About the Wizard

Doug Fetter began his computer career at Unisys (formerly Sperry Univac) following graduation with a B.S., Electrical Engineering degree from Lehigh University with a 3.2/4.0 GPA. A hardware designer of peripheral controllers for mainframe computers, he would often be found writing programs to run tests on his designs, while in the evenings he was getting his M.E., Engineering Sciences from Penn State University, graduating with a 4.0/4.0 GPA.

When microprocessors became widely available, they found their way into his designs, allowing more complex functionality as well as an outlet for his keen interest in programming. In a short time he was managing a team of hardware and software engineers while actively participating in the designs himself. Eventually, a personal computer made its way onto his desk, providing one more outlet for writing software.

Doug was soon experimenting with hardware and software that attached synthesizers to his PC, allowing him to combine programming with another of his interests, music. When multimedia capabilities were being added to the Microsoft Windows operating system, he switched careers from mainframe computer design to software development of DOS and Windows drivers for PC multimedia components. His understanding, gained from his earlier mainframe days, of writing software for the "real time" control of hardware, made writing drivers a natural step. Working at this time for a small silicon design company, he also had the opportunity to develop real time operating system firmware for products utilizing embedded microprocessors.

Wanting to write software and firmware for a wider variety of hardware than any one company could contain in its product line, Doug finally made the step to becoming an independent consultant. This allows him to program for an assortment of different products, each newer than the last, on the latest operating system platforms, and for a varied list of clients.