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Summary: The Supermen, what happened behind the scenes
Review: "The Supermen" describes the early days of supercomputing, from the ERA developments (50's), Control Data's 1604 (a mindblowing 0.2 MHz processor),6600, 7600 (60/70's) to the Cray 1, 2 (70/80's) and 3 and... maybe one day the Cray 4. It presents a journalistic overview of the challenges, which faced those pioneering designers and technicians, trying to push the physical limits of available technology to achieve higher processing speeds against the drawbacks of reliability requirements.I red the book in four hours flat. Having worked for Control Data in the seventies and eighties, it was like going down memory lane in the process filling the gaps in my perception of the events at the time.
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Summary: A Fascinating Read about Super Computing
Review: By far, this book is a must read for any computer enthusiast. From the early days of drum hard drives through nuclear explosion modeling, The Supermen will captivate your mind and force your eyes to read more. From Seymour Cray's early days at Control Data through Cray Reasearch's end, you will experience firsthand the methodical and torturous mind of "god." In the end, you will walk away inspired and deeply impressed by one man's desire to think clealy, methodically and free from corporate intrusion. This book serves as a real primer to understanding today's computer industry.
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Summary: Moving Story of Seymour Cray's Passion
Review: Few biographies of computer heavyweights have moved me like this short, 232-page volume. This book is a nicely written chronicle of Seymour Cray and his supercomputing associates. The book covers Cray's entire professional career - from Cray's early days with pioneering Engineering Research Associates until his death (from injuries in an auto accident) in 1996 as he struggled to reinvent the glory days of super-computing with a new company, SRC (Seymour Roger Cray) Computers. By the way, as a native of Minnesota and Wisconsin, it was pleasant to recall that Control Data and Cray Computing made the area around St. Paul (Wisconsin is just across the river) one of the hottest technology areas for two decades. Cray was totally absorbed in computing. If you share some of his passion, you will love this. Non-tech types will not enjoy it and will wonder why he did not "get a life."
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Summary: Great Inspirations
Review: I accidentally came across this while I was looking for some books on Computer Industry's Inspirations. I have heard about Cray Computers and knew a fair bit on it's ability but nothing too detailed. This book has swiftly, not too brief though, brought me up to date on the Cray computer's history and background. All thanks to the author who make as it as exciting as it could be.
From then on, I was totally immensed in the process of how the makers made the supercomputer possible. The inspiring tale of meeting datelines, of realigning focus, of human determination and lastly, of inspirations. It has been beautifully crafted by the author's words to allow the reader to see the whole event/s unveiled before one's eyes without it being too naggy or non-fiction.
I am by no way related to the author but I think it's only fair that I put in my two cents worth of my opinion for a good book.
If you are thinking of knowing more about Cray Computers or looking for a mortal example of human determination and inspirations. DON'T miss this book.
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Summary: Superb!
Review: I give it four stars because this book did not mention enough details. It will be good if the author showed us why Seymour Cray would spent so much time on transistors. Why he thought ICs were not reliable? Why used ICs with sow few gates? Why he was so skeptical to new toys at first, but then used GaAs, a compound that's just too painful to handle. However, it's still a great book to read. I couldn't put it down.
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Summary: Superb!
Review: I give it four stars because this book did not mention enough details. It will be good if the author showed us why Seymour Cray would spent so much time on transistors. Why he thought ICs were not reliable? Why used ICs with sow few gates? Why he was so skeptical to new toys at first, but then used GaAs, a compound that's just too painful to handle. However, it's still a great book to read. I couldn't put it down.
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Summary: Good, but half as long as it should be
Review: I'm divided about this book. The average public will find it a bit dry and the above average computer scientist will find it lacking in depth. On one hand, it does provide a history of Seymour Cray, his companies, his machines, and some of the names surrounding them. There is no other single combined source for this material. Other reviewers commenting that you never <<really>> get to know the man have a point. On the other hand, no details are provided about Cray's machines. How about architectural overviews from the 10,000 foot level? Or, how about zooming in, showing programming, gross datapaths, eventually to give details of his circuit designs to illustrate his published genius? Cray was a luminary for his contributions, and yet they are never really described. Material like this might also help the reader to better know Cray. Even the pictures are few and imperfectly reproduced. Yes, a Cray 1 is shown, but not a Cray 2 (a photo does not identify him as leaning on one) and not a Cray 3. In the absence of any other book about Cray, I give this a qualified recommendation.
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Summary: Best book on Supercomputer History
Review: If you are into high preformance computing and still think that it just sort of happend all at once and had no begining then buy this book. We owe almost all of our computer advances to Seymore Cray and what he did for Computer Science. When you look at Chip or a computer you will always see his work in there somewhere. That's why you should get this book for your own enlightenment about CS History.
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Summary: IBM is Big , Cray is Speed ! Cray is like Tesla !
Review: If you have no idea what super-computer is , this is the book that you have to read , after that you will know more than just IBM the next time someone mention about computer . This book is both chronological and narrative and at the same time concise . It makes it easy for people who know nuts about computer or engineering to understand what went on in the computer industry when it was at an infant stage . Readers thus have a thorough understanding of the industry from its humble beginning to the present and how Seymour Cray and his engineers had contributed to the industry .To put it simply , without Cray Super Computing might have taken a longer time to emerge. This book also reveals the rivalry that went on at Cray Research that eventually led to a split in the company . You will be surprised to find that bringing out a new product takes much more than just a technological break-through.If it is that simple Cray would have beaten IBM many times. At the end , one would find Cray a rare genius who given the opportunity would have done much better .Unfortunately the circumstances he was in and his sole interest in engineering alone has limited his success . To me Seymour Cray is over and above Bill Gates and Tom Watson although he was much poorer than these two in the financial aspect . Like Nicholas Tesla , Cray was a better engineer than all his contemporaries but was bestowed with the least honours.To Cray , I salute you !
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Summary: No one beats Seymour Cray
Review: Seymour Cray carves a special place in the history of computing. No other super computing companies / personalities can rival his achievement (name one that survives more than 3 decades). This book chronicles the life and time of Seymour Cray. It depicts how one man's devotion to attain the highest speed in computing produces a series of remarkable machine. Anyone would wish that the guy is still around building newer machines.
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