The Father of the Operating System: Meet Gary Kildall

Who is Gary Kildall?

Gary Arlen Kildall (May 19, 1942 – July 11, 1994) was an American computer scientist, microcomputer entrepreneur, and author. He was best known for developing the CP/M operating system, one of the most popular operating systems of the 1970s and early 1980s.

Early Life and Education

Kildall was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in San Francisco. He attended the University of Washington, where he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1964 and a master's degree in computer science in 1966. After graduating, Kildall worked as a computer programmer for several companies, including Boeing and Intel.

Developing CP/M

In 1973, Kildall founded Digital Research, Inc. (DRI) with his wife, Dorothy McEwen. DRI's first product was CP/M (Control Program for Microcomputers), an operating system designed for Intel's 8080 microprocessor. CP/M was a powerful and easy-to-use operating system, and it quickly became popular with microcomputer users. By the late 1970s, CP/M was running on over 300,000 microcomputers, making it one of the most widely used operating systems in the world.

Competition with Microsoft

In the early 1980s, Microsoft emerged as a major competitor to DRI. Microsoft's MS-DOS operating system was similar to CP/M, but it was less expensive and easier to use. Microsoft also had a close relationship with IBM, which gave MS-DOS a major advantage in the market.

Later Life and Death

In 1989, DRI was acquired by Novell, Inc. Kildall continued to work for Novell until his death in 1994. Kildall died at the age of 52 from a heart attack. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Legacy

Gary Kildall is considered one of the pioneers of the microcomputer revolution. His CP/M operating system was a major factor in the development of the personal computer industry. Kildall was also a prolific author, and he wrote several books on computer science and microcomputers.