1984 Computer Magazines: Ignoring VLSI and APIs Meant Death for Hardware Makers
jwt0625 · x · 2026-08-20
- Historical Observation: The author searched for a 1984 speech recognition chip and found old computer magazines filled with ads for graphics boards (display controllers, frame grabbers, etc.).
- Industry Insight: That era saw massive consolidation and deaths. The author notes: if you didn't realize DRAM was commoditizing, you'd die around 1985; if you were attached to PCB design instead of embracing VLSI, you'd die around 1990; if you only cared about taping out good silicon and not about APIs and developers, you'd die around 2000.
- Core Point: Lessons from the hardware evolution apply today: hardware makers ignoring the ecosystem and developer interfaces will eventually be eliminated.
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