Cary Lu
Encyclopedia
Cary Lu was a writer specialising on the Apple Macintosh platform.
, China
, Lu arrived in the United States
at the age of three, and grew up in California
. He studied physics
at University of California, Berkeley
, and eventually earned a Ph.D.
in biology
from the California Institute of Technology
.
for several years on projects for NBC
and CBS
News, developed short films for Sesame Street
and other children's programs on the PBS
and was the science and technology editor for the Children's Television Workshop.
He was part of the group that started Nova
for PBS and worked on science and technology education projects for the governments of Australia
, Kenya
, and Algeria
.
Possibly one of his most well-known works is The Apple Macintosh Book, the first edition of which was released almost simultaneously with the Macintosh 128K
in 1984. The second edition covered the Macintosh 512K
, while the third edition covered six Macintosh models in all. The fourth edition of the book (published in 1992) covered 21 models (including discontinued models, such as the Macintosh 128K
), and even included mentions of the Macintosh Classic
series, the Macintosh Quadra
series, the PowerBook
s, and System 7 (Macintosh)
.
Lu was founding managing editor of High Technology, technology editor for Inc. and a columnist on future technology for Inc. Technology. He wrote columns and articles for Macworld
magazine and other computer and technology publications.
His final book, The Race for Bandwidth: Understanding Data Transmission, was finished by friends, the technology writers Adam C. Engst
and Stephen Manes
, and published posthumously.
s and Matthew Lyons famous book about the history of the Internet (Where Wizards stay up late, 1996) was solely dedicated to J. C. R. Licklider
, the 2003 edition was dedicated to Cary Lu as well, who had died in 1997.
Early life
Born in QingdaoQingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Lu arrived in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the age of three, and grew up in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He studied physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, and eventually earned a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
from the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
.
Television career
Lu worked in televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
for several years on projects for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
News, developed short films for Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
and other children's programs on the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
and was the science and technology editor for the Children's Television Workshop.
He was part of the group that started Nova
NOVA (TV series)
Nova is a popular science television series from the U.S. produced by WGBH Boston. It can be seen on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, and in more than 100 other countries...
for PBS and worked on science and technology education projects for the governments of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, and Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
.
Writing career
Lu was a best-selling author of Macintosh books.Possibly one of his most well-known works is The Apple Macintosh Book, the first edition of which was released almost simultaneously with the Macintosh 128K
Macintosh 128K
The Macintosh 128K machine, released as the "Apple Macintosh", was the original Apple Macintosh personal computer. Its beige case contained a monitor and came with a keyboard and mouse. An indentation in the top of the case made it easier for the computer to be lifted and carried. It had a selling...
in 1984. The second edition covered the Macintosh 512K
Macintosh 512K
The Macintosh 512K Personal Computer, also known as the "Fat Mac", is the second of a long line of Apple Macintosh computers, was the first update to the original Macintosh 128K. It was virtually identical to the previous Mac, differing primarily in the amount of built-in memory , which quadrupled...
, while the third edition covered six Macintosh models in all. The fourth edition of the book (published in 1992) covered 21 models (including discontinued models, such as the Macintosh 128K
Macintosh 128K
The Macintosh 128K machine, released as the "Apple Macintosh", was the original Apple Macintosh personal computer. Its beige case contained a monitor and came with a keyboard and mouse. An indentation in the top of the case made it easier for the computer to be lifted and carried. It had a selling...
), and even included mentions of the Macintosh Classic
Macintosh Classic
The Macintosh Classic was a personal computer manufactured by Apple Computer. Introduced on October 15, 1990, it was the first Apple Macintosh to sell for less than US$1,000. Production of the Classic was prompted by the success of the Macintosh Plus and the SE...
series, the Macintosh Quadra
Macintosh Quadra
The Macintosh Quadra series was Apple Computer's product family of professional high-end Apple Macintosh personal computers built using the Motorola 68040 CPU. The first two models in the Quadra line were introduced in 1991, and the name was used until the Power Mac was introduced in 1994...
series, the PowerBook
PowerBook
The PowerBook was a line of Macintosh laptop computers that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1991 to 2006. During its lifetime, the PowerBook went through several major revisions and redesigns, often being the first to incorporate features that would later become...
s, and System 7 (Macintosh)
System 7 (Macintosh)
System 7 is a single-user graphical user interface-based operating system for Macintosh computers. It was introduced on May 13, 1991 by Apple Computer. It succeeded System 6, and was the main Macintosh operating system until it was succeeded by Mac OS 8 in 1997...
.
Lu was founding managing editor of High Technology, technology editor for Inc. and a columnist on future technology for Inc. Technology. He wrote columns and articles for Macworld
Macworld
Macworld is a web site and monthly computer magazine dedicated to Apple Macintosh products. It is published by Mac Publishing, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California...
magazine and other computer and technology publications.
His final book, The Race for Bandwidth: Understanding Data Transmission, was finished by friends, the technology writers Adam C. Engst
Adam C. Engst
Adam C. Engst is a technology writer and publisher who resides in Ithaca, New York, United States where he was born and went to college at Cornell University....
and Stephen Manes
Stephen Manes
Stephen Manes is the author of the 2011 nonfiction book Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear: Inside the Land of Ballet. Its subject, the workings of a ballet company, marked a significant departure for an author best known for his journalism on technology and his books for children.Manes wrote the...
, and published posthumously.
Miscellaneous
While the first edition of Katie HafnerKatie Hafner
Katie Hafner is a journalist who writes books and articles about technology and society. She was a technology reporter at The New York Times and was a contributing editor for Newsweek...
s and Matthew Lyons famous book about the history of the Internet (Where Wizards stay up late, 1996) was solely dedicated to J. C. R. Licklider
J. C. R. Licklider
Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider , known simply as J.C.R. or "Lick" was an American computer scientist, considered one of the most important figures in computer science and general computing history...
, the 2003 edition was dedicated to Cary Lu as well, who had died in 1997.
External links
- An Obituary for Cary Lu from TidBITSTidBITSTidBITS is an influential electronic newsletter and web site dealing primarily with Apple Computer and Macintosh-related topics.-Internet publication:...