Adventures in the mainframe trade [Interview with Gene Amdahl]

As a graduate student in physics at the University of Wisconsin during the late 1940s, Gene Amdahl designed his first computer, built as the Wisconsin Integrally Synchronized Computer (WISC). He went on to become the 'father' of IBM's System/360 and an industry leader in mainframe design. Though Amdahl’s work has focused on computers that serve hundreds of concurrent users, he has also pioneered techniques and ideas that resonate throughout the industry. D&T Editor-in-Chief Ken Wagner's interview with Gene Amdahl provides a first-hand account of this remarkable career and a unique perspective on the state of the industry, the future of mainframes, and the validity of Amdahl's law.