[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How many of you have used\Nan electronic spreadsheet,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like Microsoft Excel?\NVery good.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now how many of you have run a business\Nwith a spreadsheet by hand,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like my dad did for his small\Nprinting business in Philadelphia?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A lot less. Well, that's the way\Nit was done for hundreds of years.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In early 1978, I started working\Non an idea that eventually became VisiCalc.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the next year it shipped\Nrunning on something new
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,called an Apple II Personal Computer.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You could tell that things\Nhad really changed when six years later,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Wall Street Journal ran an editorial\Nthat assumed you knew what VisiCalc was
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and maybe even were using it.\NSteve Jobs back in 1990 said that
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,spreadsheets propelled\Nthe industry forward.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,VisiCalc propelled the success of Apple\Nmore than any other single event.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,On a more personal note, Steve said\Nthat if VisiCalc had been written
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for some other computer,\Nyou'd be interviewing
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,somebody else right now.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, VisiCalc was instrumental in getting\Npersonal computers on business desks.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How did it come about? What was it?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What did I go through\Nto make it be what it was?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, I first learned to program\Nback in 1966, when I was 15 --
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,just a couple months after\Nthis photo was taken.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Few high schoolers had access\Nto computers in those days
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but through luck\Nand an awful lot of perseverance,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was able to get\Ncomputer time around the city.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After sleeping in the mud at Woodstock,\NI went off the MIT to go to college,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where to make money,\NI worked on the Multics Project.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now Multics was a trailblazing\Ninteractive time-sharing system.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Have you heard of the\NLenix ad Unix operating systems?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They came from Multics.\NI worked on the Multics versions
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of what are known as\Ninterpreted computer languages,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that are used by people\Nin non-computer fields
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to do their calculations while seated\Nat a computer terminal.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After I graduated from MIT,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I went to work for\NDigital Equipment Corporation.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At DEC, I worked on software for\Nthe new area of computerized typesetting.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I helped newspapers replace\Ntheir reporters' typewriters
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with computer terminals.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'd write software\Nand then I'd go out in the field
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to places like the Kansas City Star where\NI would train users and get feedback.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now this was real world experience\Nthat is quite different
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than what I saw in the lab at MIT.\NAfter that, I was project leader
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the software for DEC's\Nfirst word processor, again a new field.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Like with typesetting, the important thing\Nwas crafting a user interface that was
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,both natural and efficient\Nfor non-computer people to use.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After I was at DEC, I went to work\Nfor a small company that made
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,microprocessor based electronic\Ncash registers for the fast food industry.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But, I had always wanted to start\Na company with my friend Bob Frankston
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that I met on the Multics project at MIT.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I decided to go back to school to learn\Nas much as I could about business.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in the Fall of 1977, I entered the\NMBA program at Harvard Business School.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was one of a few students who\Nhad a background in computer programming.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's a picture of me from the yearbook\Nsitting in the front row. Now at Harvard,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we learned by the case method.\Nwe do about three cases a day.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Cases consist of up to a few dozen pages\Ndescribing a particular business situation.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They often have exhibits, and exhibits\Noften have words and numbers
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,laid out in ways that make sense\Nfor the particular situation.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There usually all somewhat different.\NHere's my homework.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Again, numbers, words, laid out\Nin ways that made sense.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Lots of calculations.\NWe got really close to our calculators.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact, here's my calculator.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For Halloween, I went\Ndressed up as a calculator.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At the beginning of each class,\Nthe professor would call on somebody
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to present the case.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What they would do, is they would explain\Nwhat was going on and then dictate
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,information that the professor\Nwould transcribe onto the mini
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,motorized blackboard\Nin the front of the class
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then we'd have a discussion.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The frustrating thing is when\Nyou've done all of your homework,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you come in the next day only to find out\Nthat you made an error and all
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the other numbers you did were wrong,\Nand you couldn't participate as well.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we were marked by class participation.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, sitting there with 87 other people\Nin the class, I got to daydream a lot.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Most programmers in those days worked on\Nmainframes, building things like
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,inventory systems and payroll systems\Nand bill paying systems, but I had worked
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on interactive word processing\Nand on-demand personal computation.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Instead of thinking about\Npaper print outs and punch cards,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I imagined a magic blackboard\Nthat if you erased one number
