The main event was a panel moderated by Brent Schlender with Ozzie, Kapor, Grove, Gates, Canion, Bunnell, Bricklin, and Bradley
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Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the IBM PC Announcement
The Panel
Finally, it was time for the panel discussion. A transcript (with all the errors you'd expect, so don't take it as "exactly" what happened) is available on the Microsoft web site.
Brent Schlender, editor-at-large of Fortune Magazine, started by noting how the IBM PC wasn't the first personal computer, but a very important one. He told the story of the first one he owned (it's in the transcript). He then gave a short introduction to each panelist and invited us up one by one.
As he did the introductions, I shot a few pictures while leaving the camera on my lap. It gives you an interesting perspective. Here are the front tables before Mitch, Bill, and Ray were called up:
As each of us were called up, we stood while Brent finished:
Another shot of the audience. They were clearly interested.
Brent then went down the line and asked each of us a question. In the second picture, Rod Canion is giving his story of the start of Compaq.
A closeup from that picture:
Brent asked Mitch about the shirt he was wearing -- a special one created for his 50th birthday party. He stood up to model it. In addition to the flowers, there are pictures of his RIM, Apple Cube, etc.
That's it for pictures during the panel -- I did have to pay attention... A question I was asked was about how the IBM PC design survived so long. I gave an answer based on some of the writing I already posted on my web site. (CNet has posted a video of it, too: It's "Why has the PC lasted so long?" on their 20th Anniversary page.)
It was lots of fun, but the caterers needed us out by 10 or so, so the panel ended. People came up to ask questions directly, etc.
The area was quickly turned back into two hallways, and people drifted off to late night get togethers or to bed.
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