Inventors Who Didn't Invent What They Are Famous for Inventing

wsj.com

31 points·fortran77··11 comments

There is also a difference between invention and innovation (including successful commercialization.)

Apple didn't invent GUI-based computers, MP3 players, smartphones, tablet PCs, smartwatches, wireless earphones, or ARM-based laptops. But the Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple watch, AirPods, and M1 MacBook Air were all category-defining products.

Alas, Xerox Parc

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a number of PARC alumni went to Apple and Microsoft.

At a fundamental level, our society works by giving the corporate spokesperson credit for everything thought up or done in their organization. Really, credit for a whole lotta other claims too. CEOs and spokespeople are more brand avatars with megaphones, than actual people dealing in fact. Unfortunately this setup confuses hero worshippers.

I think it’s partly because they are psychopaths (once had a manager that got promoted on my hard work while holding me down) and partly deserving of a little credit for not killing every alternate idea that ran contrary to their own.

Yeah, I don’t like either…

https://archive.ph/MkVCI

WSJ Gift link: https://www.wsj.com/tech/us-famous-inventions-inventors-wron...

didn't work? try this: https://archive.fo/20260412163711/https://www.wsj.com/tech/u...

Personally I think Gauss gets a little more credit than he strictly deserves.

no mention of thomas edison not inventing the lightbulb?

Elon Musk

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