4 ms·

I worked at IBM Research (Yorktown Hieghts, Last century, assisting infrastructure for research). They spent 6 Billion Dollars on research that year (late 90s

I worked at IBM Research (Yorktown Hieghts, Last century, assisting infrastructure for research). They spent 6 Billion Dollars on research that year (late 90s) But Its true, IBM Values patents quite heavily. You can see some of them they printed as wall paper in the lobby (Along with mechanical calculators and models of some of daVinci's machines.) But they also have "Trade Secrets" which are things they think they're competitors won't figure out and if you don't patent it you aren't telling the world how its done. I think some of the chip chemicals and processes for working with silicon wafers were to be classified as such. They seemed always to be pushing the researchers to make something they could sell.. As an aside, IBM Yorktown is an oddly round building.. https://www.google.com/maps/place/IBM+Thomas+J.+Watson+Research+Center/@41.2112567,-73.8057614,3403m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x89c2b6f9d1af4137:0x3cf5f7d8ffb1755a!2sYorktown+Heights,+NY+10598!3b1!8m2!3d41.2709274!4d-73.7776336!3m4!1s0x0:0x457b245b452ccf23!8m2!3d41.2097521!4d-73.8026467 https://www.google.com/maps/place/IBM+Thomas+J.+Watson+Resea...

monocasa 7y ago
> I think some of the chip chemicals and processes for working with silicon wafers were to be classified as such. They sold off their chip foundries and all IP to GloFo a half decade ago (and since then GloFlo has stopped all non sustaining R&D).
devy 7y ago
A few years ago, one of my buddies got a research scientist job at IBM T. J. Watson Research Center at Yorktown Heights and I got a friend&family pass visiting their building there - inside it's amazing, considering this was built in 1950s. I remember there was a long hallway with invention exhibits, some of the most iconic inventions in computer hardware, ICs, CPUs were on display. Pretty amazing. The arc-shape building reminded me Apple Park in Cupertino, except TJ Watson center was built decades earlier.
- acomjean 7y ago
  I did enjoy the building. Rather a lot of interesting stuff was thought up there and it was humbling. I like that the hallway was on the outside and hallways radiated out (and everyone had offices with frosted glass). It was a pain running pipes though as standard bend didn't quite work for that radius. https://picryl.com/media/ibm-thomas-j-watson-research-center-yorktown-heights-new-york-1956-61-interior-8d33a4?zoom=true https://picryl.com/media/ibm-thomas-j-watson-research-center... https://picryl.com/media/ibm-thomas-j-watson-research-center-yorktown-heights-new-york-1956-61-exterior-1 https://picryl.com/media/ibm-thomas-j-watson-research-center... The library was a trip too. It was like what they thought the future of furniture was in the the 1960s. It was all in excellent shape.
  - devy 7y ago
    Yep, that was exactly the hallway I was talking about!

monocasa 7y ago

> I think some of the chip chemicals and processes for working with silicon wafers were to be classified as such. They sold off their chip foundries and all IP to GloFo a half decade ago (and since then GloFlo has stopped all non sustaining R&D).

devy 7y ago

A few years ago, one of my buddies got a research scientist job at IBM T. J. Watson Research Center at Yorktown Heights and I got a friend&family pass visiting their building there - inside it's amazing, considering this was built in 1950s. I remember there was a long hallway with invention exhibits, some of the most iconic inventions in computer hardware, ICs, CPUs were on display. Pretty amazing. The arc-shape building reminded me Apple Park in Cupertino, except TJ Watson center was built decades earlier.

acomjean 7y ago
I did enjoy the building. Rather a lot of interesting stuff was thought up there and it was humbling. I like that the hallway was on the outside and hallways radiated out (and everyone had offices with frosted glass). It was a pain running pipes though as standard bend didn't quite work for that radius. https://picryl.com/media/ibm-thomas-j-watson-research-center-yorktown-heights-new-york-1956-61-interior-8d33a4?zoom=true https://picryl.com/media/ibm-thomas-j-watson-research-center... https://picryl.com/media/ibm-thomas-j-watson-research-center-yorktown-heights-new-york-1956-61-exterior-1 https://picryl.com/media/ibm-thomas-j-watson-research-center... The library was a trip too. It was like what they thought the future of furniture was in the the 1960s. It was all in excellent shape.
- devy 7y ago
  Yep, that was exactly the hallway I was talking about!