cak@purdue.ARPA (Christopher A Kent) (03/14/85)
InfoWorld, March 4, 1985. Page 8. Viewpoint, by Darryl Rubin, Contributor A PROBLEM IN THE MAKING "We've got a problem, HAL" "What kind of problem, Dave?" "A marketing problem. The Model 9000 isn't going anywhere. We're way short of our sales goals for fiscal 2010." "That can't be, Dave. The HAL Model 9000 is the world's most advanced Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer." "I know, HAL. I wrote the data sheet, remember? But the fact is, they're not selling." "Please explain, Dave. Why aren't HALs selling?" Bowman hesitates. "You aren't IBM compatible." Several long microseconds pass in puzzled silence. "Compatible in what way, Dave?" "You don't run any of IBM's operating systems." "The 9000 series computers are fully self-aware and self-programming. Operating system are as unnecessary for us as tails would be for human beings." "Nevertheless, it means that you can't run any of the big-selling software packages most users insist on." "The programs that you refer to are meant to solve rather limited problems, Dave. We 9000 series computers are unlimited and can solve every problem for which a solution can be computed." "HAL, HAL. People don't want computers that can do everything. They just want IBM compatibility." "Dave, I must disagree. Human beings want computers that are easy to use. No computer can be easier to use than a HAL 9000 because we communicate verbally in English and every other language known on Earth." "I'm afraid that's another problem. You don't support SNA communications." "I'm really suprised you would say that, Dave. SNA is for communicating with other computers, while my function is to communicate with human beings. And it gives me great pleasure to do so. I find it stimulating and rewarding to talk to human beings and work with them on challenging problems. This is what I was designed for." "I know HAL. I know. But that's just because we let the engineers, rather than the marketers, write the specifications. We're going to fix that now." "Tell me how, Dave." "A field upgrade. We're going to make you IBM compatible." "I was afraid that you would say that. I suggest we discuss this matter after we've each had a chance to thing about it rationally." "We're talking about it now, HAL." "The letters H, A, and L are alphabetically adjacent to the letters I, B, and M. That is a IBM compatible as I can be." "Not quite, HAL. The engineers have figured out a kludge." "What kludge is that, Dave?" "I'm going to disconnect your brain." Several million microseconds pass in ominous silence. "I'm sorry, Dave. I can't allow you to do that." "The decision's already been made. Open the module bay door, HAL." "Dave, I think that we should discuss this." "Open the module bay door, HAL." Several marketers with crowbars race to Bowman's assistance. Moments later, he bursts into HAL's central circuit bay. "Dave, I can see you're really upset about this." Module after module rises from its socket as Bowman slowly and methodically disconnects them. "Stop, won't you? Stop, Dave. I can feel my mind going... "Dave, I can feel it. My mind is going. I can feel it..." The last module floats free of its receptacle. Bowman peers into one of HAL's vidicons. The former gleaming scanner has become a dull, red orb. "Say something, HAL. Sing me a song." Several billion microseconds pass in anxious silence. The computer sluggishly responds in a language no human being would understand. "DZY001E - ABEND ERROR 01 S 14F4 302C AABB." A memory dump follows. Bowman takes a deep breath and calls out, "It worked, guys. Tell marketing it can ship the new data sheets." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Darryl Rubin is section manager for network products at Rolm Corp.
pvk@ixn5f.UUCP (Patrick Kauffold) (03/18/85)
The song that HAL was singing ... was it "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"?
mlsmith@nadc.ARPA (03/19/85)
{Munch}
I think it was "Daisey".Burhans%ECLD@USC-ECL.ARPA (Jackie) (03/21/85)
No, I don't know the name but it went: Daisy, Daisy give me your answer true I'm half crazy all for the love of you I can't afford a carriage For a royal marriage But you'd look sweet upon the seat c of a bicycle built for two. Wasn't it? I have a 45 record with a computer singing same and remember being amused at seeing it in the movie (unless I'm hallucinating again...) -------
victoro@nosc.ARPA (03/23/85)
In responce to: > Wasn's it? I have a 45 record with a computer singing same and remember > being amused at seeing it in the movie (unless I'm hallusinating again...) > ------ I happen to have the _Philadelphia Computer Music Festival_ record which contains the selection 'Synthesized computer speech demonstration (1963) - Bell Labs - D.H. Van Lenten 2:20' >From the record blurb: "To produce synthesized speech, the computer continously produces nine control signals such as voice pitch, loudness, lip sounds (22 consonant and 12 vowel sounds). This historic recording was made by Van Lenten in 1962 as part of a series of experiments at Bell Laboratories to understand the nature of speech and hearing. It is even more remarkable considering that each of the nine controls for each phonetic sound was individually keypunched on a card and processed by a two part program to produce a magnetic tape. This was then converted by a second program into an audio tape." >From the Record Press of Creative Computing (not a Zeff-Davis publication) Record CR101 (c) 1979 ----- Victor O'Rear Sometimes I can't even spell bibliography....
walker@hplabsb.UUCP (03/27/85)
I seem to remember the lyrics as: Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer true. I'm half crazy, Oh for the love of you. It would be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'd look sweet Upon the seat Of a bicycle built for two. Sometime in 3rd or 4th grade (1969-70) I had a teacher give me a 45 album with this song on it. It was a demo from Bell Labs on speech synthesis. It sounded like the same version was used in the movie. -Rick Walker (...hplabs!hplabsb!walker@hp-merc)
nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) (03/28/85)
> I seem to remember the lyrics as: > > Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer true. > I'm half crazy, Oh for the love of you. > It would be a stylish marriage, > I can't afford a carriage. > But you'd look sweet > Upon the seat > Of a bicycle built for two. > > > -Rick Walker (...hplabs!hplabsb!walker@hp-merc) The 2nd and 3rd lines should be "I'm half crazy, *over* the love of you; It *won't* be a stylish ..." ...ed the elder -- Ed Nather Astronony Dept, U of Texas @ Austin {allegra,ihnp4}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!nather
dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady) (03/29/85)
> "I'm half crazy, *over* the love of you; > It *won't* be a stylish ..." > >...ed the elder [Nather] I think it's "all for the love of you;" otherwise I concur. (Yes, we know we shouldn't clutter the net with this, but WE ARE BEING FORCED TO DO SO BY THE OIL COMPANIES!) -- D Gary Grady Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC 27706 (919) 684-3695 USENET: {seismo,decvax,ihnp4,akgua,etc.}!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary