In The News

Inventor of modern laptop computer Bill Moggridge passes away

Inventor of modern laptop computer Bill Moggridge passes away

THE death has taken place of Bill Moggridge who is credited with inventing the modern laptop computer. He was 69.

Mr. Moggridge had been born in Britain but had lived and worked for many years in the United States.

He was an industrial designer whose work had an impact across the world.

It was his design for the Grid Compass, which enclosed a computer and screen within a case which opened up in the way that any user of the modern laptop will instantly recognise.

Until Mr. Moggridge came up with his design, computers were much larger and far from being regarded as portable.

The Grid Compass featured an Intel 8086 processor with 340kb of memory and cost around $8,000 (£5,000). The computer was immediately taken up by the U.S. military and also found favour with NASA who used it on board the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985.

Nearly every laptop since has used some element of the original design unveiled by Mr. Moggridge.

He went on to co-found the design consultancy firm Ideo in 1991 and in recent times had been director of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York.

Over the years he had held a number of prestigious posts in academia, including as visiting professor in interaction design at London’s Royal College of Art and associate professor in design at Stanford University. He also published a number of books on design.

Mr. Moggridge was awarded the Prince Philip Designer’s Prize in 2010 and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award the previous year at the National Design Awards.

He passed away in San Francisco after being ill with cancer.

To view an interview in which Bill Moggridge discusses his life, click here.

 

View previous In the News items: Wildlife expert Terry Nutkins passes away, Singer songwriter Joe South passes away, Funeral of motorcycle road racer takes place, Oscar nominated actor Michael Clarke Duncan passes away, Oscar nominated actor Michael Clarke Duncan passes away, Comedian and entertainer Max Bygraves passes away, Former junior minister Sir Rhodes Boyson passes away, Former Royal Navy frogman Sydney Knowles passes away, First man on the moon Neil Armstrong passes away, Character actor william Windom passes away, Amy Winehouse Foundation supports hospice in Dublin, Author Nina Bawden passes away, Comedian Phyllis Diller passes away, Tributes are paid to singer songwriter Scott McKenzie, Tragic mother Winnie Johnson passes away, Science fiction writer Harry Harrison passes away, Disability rights pioneer Lord Morris passes away, Darts broadcaster Sid Waddell passes away, Special effects expert Carlo Rambaldi passes away, Astronomer Sir Bernard Lovell passes away, Art critic and writer Robert Hughes passes away, Famous violinist Ruggiero Ricci passes away, Vital equipment is donated in memory of Joby Murphy, Remains of Ned Kelly to be handed over, Irish author Maeve Binchy passes away, TV great Geoffrey Hughes passes away, Antiques expert David Barby passes away, Actress Mary Tamm passes away, First US woman in space passes away, Tributes are paid to actor Simon Ward, Former News at Ten presenter passes away, Bollywood superstar Rejesh Khanna passes awayCountry music legend Kitty Wells passes awayTributes are paid to film producer Richard ZanuckFormer jazz singer Maria Cole passes awayAndy Griffith of Matlock fame passes awayOscar winning actor Ernest Borgnine passes awayActor James Grout passes awayComic genius Eric Sykes passes awayCar designer Sergio Pininfarina passes awayFuneral takes place of the journalist Eugene MoloneyFuneral takes place of former footballer Alan McDonald, Composer and lyricist Richard Adler passes away, Actress Caroline John passes away, Tributes are paid to comic actor Victor Spinetti, Tributes are paid to former director of public prosecutions, Commander of the Canberra during Falklands War passes away, First woman to win Nobel prize in economics passes away, Actress Ann Rutherford passes away, Former Olympic boxing champion Teofilo Stevenson passes away or Electronics pioneer Arthur P. Stern passes away

 

If you have a relative or a friend who has passed away and feel they should be mentioned in our In the News section, then please email us.