DEC Founder Olsen Dies
BOSTON -- Kenneth Olsen, the Digital Equipment Corp. cofounder who famously said he couldn't imagine why a person would want a computer in their home, died Sunday. He was 84.
Olsen founded Digital in 1957 with Harlan Anderson and his brother Stanley Olsen. Over the years, he built the company into a computer design and manufacturing powerhouse, second only to IBM, by migrating from mainframes to so-called "minicomputers" that were easier -- if not easy -- for consumers to use.
Before starting Digital, Olsen served in the US Navy between 1944 and 1946, and then attended MIT, where he earned a bachelor's and master's in electrical engineering.
While Digital at one point was an end-to-end manufacturer, designing and building semiconductors, printed circuit boards, electronics assemblies, software and the end-product, the company did not adjust as quickly as some competitors like Dell and Compaq to the changing nature of the PC industry, and Olsen resigned as president in 1992. Digital eventually was acquired by Compaq.
In 1977, the man who helped put a computer in every home said, "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home." However, it was later noted that he was questioning the notion of a "smart house" in which a computer managed all the basic functions (automated doors, voice-activated faucets, etc.). He promoted the idea of consumers using computer for general purposes, according to reports.
