Mers Kutt – Wikipedia

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Canadian mathematician

Merslau “Mers” Kutt CM (born 1933)[1] is a Canadian inventor, businessman and educator. He is a former professor of mathematics at Queen’s University. Through his company, Micro Computer Machines, he is the developer of the world’s first keyboard-based portable microcomputer.[2][3][4][5]

Early life[edit]

Kutt was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.[6] He graduated in 1956 from the University of Toronto with a degree in mathematics and physics.

After employment in industry at Phillips, IBM and Honeywell,[7] Kutt worked as a professor of mathematics at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario during the 1960s. He served as president of the Canadian Information Processing Society,[8] and was director of the University’s computing centre. In 1968, after observing the punched card-based input systems in use there at the time to program its mainframe, he partnered with Donald Pamenter to start a company, Consolidated Computer Inc.,[9] and produced “Key-Edit”, a terminal with a one-line of display, which both streamlined and reduced the cost of the process.[10] This product was the first of its kind,[11] and was sold and used in many countries during the next few years[12] distributed by International Computers Limited and Fujitsu.

By 1971, Kutt been forced out of Consolidated’s management,[7][13] and he formed two more companies, Micro Computer Machines and Kutt Systems Inc. As president of these companies he directed the design and manufacture in 1973 of the MCM/70,[14] the world’s first complete microprocessor-based, portable personal computer. The device, based on the Intel 8008 processor, was used to edit and execute programs using the APL programming language.[15]

The MCM/70 technical specifications were overtaken by products from companies with larger development and marketing budgets, and by 1982 the product was no longer in production.

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In 1976 Kutt started up another Toronto company, All Computers Inc., which developed improvements to several Intel processors.[11] By 2004, Kutt was the company’s only employee; that year he sued Intel, alleging that his patented circuitry had been included in Pentium processors.[16][11] The suit was dismissed in 2005.[7]

In 2006, Kutt was inducted into the Order of Canada.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jon Peddie (13 June 2013). The History of Visual Magic in Computers: How Beautiful Images are Made in CAD, 3D, VR and AR. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 178–. ISBN 978-1-4471-4932-3.
  2. ^ Caroline Alphonso, “Canadian hailed as father of PC”, Globe and Mail, 20 September 2003
  3. ^ Bernadette Hlubik Schell (2007). The Internet and Society: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. pp. 145–. ISBN 978-1-59884-031-5.
  4. ^ John Craig (13 October 1980). “Viewpoint”. InfoWorld. InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.: 9–. ISSN 0199-6649.
  5. ^ Thomas J. Holt; Bernadette H. Schell (19 July 2013). Hackers and Hacking: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. pp. 318–. ISBN 978-1-61069-277-9.
  6. ^ “INNOVATION NATION”. Steve Brearton, Globe and Mail, Aug. 26, 2005
  7. ^ a b c “Judge dismisses Canadian IT pioneer’s Intel patent suit”. IT Business, Dave Webb, March 16th, 2005
  8. ^ a b “Governor General to invest 33 recipients into the Order of Canada”. Government of Canada, 2006.
  9. ^ Executive. Vol. 19. Southam Business Publications. 1977. p. 38.
  10. ^ Zbigniew Stachniak (2011). Inventing the PC: The MCM/70 Story. McGill-Queen’s Press – MQUP. pp. 74–. ISBN 978-0-7735-8146-3.
  11. ^ a b c “Mers Kutt, President, All Computers Inc.”. Computer Dealer News, Dave Webb, December 16th, 2004
  12. ^ Alexander Ross (1975). The risk takers. MacLean-Hunter. p. 20.
  13. ^ Executive. Vol. 15. Southam Business Publications. 1973. p. 28.
  14. ^ Electronics. Vol. 46. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. October 1973. p. 52.
  15. ^ “Pc Pioneer Plans Another Try”. Sun Sentinel, October 6, 2003|CHRISTINE WINTER
  16. ^ “Computer pioneer launches patent suit against Intel”. CRN, May 24, 2004.



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