3/15/2010 Update: Woah, is this stuff ever even more old! I went through and updated the PARC map service links with Google maps links. I've been meaning to do that for awhile, but I did it specifically to show to Google an example of the types of things I would do with a Google Fiber link. I have a lot of pictures and coordinates from over the years and would love to use these pictures and information to seed a nice wiki type operation. But, alas, I'm limited to a total data transfer of 32GB/month (and most of that is Linux distros!) on my $100/mo wireless IP provider plan, so I can't support this site if it actually became popular.
If Google actually reads this I promise I will expand this site (and even include Google on it in the next revision!) if our town (Cupertino, CA) gets a Google fiber setup!
Besides, Google, wouldn't you like to poke Apple a bit? It's their town and all our scools are filled with Apple equipment. Wouldn't it be cool to have our scools on Google fiber? Plus we have the worst phone lines in the world. Phone company quoted me $75/mo for a lousy 368k connection (with a static IP). But the point is they could NOT go faster than that in our area. Pathetic.
Anyway, to quote Kent Brockman, "And I, for one, welcome our new Google overlords!"
One more update:
Sony is gone. The huge Western headquarters site sits empty and Sony broke up operations to a few smaller sites, one is on First st. in San Jose.
2/10/2005 Update: Woah, is this stuff ever old! Most of these places don't exist anymore. I've been intending to drive around and make a new page but haven't had the time. I think I did this back in 1995 when I got my first Pyxis GPS unit from Sony. I wish I'd dated this.
Anyway, here's some updates of which I know:
Apple is sill there
The office complex where Fairchild was is still there. I later found
the main Fairchild fabrication site on Fairchild Ave in Mountian View and
took some photos of it. It was a superfund site and was torn down (cleaned
up, presumably) and a big Nokia site was built on top of it.
The Sunnyvale Fry's at Kern is closed. The building still stands as is,
however. A couple blocks up the street is a new Fry's at Arques, and they
have since expanded all over the country, too.
The HP garage is still there as is.
The HP headquarters are still there, although they changed the sign.
(Or, if you want to think of HP as a spin off from Agilent as I do, then
the Agilent HQ are farther down the street rebuilt over the site of one
of the original HP buildings)
PARC is still there as is.
National Semi is still there as is.
Netscape is not there. Some people wrote in later and complained that what
I had the photo of was NOT the main building which had this huge, impressive
granite Netscape logo fountain out front. It was up the street and I maintain
that at the time I took the photo, that was all there was.
Sony is still there, but instead of being surrounded by the Agnews developmental
center and farmland, it is pretty much surrounded by Cisco. I could devote
several pages to all the Cisco buildings out there by Alviso/Milpitas/SanJose.
Silicon Graphics is still around but that site is not theirs, anymore.
It is now a computer museum site! Same building.
SLAC is still there, pretty unchanged.
Stanford is still there, pretty changed but not in the area of the quad
which is in the photo.
Weird Stuff actually reopened off Carribbean drive in Sunnyvale.
Back to the original page until I have some time to actually make a new nerd tour!
Well, the thought struck me, "What could possibly be nerdier than
having the GPS locations for a lot of silicon valley locations available
on a single web page?"
[Answer to rhetorical question: "They guy who actually digitizes the
locations with his GPS." (Uhhh, I swear I don't know him)]
So, here they are. My goal is to provide the GPS location, street address,
web link, map link and photo of each place. Of course, this is highly contingent
on my driving around and taking pictures and GPS readings of all the nerdy
places I can think of. This is undoubtedly an ongoing effort.
(Note: I've taken pictures of these places, I'm waiting for the film to
be developed)
If you have suggestions for Silicon Valley Nerd sites (and anything
that could help me, like the street address or photo or heck, even the
GPS location) please send the information to me (pietro[atsign]videoi.com (@ omitted to reduce spam). Use @ instead of [atsign] of course)
and I'll add it to this page!
Also, I would love to expand to other regions, but of course that is contingent
on either my traveling or you sending me some sites from out of the area!
Disclaimer: The GPS locations come from a civilian GPS system.
As such, it can be off by as much as 300 feet due to DOD Selective Availability.
Do NOT use this position information for weapons targeting purposes!! However,
you should be able to key in the locations into any GPS system and use
the navigation feature to guide you to these sites.
Also, please note that I could not actually stand at the center of these
sites and take a GPS reading. Most of the readings are taken near the entrances
so the points may not reflect the location of the actual buildings but
rather where the photo was taken from and where you're likely to be to
see the place.
Silicon Valley Nerd Tour Sites (Alphabetical Listing):
