I've long admired Seymour Cray as the genius behind early super computers such as the CDC6600, Cray-1, and later Cray systems. However, I know little about Cray himself. So, I was happy to discover two YouTube videos of Cray speaking about his career and systems.
In this 1976 talk, Cray describes the design of the Cray-1. Among other topics, he describes the factors that gave rise to the Cray-1's iconic shape.
Thirteen years later, Cray discusses the design of the Cray-3 and Cray-4 systems in this talk and his decision to use Gallium Arsenide, then a leading edge material. I wasn't aware of the three dimensional modules used in the Cray-3. Cool stuff.
I enjoyed both talks. Cray was much more personable than I expected. He was very humble and claimed ignorance in a number of areas related to computing. It was refreshing to see someone of Cray's caliber display these characteristics.
It was amusing to see that the fundamental problems of building computing systems have remained the same for decades: speed, size, and power. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
.jpg){kind=link}