Robert X. Cringely
Robert X. Cringely is a computer journalist and broadcaster. His writing has appeared in several publications including The New York Times, Newsweek, Forbes, Upside, Success, and Worth. For 8 years (1987 to 1995), he wrote a column, Notes From the Field, for InfoWorld, a weekly computer trade newspaper published by IDG.
His book, 1992, is an entertaining look at the history of Silicon Valley. A documentary based on the book, called Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires was produced by PBS in 1996, with Cringely as the presenter.
He writes a popular column on the Internet called I, Cringely: The Pulpit for PBS.
Trivia
- Claims to have been employee number 12 at Apple Computers; and to have been hired and fired three times, each time by Steve Jobs.
- Real name is Mark Stephens, his pen name is from his InfoWorld column. When one of their columnists, John Dvorak, left they decided to use a pseudonym in future. When he left IDG sued him for trademark infringement to prevent him using the name, they settled out of court, IDG paid Cringely's legal costs, and he is allowed to use the name professionally, but not in computer publications. They continue to print a column written by somebody else using the name.
- Included his home phone number on page 24 of Accidental Empires.
