NRI techie invents aspirin-sized server

WASHINGTON: A young non-resident Indian has invented an low cost, aspirin-sized server which would allow devices to be Internet-enabled on a mass scale, media reports said here.

Young Hariharasubrahmaniam "Shri" Srikumar was working on his PhD when he thought of breaking a world record by creating the smallest computer server. Later Ipsil, a Greater Washington area company, was etablished to put the tiny server to work, the Washington Post reports.

Set up by Velu Sinha a longtime friend of Shrikumar's, and Jim Kopetsky, Ipsil began filing for patents and creating a prototype of the server to work with a variety of products.

"What I stumbled upon," says Srikumar "is a way by which you can shrink network computers by a factor of a thousand".

"We came up to a single chip design that would work to make all types of devices Internet-enabled," Sinha explained.

Sinha said Ipsil is targeting companies that will use the servers to remotely monitor products for needed adjustments or potential glitches. For example, the device could be attched to different parts of a car engine, so that if a problem is detected, the service station and owner would be notified and could prevent a breakdown.

The servers can run on existing wires or transmit data through wireless networks, so no direct Internet connection is needed, Sinha said.

Srikumar's design also dramatically reduced the cost of servers, making a mass application of them more feasible. The chips cost about five dollars each but Ipsil executives predict the price will eventually fall to less than a dollar.

PBS? They get most things wrong. I saw their crap, and they squarely gave credit to IBM buying DOS to Gate’s mother. The facts of the time do not suggest her involvement whatsoever. As a matter of fact, there are no known monies or political help from his father or mother, both Seattle socialites of the time. Microsoft made good money in its early days and needed no help. While the whole industry was in disarray in the 1970’s, Microsoft had a national reputation and was known for excellent work. Bill Gates personally coded the famous 4k BASIC, a feat that made his personal reputation.

IBM didn’t need any suggestions from Bill’s mother to talk to Microsoft, as Microsoft was IBM’s first choice due to Microsoft’s public reputation as a leader in microcomputer software.

CPM was eventually produced for the IBM, but long after Gates produced DOS, and it was produced as an aftermarket product.

If Digital Research would not have blown off, and pissed off, IBM, Microsoft would not have produced DOS.

At the time, Microsoft was actually producing XENIX, an AT&T UNIX product. During the early 80's, many people at Microsoft wanted to focus on the UNIX market.

Imagine the world today if that had happened. CPM was good, but its useful life, like DOS, was limited. UNIX has an indefinite useful life. We also most likely would not have seen Windows NT, lawsuits from Apple, Linux, etc.

Microsoft would no doubt still be big, and who knows how big. Imagine if they could have concentrated on things other than DOS, which REALLY held them back, IMHO.

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