The Father of Control/Alt/Delete Retires

[Lois Gilbert]

Meet the inventor of 'CtrlAltDelete'
David Bradley: Microsoft's Bill Gates 'made it famous'
Thursday, January 29, 2004 Posted: 12:02 PM EST (1702 GMT)



David Bradley wrote the code for one of the most well-known key combinations around: Ctrl+Alt+Delete.


RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, North Carolina (AP) -- David Bradley spent five minutes writing the computer code that has bailed out the world's PC users for decades.

The result was one of the most well-known key combinations around: CtrlAltDelete. It forces obstinate computers to restart when they will no longer follow other commands.

Bradley, 55, is getting a new start of his own. He's retiring Friday after 28.5 years with IBM.

Bradley joined the company in June 1975 as an engineer in Boca Raton, Florida. By 1980, he was one of 12 working to create the IBM PC. He now works at IBM's facility in Research Triangle Park.

The engineers knew they had to design a simple way to restart the computer should it fail. Bradley wrote the code to make it work.

"I didn't know it was going to be a cultural icon," Bradley said. "I did a lot of other things than CtrlAltDelete, but I'm famous for that one."

His fame depends on others failures.

At a 20-year celebration for the IBM PC, Bradley was on a panel with Microsoft founder Bill Gates and other tech icons. The discussion turned to the keys.

"I may have invented it, but Bill made it famous," Bradley said.

Gates didn't laugh. The key combination also is used when software, such as Microsoft's Windows operating system, fails.

Bradley, whose name was once mentioned as a clue in the final round of the TV game show "Jeopardy," will continue teaching at North Carolina State University after retirement.

His office is filled with memories of his time at IBM and the keys that brought him fame in the tech world. He says he has almost every cartoon that featured CtrlAltDelete. There are video clips of the "Jeopardy" show and the panel with Gates.

"After having been the answer on final 'Jeopardy,' if I can be a clue in 'The New York Times' Sunday crossword puzzle, I will have met all my life's goals," Bradley said.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[moneyp]

I use it so often, I should name one of my potential kids after him.

[Ron Thorne]

I've used that infamous set of keystrokes at least twice today. Thanks, David Bradley!

[Lois Gilbert]

"I may have invented it, but Bill made it famous," Bradley said.
Gates didn't laugh.

Did Gates invent anything or just perfect (and I use that term loosely) what everyone else did?


Speaking of keys -- Moné any luck or research into having the #s again. Did you post on VBulletin?

[moneyp]

Originally posted by Lois Gilbert
Did Gates invent anything or just perfect (and I use that term loosely) what everyone else did?


Speaking of keys -- Moné any luck or research into having the #s again. Did you post on VBulletin?

No, Bill is not and never was a programmer. He was a market visionary and a hell of a businessman, though.

Lois, I got your e-mail. No response on the VBulletin post... going to simply try reinstalling the post numbers.

[Gentle Giant]

It's great that Ctrl/Alt/Del exists.


It would be even better if it wasn't necessary.


Go back to the drawing board!

[Gentle Giant]

Who invented kicking the !@#$% out of an obstinate PC?

[Enforcer]

Originally posted by Gentle Giant
Who invented kicking the !@#$% out of an obstinate PC?

That may very well have been me.

Larry