Honghong Tinn, "Island Tinkerers: Innovation and Transformation in the Making of Taiwan's Computing Industry" (MIT Press, 2024)

This podcast features an interview with Dr. Honghong Tinn, author of "Island Tinkers: Innovation and Transformation in the Making of Taiwan's Computing Industry." The discussion explores Taiwan's rise in high-tech manufacturing, focusing on the role of hobbyists, engineers, and entrepreneurs who creatively adapted imported technology. Tinn details how Jiao Tong University became central to Taiwan's computing history through a UN technical aid program that provided early access to IBM computers. The conversation further examines the experiences of Taiwanese college students building minicomputers, the crucial but often overlooked contributions of women factory workers, and the strategies of pioneers like Stan Shih of Acer and Morris Chang of TSMC.