Rating: 
Summary: Daised and Confused
Review: Robert X. Cringley manages to describe all the factors that explain the existance of the computer industry, he gives the who,what,when,why,and the how. Accidental EmpiresIs a very descriptive book written by a good author but for those of you who wish to find out about the computer industry the shorter way, then just watch, The Pirates Of Silicon Valley. It will explain things much quicker, and you can eat some popcorn while you watch. Now don't get me wrong this was a good book but, one would rather watch the movie than read the book. If you aren't a history fanatic of the computer industry than don't read this book it will confuse you. For you nerd out there read this book you will love it.
Rating: 
Summary: Laugh out loud funny
Review: I started reading this book while curled up on the couch next to a friend who was trying to watch a soccer match. He finally told me to stop snickering or leave the room. I had to leave the room._Accidental Empires_ is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time and as someone who works as a consultant for one of the companies roasted in its pages, I have to say that the passage of time has not made its commentary any less true. Also insightful, well-written, witty, etc.
Rating: 
Summary: History of Computing for People Like Us
Review: Accidental Empires is the suggestive title of a journey into the story of computing starting from its humble beginnings during the early seventies and ending just before the Internet revolution. It is by all means a fascinating account of the people and events that shaped the marketplace and gave it a direction and turned it into a multibillion industry. I still find it hard to believe that the first computer available on the market came in unassembled parts and the user had to put it together and the end product had no harddrive, no OS, and no applications to run. And this happened only 25 years ago...
As a journalist for Infoworld, Cringely leads us with a firm hand and clear passion for disentangling the intricate dependencies and relationships that reign in the computing industry. His book is a well informed account of the evolution of operating systems, hardware, networking, and print technologies starting from the day these were just wild ideas. Although the lecture may sound a little too technical and hence a bit complicated, this book is easy to follow. Through Cringely's talent we get a (funny but very plausible) portrait of the people, their desires, shortcommings, and in most cases genius and totally obsessive personalities.
Apart for the obvious animosity that the author nurtures towards Gates and Jobs whom he claims to be to various degrees true sociopaths, one with ambition to dominate the world, the other one to be accepted and loved, I find the whole overview to be an objective and informative account of the fascinating and tumultuous evolution of computing as we know today. Overall, Cringely argues that despite the incredible brainpower, no founding geek was ever capable of truly assessing the enormous impact the creation of personal computing, a user friendly OS, and networking technologies would have on our world and their pockets (this is to confirm that one can excel in many things but not all things). At the same time, it is simply stupefying to read about the incredibly ill advised strategic decisions that established companies, such as IBM and Xerox, made. For more info on the 200 billion dollars misstake, turn to the IBM files.
Along with The Sillicon Boys, this is the best book on the history of computing for the layman I've read so far, I don't hesitate to give it five stars.
Rating:
Summary: The honeymoon is over.
Review: The world's honeymoon phase with PCs and the fun they can bring is officially over. Here, in all its ugly truth, is the behind-the-silicon-scenes version of the hustlers, missed opportunities, backstabbing, blind luck, greed, egos, and sheer chutzpah that ushered in the awkward birth of the personal computer as an industry and goldmine. Read this to find out why we are beset with products far inferior to their potential. When software and PC development went from garage hobby to BIG BUSINESS many of its finer nuances and greatness fell to the wayside. Find out why the top dogs at Xerox and IBM are KICKING THEMSELVES IN THE HEAD over missed opportunities. This is "The E! True Hollywood Story" of the personal computer industry. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll guard your wallet when the next upgrade is introduced.
