Artifact Details

Title

Motorola 68000 oral history panel : development and promotion

Catalog Number

102658164

Type

Document

Description

Members of the management, design, manufacturing, and marketing teams responsible for Motorola's 68000 family of microprocessors and peripheral products discuss the evolution of their activities from the 1970s through the 1990s. The 68000 microprocessor line was critical to emergence of the workstation class of computer systems as well as to Apple Computer's line of personal computers across the 1980s. Murray Goldman, the executive who lead this segment of Motorola, describes the background for and strategy surrounding the 68000 effort. Thomas Gunter, who directed the 68000 program, provides a detailed technical accounting of the developments. Jack Browne, who led the marketing function, describes the importance of customer interactions. Bill Walker, who led the manufacturing function, details the hurdles faced in fabricating the 68000 family. Van Shahan, a member of the design team, lends important perspectives on the changes that the 68000 helped bring about from the era of centralized computing to decentralized and personal computing.

Date

2007-07-23

Contributor

Brock, David C., Editor
Browne, Jack, Interviewee
Goldman, Murray, Interviewee
Gunter, Thomas, Interviewee
House, David, Moderator
Shahan, Van, Interviewee
Walker, Bill, Interviewee

Publisher

Computer History Museum

Place of Publication

Austin, Texas

Extent

54 p.

Category

Transcription

Subject

Motorola Inc.; Goldman, Murray; Gunter, Thomas; Browne, Jack; Walker, Bill; Shahan, Van; Apple Computer, Inc.; Jobs, Steven, 1955-; Motorola 68000; semiconductor history; Apollo Computer (Firm); Sun Microsystems, Inc.; Hewlett-Packard; General Motors; Microcontrollers; Semiconductor manufacturing processes; Logic design; Design practices; Toshiba Corporation; Manufacturing practices; Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC); minicomputers; IBM; IBM PC; Apple Computer, Inc.; Apple Lisa (Computer); Zilog, Inc.; Z80; Radio Shack; Tandy Corporation

Collection Title

Oral history collection

Lot Number

X4145.2008

Related Records

102658109 Motorola 68000 oral history panel