#479 – Dave Plummer: Programming, Autism, and Old-School Microsoft Stories
Lex Fridman Podcast
Aug 29
#479 – Dave Plummer: Programming, Autism, and Old-School Microsoft Stories
#479 – Dave Plummer: Programming, Autism, and Old-School Microsoft Stories
Lex Fridman Podcast
Aug 29
In this episode, Lex Fridman welcomes Dave Plummer, a veteran software engineer and former Microsoft developer known for his contributions to iconic Windows systems like Task Manager and Windows 95. Dave also runs the educational YouTube channel 'Dave's Garage' and has written extensively on autism. The conversation spans his early experiences with computing, his journey into Microsoft, the development of foundational software, and his reflections on programming, debugging, and the future of technology.
Dave Plummer shares his journey from tinkering with early computers like the TRS-80 and Commodore 64 to becoming a key figure at Microsoft. He discusses his unconventional path to the company, including dropping out of high school and eventually developing software that caught Microsoft’s attention. The conversation dives into the technical challenges of MS-DOS, the revolutionary impact of Windows 95, and the creation of the Task Manager. Dave also reflects on debugging, the importance of low-level programming, and shares insights on autism and focus in software development. The discussion concludes with thoughts on the future of programming, AI’s growing role, and the enduring legacy of classic operating systems like Windows XP.
01:16
01:16
Lex highlights the benefits of Uplift Desk for office and podcast studio furniture
12:31
12:31
Wrote a bad clone of Galaga in machine language without an assembler.
23:10
23:10
Received a call from a software retailer wanting to buy 50 copies of software for $20 each
23:36
23:36
Microsoft's dominance attributed to assembling smart people
25:48
25:48
Optimized CD-ROM caching and compression engine to work in high memory, bypassing 640k limit
34:11
34:11
Programmers often think their code won't be seen.
35:46
35:46
An engineer criticized the NT boot experience on an alias and received an epic angry response.
43:05
43:05
The bug in Task Manager showing over 100% CPU usage was traced to a kernel accounting issue.
48:22
48:22
Task Manager was programmed without the C runtime to keep it small and efficient.
55:48
55:48
Listening to product keys over the phone is a mind-numbing job.
1:06:46
1:06:46
The current Windows start menu isn't good for viewing from 20 feet away.
1:08:00
1:08:00
Restarting a computer can fix memory leaks and reset untested software states
1:09:20
1:09:20
Laura Butler impressed the speaker with her debugging skills at Microsoft.
1:22:18
1:22:18
The speaker reflects on past advertising strategies with greater sensitivity as an autistic person.
1:25:10
1:25:10
Windows XP was great for consumers due to its completeness, impact, and longevity.
1:28:59
1:28:59
The speaker rebuilt the BSD kernel to add device support and can run code on it
1:39:48
1:39:48
People with autism may struggle with social norms but are not lacking in empathy.
1:51:57
1:51:57
Zig often wins in the 'github primes' performance comparison
1:53:42
1:53:42
Programmers may shift to describing interactions for AI rather than writing every line of code.
