Glimpse of Stephen Hawking's Computer 146
kenekaplan writes "Intel application engineer Travis Bonifield has been working closely with Hawking to communicate with the world for a decade. He's traveled from the United States to England every few years to hand-deliver Hawking a customized PC. Bonifield talks about the technology that powers the customized system."
Hawking's latest machine is a Thinkpad x220. Lately he's been trouble speaking due to weakened cheek muscles (down to one word per minute). New Scientist has a brief interview with Hawking's outgoing technician on the challenges he faced. It turns out Hawking is still using a DECtalk (despite some reports suggesting otherwise).
DECtalk (Score:5, Funny)
With a cat for scale. That's it, Wikipedia, we're through.
Re:DECtalk (Score:5, Funny)
You'd rather the cat be in a box?
Re:DECtalk (Score:5, Funny)
Nice try, Schrodinger.
Re:DECtalk (Score:3, Funny)
Humor. You don't have it.
Re:DECtalk (Score:5, Funny)
Without knowing whether it's an imperial or metric cat it's completely useless, though.
Typo in summary (Score:5, Funny)
Lately he's been trouble speaking due to weakened cheek muscles (down to one word per minute).
I see Slashdot's come up with a simple solution that just involves skipping words that don't seem necessary :)
Re:DecTalk is a warhorse (Score:5, Funny)
Student: What if I integrate this term on the left here?
Hawking: I'm afraid you can't do that, Dave.
Re:DECtalk (Score:4, Funny)
Neither dead nor alive! it is undead I tell you! UNDEAD cats roam the land!!!
Re:One word a minute (Score:5, Funny)
A brilliant theoretical physicist cannot learn a new (arguably easier) technology over a ten year period, yet alone flourish?
Have you ever seen a professor trying to turn on a projector?
Re:DECtalk (Score:5, Funny)
No, he's right- a cat makes a terrible scale. It only tells you if you're heavy enough to squish a cat.
Re:One word a minute (Score:5, Funny)
Re:DECtalk (Score:4, Funny)
Cats rule so it would have to be imperial.
Re:DECtalk (Score:5, Funny)
It only tells you if you're heavy enough to squish a cat.
I find it useful to determine if a room is large enough to swing a cat.