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and wrote a new thing in,\Nall of the other numbers
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,would automatically change,\Nlike word processing with numbers.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I imagined that my calculator had\Nmouse hardware on the bottom of it
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and a head-up display like in a fighter plane.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I could type some numbers in and circle it,\Nand press the sum button.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And right in the middle of a negotiation,\NI'd be able to get the answer.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now I just had to take my fantasy\Nand turn it into reality.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My father taught me about prototyping.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He showed me mock-ups\Nthat he'd make to figure out the placement
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on the page for the things for brochures\Nthat he was printing.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And he'd use it to get feedback\Nfrom customers and okays before
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he sent the job off to the presses.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The act of making a simple, working\Nversion of what you're trying to build,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,forces you to uncover key problems.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it lets you find solutions to\Nthose problems much less expensively.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I decided to build a prototype.\NI went to a video terminal connected to
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Harvard's time-sharing system\Nand got to work.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of the first problems\Nthat I ran into was:
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,how do you represent values in formulas?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let me show you what I mean.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I thought that you would point somewhere,\Ntype in some words,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then type in somewhere else,\Nand put in some numbers
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and some more numbers,\Npoint where you want the answer.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then point to the first, press minus;\Npoint to the second, and get the result.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The problem was:\Nwhat should I put in the formula?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It had to be something\Nthe computer what knew to put in
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and if you looked at the formula,\Nyou needed to know
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where on the screen it referred to.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the first thing I thought was\Nthe programmer way of doing it,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the first time you pointed to somewhere,\Nthe computer would ask you
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to type in a unique name. \NIt became pretty clear, pretty fast that
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that was going to be too tedious.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The computer had to automatically make up\Nthe name and put it inside.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I thought, why not make it be the order\Nin which you create them.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I tried that. Value 1, Value 2.\NPretty quickly I saw that if you had more
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than a few values, you'd never remember\Non the screen where things were.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then I said, why not instead of\Nallowing you to put values anywhere,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'll restrict you to a grid?\NThen when you pointed to a cell,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the computer could put\Nthe row and column in as a name.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And, if I did it like a map and put ABC\Nacross the top and numbers along the side,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if you saw B7 in a formula, you'd know\Nexactly where it was on the screen.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you had to type the formula yourself,\Nyou'd know what to do.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Restricting you to a grid\Nhelped solve my problem.:
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It also opened up new capabilities,\Nlike the ability to have ranges of cells.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it wasn't too restrictive --
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you could still put any value,\Nany formula, in any cell.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that's the way we do it to this day,\Nalmost 40 years later.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My friend Bob and I decided that we were\Ngoing to build this product together.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I did more work figuring out exactly how\Nthe program was supposed to behave.\N
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I wrote a reference card\Nto act as documentation.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It also helped me ensure that\Nthe user interface I was defining
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,could be explained concisely and clearly\Nto regular people.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Bob worked in the attic of the apartment\Nhe rented in Arlington, Massachusettes.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is the inside of the attic.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Bob bought time on the MIT Multics System\Nto write computer code
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on a terminal like this.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then he would download test versions\Nto a borrowed Apple II over a phone line
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,using an acoustic coupler\Nand then we would test.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, for one of these tests I prepared\Nfor this case about the Pepsi challenge.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Print wasn't working yet,\Nso I had to copy everything down.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Save wasn't working,\Nso every time it crashed,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I had to type in all of the formulas\Nagain, over and over again.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The next day in class, I raised my hand.\NI got called on and I presented the case.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I did five-year projections.\NI did all sorts of different scenarios.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I aced the case.\NVisiCalc was already useful.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The professor said, how did you do it?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, I didn't want to tell him\Nabout our secret program, so I said,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,well I took this and added this and \Nmultiplied by this and subtracted that.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He said, well, why didn't you use a ratio?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hah! A ratio that wouldn't\Nhave been as exact.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What I didn't say was,\Ndivide isn't working yet.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Eventually, though, we did finish\Nenough of VisiCalc to be able
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to show it to the public.\NMy dad printed up a sample reference card
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that we could use as marketing material.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In June of 1979, our publisher announced\NVisiCalc to the world, in a small booth
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at the giant National Computer Conference\Nin New York City.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now The New York Times had\Na humorous article about the conference.