dean: Amazing Computer Technology Posted by Sherol on September 14, 2010 in Inventors, Science, Scientists | 0 Comment Mark Dean must have done something amazing. Even Time magazine admits that without Dean we wouldn’t be enjoying the fast paced gaining of knowledge through endless chat rooms and quick access research info or listening to the latest pop single we are so used to, or at least not until sometime later.

What am I referring to? Well of course the computer. Remember the big chunky box which was slower than molasses. Not to take away from the invention of computers, well that would be obscene. But remember the first time we accessed the web then and now. After discovering the beauty in that, window shopping, we needed something tangible. Window shopping is great but sooner or later you feel the need to pop your head in, touch something, and take something home with you. Well in walks two inspiring IBM fellows, Mark Dean, one of times magazines leading figure of the 20th Century and co-founder Dennis Moeller.

Dean and Moeller were at the forefront of creating a microcomputer system with bus control means which could recognize peripheral processing devices. Like drives, scanners, speakers and all that cool video gear not to mention the mp3 players. You know those little slots in the back of the computer that enables us to plug in a device thereby experience much more than the mere visual pleasures of surfing someone paved the way for USB Ports and then Flash Drives or super flash drives. We don’t have to window shop anymore; we can actually physically remove these devices.

They store a lot more info than floppy disks which was also created by a team at IBM. Oh and the USB port was a combination of companies, Microsoft, Intel and I forget who else look up the patent for USB port, there all listed there. There are even more interface improvements that build upon Deans inventions.

The latest venture of Deans was created in his lab with a team of experts, the first 1 gigahertz chi with over one million transmitters. Dean never knew when he started at IBM back in 1980, that he had the mind to create such innovations at least ones that would have such an impact on his generation and the next. He actually holds 3 of the original patents for IBMs first PC. He holds at least 20 other patents. But others might have seen this potential back in high school when he built his first computer and radio. He graduated the University of Tennessee with a BA and masters at degree at Florida Atlantic University. He continued on to obtain his PhD at Stanford.