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Author: Jarrell L. Zimquist
Added by: nelsberg
Added Date: 2020-07-19
Language: English
Subjects: workstation, president, personal computer
Collections: tednelsonarchive, americana
Pages Count: 600
PPI Count: 600
PDF Count: 2
Total Size: 3.18 MB
PDF Size: 1.8 MB
Extensions: pdf, gz, zip, torrent
Year: 1978
Downloads: 58
Views: 108
Total Files: 13
Media Type: texts
Total Files: 6
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The President's Office wants computer pr...978 pdf
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Last Modified: 2020-07-19 02:06:34
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TORRENT
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Last Modified: 2021-06-20 05:33:21
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Description
These two pages were the cover letter
from the Executive Office of the President
(of the United States), asking recipients to propose an
"Automatic Data Processing capability"
that "all the agences" of the Executive Office of the President
could use. He wanted some kind of computer system
but had no idea what, apparently.
(The era of personal computers had begun,
but the author, Mr. Zimquist,
didn't think of just going to a store
and buying a TRS-80 or an Apple II
to try them out.)
This cover letter came in front of an inch-thick,
huge thick request for proposals (RFP).
An RFP is a complicated government document
asking for proposals in some area--
tanks, motor scooters, jet fighters, whatever.
This RFP is huge (I repeat, an inch thick),
with many sections.
Each section has its own page numbering.
This big thing somehow reached me,
I don't know at what address.
I did not attempt to respond.
That would have led to a futile chain of
complicated dialog. (My experience with
the CIA's promise of $50,000 "any month now"
was enough government experience for me.)
This RFP stuff was for big corporations.
I heard through the grapevine
that the President's office got an early Alto from PARC,
not much after that time,
but didn't know what to do with it.
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