Editing Gary Kildall (section)

=== Recognition ===
Following the announcement of Kildall's death, Bill Gates commented that he was "one of the original pioneers of the PC revolution" and "a very creative computer scientist who did excellent work. Although we were competitors, I always had tremendous respect for his contributions to the PC industry. His untimely death was very unfortunate and his work will be missed."<ref name="Chronicles_1995" />

[[Stewart Cheifet]], his co-host on ''Computer Chronicles'', said that Kildall was his "favorite guy" and praised his skills and contributions in the development of personal computing. Cheifet also commented: "Gary's problem was that he was too much of a gentleman. He wasn't a killer business kind of guy", adding that he was "a decent man in a business that was hard to succeed in if you were decent."<ref>{{cite web |title=Triangulation 114: Stewart Cheifet |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdtHS_X1ibg |website=YouTube | date=August 7, 2013 |publisher=[[TWiT.tv]]}}</ref>

In March 1995, Kildall was posthumously honored by the [[Software Publishers Association]] (SPA) for his contributions to the microcomputer industry:<ref name="Wharton_1994"/><ref name="SPA_1995"/><ref name="Swaine_1997"/>

* The first [[programming language]] and first [[compiler]] specifically for microprocessors: [[PL/M]]. (1973)
* The first microprocessor disk operating system, which eventually sold a quarter of a million copies: [[CP/M]]. (1974)
* The first successful [[Open system (computing)|open system]] architecture by segregating system-specific hardware interfaces in a set of [[BIOS]] routines.<ref name="Kildall_1975_BDOS"/><ref name="Kildall_1980_CPM"/><ref name="Fischer_2001_Ewing"/><ref name="Fraley_2007_Killian"/> (1975)
* Creation of the first diskette track buffering schemes, [[Disk buffer#READ-AHEAD|read-ahead]] algorithms, file directory caches, and [[RAM drive]] emulators.
* Introduction of operating systems with [[Preemption (computing)#PREEMPTIVE|preemptive multitasking]] and windowing capabilities and menu-driven user interfaces (with Digital Research): [[MP/M]], [[Concurrent CP/M]], [[Concurrent DOS]], [[DOS Plus]], [[Graphics Environment Manager|GEM]].
* Introduction of a [[binary recompiler]]: [[XLT86]]. (1981)<ref name="XLT86_1981"/>
* The first computer interface for video disks to allow automatic [[Non-linear editing system|nonlinear playback]], presaging today's interactive multimedia. (1984, with Activenture)
* The file system and data structures for the first consumer [[CD-ROM]]. (1985, with KnowledgeSet)

In April 2014, the city of [[Pacific Grove, California|Pacific Grove]] installed a commemorative plaque outside Kildall's former residence, which also served as the early headquarters of Digital Research.<ref name="Sammon_2014"/>