Rating:
Summary: Dated but funny and chatty
Review: Accdental Empires is a rather personal book, based on personal experience and first-hand accounts from the personal computer world of the 80's. It explains Microsoft, IBM, Digital and many many other companies becoming big in the PC hardware and software business and occasionally (or very often) failing things as well. For likewise stuff from the 90's... I wouldn't know where to look. Nothing really spectacular seems to have been happening lately. Only time will tell what things will make it into Cringely's sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Four stars, but not five
Review: Why four stars? This books presents a lot of insights into the history and the people behind the history of the personal computer. Instead of just stating what happened, the book also attempts to explain why it happened and the types of people behind these actions. In addition, the light writing style doesn't let the reader feel like they are reading a dry history textbook. Why not five stars? About two-thirds of the way into the book, the theme seems to transition from "PC and PC-People History" to "Cringely's Guide to Starting Your Own PC Startup". I did not read this book to show me how to start my own business. In addition, there is inappropriate language sprinkled throughout the book. Although there are probably less than a dozen "swear words" in the book, they seem to interrupt the flow of the book and reduce the professionalism of this text (even with the light writing style). Worth reading? Yes, especially since it is a quick read. But if you are really pressed for time, stop after about 2/3 through it. But do read the very last chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinatingly funny book!
Review: This is a truly fascinating and funny book written in a great style. This is the story of the early 1980's computing and software days. Live the lives of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and many others who are not so famous today.
Rating:
Summary: Change of pace
Review: Tired of reading fawning novels about the movers and shakers of the computing age? Tired of reading tired knowledge passed off as far reaching vision because the author happened to be in the right place and made a pile of money? This is the book for you. Robert Cringley has no reason to be nice to anyone since (1) he writes a column on the dirt of the industry and (2) his name is a pseudonym. So, the gloves are off, and no holds are barred. Of course, there are a few of Cringely's laws, and some of those tired bits of vision (broadband. It's the next big thing, as of 1996. Spitting distance to 2001 and I'm still waiting!). The addendum to the 1996 edition is interesting, since it's less predictive than the 1992 edition. Sometime between 1996 and the present, things changed in ways that no one expected, and the predictions are rather amusing. In 1992, looking at the 'new' 486s and looking at the future, the vision is true. If you want to see someone analyze everyone's personality defects, in depth, this is the book for you. If not, there's plenty else to read. I'd recommend this work.
Rating:
Summary: Empires, The Gossip of the Silicon Valley
Review: The first thing you need to know about _Accidental Empires_ is that Robert X. Cringley made his name writing a gossip column for 'Infoworld'. The key word in that first sentence was "gossip". With that said, you must realize that this book chronicles a fascinating time as the Silicon Valley emerges from the harsh cold of the mainframe years into the pleasantly warm and personable PC era. Cringley scribes some fairly goofy (which are somewhat true) stories about some fairly goofy figures who were extremely influential in these early years. Anyone who wants to get a taste of how little planning actually went into the creation of that PC you're looking at right this very second absolutely must read this book. It doesn't matter if you've just started with computers or sleep with one every night, _Accidental Empires_ will teach you something about an industry that has succeeded in spite of itself.
Rating:
Summary: valley's history 101
Review: I picked up this book while loitering from a street vendor back in my home country while I was in high school and my dad used to work with IBM system 386! All I knew at that point was that I would be better off getting into computer field as opposed to any other professional career. This was the time in my country when PCs were unheard of in my country but I was one of the lucky ones to play games on my dad's Mac at work. This book was a gem and I remember reading it and rereading it. I was fascinated by the course of events that took place in the silicon valley and consequently changed our lives forever, literally. There is a lot of history in this book as to how Wozniak 'the mozart of digital design' and Jobs put the Apple together, what was happening in Xerox PARC, what was Amdahl doing (remember 'em?!) in those days, how the employees of IBM used to sing the company song (yikes!), how did Intel come into existense, who created Visicalc but did not cash on it etc etc... Oh yeah you will read a lot about the history of 'killer apps' in the valley and who was behind them. Anyone interested in the silicon valley history is ought to read this book just to see how it used to be in the olden days (relatively speaking in internet time). We might appreciate things a little more than just taking them for granted.
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