5 ms·

When I think of IBM, I still think of consultants and guys in blue suits. ...but more than anyone else out there, these guys are building the future. See also

by tpatke 15y ago

When I think of IBM, I still think of consultants and guys in blue suits. ...but more than anyone else out there, these guys are building the future. See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watson_(computer) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watson_(computer) http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/embargo-ibm-develops-instantaneous-memory-100x-faster-than-fl/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/embargo-ibm-develops-inst... http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/14/ibm-stores-bits-on-arrays-of-atoms-shrinks-magnetic-storage-to/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/14/ibm-stores-bits-on-arrays... I hate to think what their patent portfolio looks like.

ginko 15y ago
It's true that IBM does incredible research, but their results never seem to break into mainstream.
- dataminer 15y ago
  SQL came out of IBM research and its quite mainstream.
- acangiano 15y ago
  They do end up into the mainstream. IBM is not a B2C company, though, so there is no hype behind the unveiling of a new shiny gadget. So the tech community at large seriously underestimates IBM's contributions to the field.
- cobrausn 15y ago
  IBM was the first company to successfully release a commercial USB flash drive back in 2000.
- Sam_Odio 15y ago
  Ever heard of the PC? http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer
- smackfu 15y ago
  I believe IBM was the first company to use GMR in hard drives.
  - wazoox 15y ago
    And even hard drives, after all they invented them, too.
- trotsky 15y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_POWER https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_POWER
mrsebastian 15y ago
Its patent portfolio is huge -- the biggest in the world. They have registered the most patents per year for, like, the last 10 years. More than 5,000 per year! (Next biggest is Samsung and MS, which have averaged around 2k-3k per year, I think).
- nickik 15y ago
  How awesome would it be it we just could hit delete on the hole shity patent db.
  - Karunamon 15y ago
    Your horrible spelling aside, I wouldn't mind seeing the patent system suffer an irreversible data corruption, along with a fire destroying all hard copies. A forced reset, as it were.
    - jcarreiro 15y ago
      If IBM didn't think that it would be awarded patents for work like this, why would they bother to do the research in the first place?
      - Karunamon 15y ago
        Surely you don't think the only reason people do research and advance science is due to hope of compensation?
        adrianN 15y ago
        That might not be the only reason for people, for companies however it would be silly to spend money without hoping to get it back somehow.
        Karunamon 15y ago
        You don't need patents to create and execute big ideas. As a company or anything else. As I said, this is a dream (and a pretty silly one at that). I can still hope though
dnlhoust 15y ago
Shake that preconception! I can say with confidence that in the Hursley UK site (where us tech types are) you'd struggle to even find someone in a suit.

by tpatke 15y ago

ginko 15y ago

It's true that IBM does incredible research, but their results never seem to break into mainstream.

dataminer 15y ago
SQL came out of IBM research and its quite mainstream.
acangiano 15y ago
They do end up into the mainstream. IBM is not a B2C company, though, so there is no hype behind the unveiling of a new shiny gadget. So the tech community at large seriously underestimates IBM's contributions to the field.
cobrausn 15y ago
IBM was the first company to successfully release a commercial USB flash drive back in 2000.
Sam_Odio 15y ago
Ever heard of the PC? http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer
smackfu 15y ago
I believe IBM was the first company to use GMR in hard drives.
- wazoox 15y ago
  And even hard drives, after all they invented them, too.
trotsky 15y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_POWER https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_POWER

mrsebastian 15y ago

Its patent portfolio is huge -- the biggest in the world. They have registered the most patents per year for, like, the last 10 years. More than 5,000 per year! (Next biggest is Samsung and MS, which have averaged around 2k-3k per year, I think).

nickik 15y ago
How awesome would it be it we just could hit delete on the hole shity patent db.
- Karunamon 15y ago
  Your horrible spelling aside, I wouldn't mind seeing the patent system suffer an irreversible data corruption, along with a fire destroying all hard copies. A forced reset, as it were.
  - jcarreiro 15y ago
    If IBM didn't think that it would be awarded patents for work like this, why would they bother to do the research in the first place?
    - Karunamon 15y ago
      Surely you don't think the only reason people do research and advance science is due to hope of compensation?
      - adrianN 15y ago
        That might not be the only reason for people, for companies however it would be silly to spend money without hoping to get it back somehow.
        Karunamon 15y ago
        You don't need patents to create and execute big ideas. As a company or anything else. As I said, this is a dream (and a pretty silly one at that). I can still hope though

dnlhoust 15y ago

Shake that preconception! I can say with confidence that in the Hursley UK site (where us tech types are) you'd struggle to even find someone in a suit.