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Seymour Cray Quotes

Powerful Seymour Cray for Daily Growth

About Seymour Cray

Seymour Cray (June 28, 1925 – October 5, 1993), an American computer engineer and entrepreneur, was a pioneer in high-performance computing, often referred to as the 'father of supercomputing.' Born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Cray developed an early interest in electronics. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II, where he worked on cryptography machines. In 1950, Cray began working for Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation (EMCC), later part of Remington Rand and Sperry Univac. There, he collaborated on the UNIVAC I, one of the first commercially successful computers. In 1957, discontented with corporate limitations on innovation, Cray founded his own company, Control Data Corporation (CDC). Under his leadership, CDC developed some of the fastest and most powerful supercomputers of their time. His most famous creation, the CDC 6600 (1964), was a breakthrough in computer architecture due to its vector processing capabilities, which greatly improved computational speed for complex scientific calculations. In the following years, he designed several other groundbreaking systems like the CDC 7600, CDC Star-100, and Cray-1. In 1980, Cray left CDC to form his second company, Cray Research Inc., where he developed the Cray X-MP, a widely adopted supercomputer in academic, government, and industrial research environments. He continued to innovate, introducing the Cray Y-MP, one of the first massively parallel supercomputers. Cray's influence on high-performance computing is immeasurable, inspiring countless engineers and scientists with his relentless pursuit of speed and efficiency. His inventions have left a lasting impact on fields as diverse as meteorology, climate modeling, nuclear physics, and computational biology.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I believe engineering is an art, and like any art, if you do it right, it's an expression of your soul."

This quote suggests that engineering, similar to other forms of artistic expression, embodies the essence of its creator. To Seymour Cray, engineering was not just about creating functional solutions, but rather a means to express one's creativity, ingenuity, and unique perspective. Just as an artist paints a picture or writes a song, engineers design and innovate technology that reflects their soul - their passion, intelligence, and personal touch. This quote encourages us to view engineering not just as a technical profession, but also as a medium for individual expression and human connection.

"Performance is everything. Anything else in a supercomputer is just details."

This quote by Seymour Cray emphasizes the importance of a supercomputer's performance over any other aspect. In simpler terms, it suggests that the primary goal of creating a supercomputer is to maximize its computational power or speed, as this directly impacts its ability to perform complex calculations and analyze vast amounts of data efficiently. Other features such as size, cost, energy consumption, or even aesthetics are merely details compared to the performance, which sets the foundation for the overall effectiveness of a supercomputer.

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." (In response to a question about the weight of a computer that could fit on a desktop)

This quote by Seymour Cray, a pioneering supercomputer designer, humorously suggests that even in the future, computers may still be heavy compared to our modern expectations. Despite advancements in miniaturization and lightweight technology, the term "desktop" in 1972 (when he made this statement) likely referred to large work surfaces, indicating a computer that weighed significantly more than the average personal computer today.

"If it's not fun to do, if you don't absolutely love it, then I don't want to do it."

This quote by Seymour Cray emphasizes the importance of passion and enjoyment in one's work. He suggests that if an activity is not enjoyable or does not bring personal satisfaction (as indicated by "if you don't absolutely love it"), then it is not worth pursuing. This perspective underscores the value of finding purpose and pleasure in what we do, as it can lead to greater motivation, success, and overall fulfillment in life.

"Software should be user-friendly. It should not attack the user or attempt to subvert the operating system."

Seymour Cray's quote underscores the importance of software being designed with the end-user in mind, promoting an intuitive and hassle-free experience. In essence, it means that software should assist users rather than causing frustration or harm to them, and it should respect system boundaries, avoiding any attempts to undermine the operating system's integrity.

If you were plowing a field, which would you rather use? Two strong oxen or 1024 chickens?

- Seymour Cray

Strong, Rather, Which, Plowing

The trouble with programmers is that you can never tell what a programmer is doing until it's too late.

- Seymour Cray

Doing, Never, Too Late, Programmers

I just bought a Mac to help me design the next Cray.

- Seymour Cray

Computers, Help, Next, Mac

Parity is for farmers.

- Seymour Cray

Farmers, Parity

Anyone can build a fast CPU. The trick is to build a fast system.

- Seymour Cray

Fast, Build, System, Trick

As long as we can make them smaller, we can make them faster.

- Seymour Cray

Them, Smaller, Make, Faster

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