C. Gordon Bell, Creator of a Personal Computer Prototype, Dies at 89

C. Gordon Bell, a pioneering computer architect and technology visionary, died at 89 from pneumonia. Often called the "Frank Lloyd Wright of computers," Bell's designs for Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) were instrumental in developing the minicomputer industry in the 1960s, creating a vital bridge between room-sized mainframes and the advent of the personal computer. He designed key machines like the PDP-8, considered the first successful minicomputer, and later the highly successful VAX 780. Bell also built the first time-sharing computer, championed efforts to build the Ethernet, and, as head of the National Science Foundation's computer group, led efforts to link supercomputers into a high-speed network that directly contributed to the development of the modern internet. He later joined Microsoft Research, where he worked on projects like MyLifeBits. Awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 1991, Bell was known for his vision in making computing more widespread and personal.