A more appropriate title for this videotape might be “Two Inventors Talk About Semiconductor Product Creation, Design, and Development.” No explanation of how anything material actually functions appears anywhere in the production. Nonetheless, it is an interesting discussion by two well-known men who have made their mark in the electronics industry. To this date, they are both heavily involved in digital electronics. Anyone who has had anything to do with the Digital Equipment Corporation, or more recently the Encore Corporation, knows about Gordon Bell. Similarly, anyone involved in integrated circuit design must at least have heard of Carver Mead. Steven Omohundro, the discussion moderator, is not known to me, but obviously travels in enviable company. Omohundro does not do much moderating of the discussions, but not much is needed. He introduces each topic with a leading question, then lets the two heavyweights, Mead and Bell, take the bait and run with it. Mead dominates most of the conversation, but Bell gets in his licks when he feels the spirit.

The points of discussion listed on the jacket of the tape vary a bit from the actual discussion headings displayed during viewing. The headings in the production itself are:

• How New Products Come into Being,

• What Marketing Needs to Know,

• Examples,

• Symptoms of Change,

• The Inner Game of Innovation,

• Perseverance Pays,

• The Time Is Now, and

• Moore’s Law--Experiencing Evolution.

Mead contends that pure research or pure science no longer exists, and Bell does not refute him. I disagree. If, however, you understand that both of these men are inventors and developers specializing in semiconductor-based technology, and not researchers or pure scientists, you might comprehend their point of view. The majority of the tape contains personal philosophies, commonsense laws, and some rules they have gleaned from experience. Their final exposition on Moore’s law, which states that unit density for digital memory or logic doubles every 18 months, will give you their vision of the future, at least for microelectronic products.

I am not qualified to judge the technical aspects of a video production, so Cliff Whittemore, director of media and reprographics, graciously agreed to view and comment on it. He in turn convinced Cheryl Lee, media design specialist, to join in. A brief summary of their informal comments merged with some of my observations and interpretations follows. The graphics are generally good. The opening background with its blue Da Vinci sketch-like background is effective. The living room setting complete with bookcase is academically appropriate. Camera movement appears to be acceptable, but a three-camera production rather than the apparent two cameras might have made transitioning smoother. The sound was excellent for Mead, but Bell may have been miked a bit too close. The moderator’s voice was apparently adjusted on the fly early in the production. The fades to the artificial fireplace between each discussion section are fine, but get a bit boring. The lack of any cuts away from the living room setting is a major deficiency. Particularly, the section titled “Examples” would be a natural place for an insertion or two. Incidentally, that section does not refer to any concrete examples of anything.

I do not know if this production would be directly applicable to any current educational curriculum, but it might provide good break or relief material for nearly any electronics or digital computer course. Regardless of any minor shortcomings, the producers of this presentation have definitely done future generations a service by getting Mead and Bell on tape. In years to come, this video should definitely have a place in the history of VLSI electronics and digital computers.