Dave Cochran, Calculator Pioneer: The Video Interview
Dave Cochran grew up around HP and lived near Bill Hewlett’s house in Palo Alto. He joined HP in the 1950s even before earning his engineering degree. Like all engineers hired during that time, Cochran was expected to have mastered the full range of engineering activities from the machine shop to the workbench. In the mid 1960s, he was working in HP Labs under the legendary Barney Oliver when Oliver decided to productize a hybrid of two electronic calculator prototypes developed independently by Tom Osborne and Malcolm McMillan.
During the ensuing discussion, Oliver started discussing algorithms. Cochran raised his hand and asked, “What’s an algorithm?” thus ensuring that he’d be the one to write all of the firmware for the HP 9100A desktop calculator and its diminutive follow-on, the HP 35 pocket scientific calculator. In celebration of the HP 35’s 35th birthday, I recorded a 1-hour video interview with Dave Cochran. It’s must-see TV if you enjoy learning about the history of technology. Click on the image below or this link to watch.
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