Conversation

@kenshirriff

I was buying computers for the video game developer I worked at. One department used 3D Studio, and we saw the effects of the Pentium defect clearly on the screen.

At first Intel downplayed the problem, saying nobody would be affected. Then they said they'd replace CPUs only for affected customers. Ultimately, everyone could get a replacement.

Fortunately, we were in Austin and I had been buying from Dell, which dispatched someone to our session office to replace our Pentiums.

Years later, I had interviewed a job candidate who had been at Intel when the problem occurred. He described that someone simply made a mistake, but the person assigned to check their work neglected to do the job, and the manager above neglected to make sure it was done. Apparently the person who made the honest mistake was spared, but the checker and a line of managers to nearly the top were all fired for dereliction of duty.