Stewart Cheifet from the Computer Chronicls, Obituary December 28, 2025
Posted by 8bitaficionado@reddit | vintagecomputing | View on Reddit | 111 comments
Posted by 8bitaficionado@reddit | vintagecomputing | View on Reddit | 111 comments
TheFowlOwl@reddit
Oh man, this sucks. I was just thinking the other day after LGR released his latest CC episode that he should try and get an interview with Stewart.
SoyuzItsMe82@reddit
Fat32!!! If you want to have a real laugh you should check out the watchalongs/reviews Francis Higgins does with Computer Chronicles/NetCafe episodes. He's created a little universe/lore with them
QPC414@reddit
I was SO hoping he would. :-(
antdude@reddit
https://www.youtube.com/@MattBarton mentioned him. He even interviewed over a decade ago with a three part videos interview.
Lionheart_Lives@reddit
Did you ever see him interview Jack Tramiel? Fun stuff!
antdude@reddit
Nope. Link please.
DrummerNegative@reddit
Sharing another link for the sake of posterity.
https://archive.org/details/LowEndCo1985
Lionheart_Lives@reddit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z564tlQA6ns&pp=ygUfY29tcHV0ZXIgY3Job25jaWxlcyBqYWNrIHRhbWllbA%3D%3D
antdude@reddit
Oh, I remember this one back then. Yeah. :)
Lionheart_Lives@reddit
Jack: We make da cumpyutahs for da masses not da classes
44problems@reddit
Leo Laporte did over a decade ago, I remember enjoying the interview. Triangulation interview
SurveySean@reddit
Leo Laporte is the closest thing we had/have to Stuart (I think his show is still on?) I watched that interview and thoroughly enjoyed it. Stuart didn't look much different than he did back in the day. He was so perfectly placed to document the rise of personal computing. My computer teacher in high school would have us watch Computer Chronicles. The show, the music, it all takes me back. I was amazed the show only stopped around 2002, sad too, because I would have still watched it had I known. RIP Stuart!
rm_-rf_allthethings@reddit
Leo has a few different podcast on twit.tv. I follow his weekly secuirtynow podcast with Steve Gibson. I would be surprised if Stuart's passing isn't mentioned. Also, Steve and Leo feel like a genuine link back to those early days of computing that are getting harder to come by these days.
RIP Stuart
SurveySean@reddit
Yes, I’ve always felt that way about Leo. Still so sad about Stuart’s passing. What a seat he had, and his original co-presenter. Just even more amazing than I ever knew.
ILikeBumblebees@reddit
Matt Barton interviewed him around the same timeframe:
antdude@reddit
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBORqsMkFpY
tetatdo@reddit
I was just thinking about him a few days ago right around Christmas. I googled him and the stupid AI answer thing said he died on December 13th and I got super sad. Then I looked around and it sounded like he was still alive and now here we are.
RIP to a visionary. Computer Chronicles is one of a kind and truly captures the magic of the emergence of personal computers in a way that nothing else does.
SoyuzItsMe82@reddit
Francis Higgins will be utterly heartbroken 💔
wdatkinson@reddit
Maybe he and Gary can hook up for one more episode. I'd watch.
chicken101@reddit
The episode of computer chronicles they did to honor Gary was very touching.
q120@reddit
It’s honestly a damned shame how unknown Gary is. He contributed an absolutely huge amount to the early computer industry and his name is much less known than Gates and Jobs. I think he should be more well known.
Lionheart_Lives@reddit
Well said. He left us young and in a bad way too.
KevInChester@reddit
Totally agree.
44problems@reddit
With some nervous guy showing off the largest laptop you can imagine.
Lionheart_Lives@reddit
I loved how sometimes, Stewart would come across as rude to his guests. Just what made him lovable.
Plastic-Lemon2754@reddit
I like to think in alternative universe, Digital Research's CP/M became the predominant OS and Microsoft disappeared in the 1980s.
wdatkinson@reddit
I was literally just telling my wife but for a missed meeting the entire landscape of at least desktop and likely server OS would be totally different.
Pip would have been more than some English chap on Southpark or in David Copperfield.
atomicham@reddit
Stewart and Gary are now showing other souls the latest from Brother printers.
ecoeccentric@reddit
Brother still made laser printers with Centronics parallel ports until literally just a few years ago. Stopped around 2020, IIRC. You can probably still find them NOS.
This-Requirement6918@reddit
"Well if you're considering buying a new PC you may be wondering how the new Pentiums perform with multimedia and CD-ROMs"
Plastic-Lemon2754@reddit
Let's see the latest games from Electronic Arts. They really do make some entertaining games.
ryannelsn@reddit
I love that I can hear that in his voice
I_Eat_Graphite@reddit
I came here because I only just learned of his passing yesterday from the news that a bunch of the CC material was donated to the internet archive shortly before he died
Rest in peace you legend of tech coverage
Remote_Mud3798@reddit
He lived a great and full life. I loved that show growing up. I literally just found out today. :( RIP
centosdude@reddit
Rest in Peace Mr. Cheifet. I always enjoyed your show so much growing up.
Kiwi_eng@reddit
I always watched CC on PBS, every Saturday morning if I recall. The electronic theme music was annoying as were the anti-piracy ads but I always enjoyed Stewart's no-nonsense line of questioning. Also how funny it was to see what the guests did in the background after their sales pitch was completed and Stewart moved on quickly to the next one. A normal person would be off like a rocket but it seems they had to hang around and pretend they had work to do! Fascinating times...
kilkenny99@reddit
ArsTechnica did a write-up for him:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/01/stewart-cheifet-pbs-host-who-chronicled-the-pc-revolution-dies-at-87/
candiedbug@reddit
Just today YouTube recommended a CC video and I got curious to see how Stewart was doing these days. I felt gut punched when I read he had died only a few days ago. Computer Chronicles was such a large part of my childhood and teen years.
RIP. Mr. Cheifet. Thank you for so many years of amazing content.
QPC414@reddit
Only 530 upvotes and 93 comments. This man deserves much more recognition.
antdude@reddit
Spread the words!
Lionheart_Lives@reddit
Aww man. Rest in peace to a legend and probably a very nice fella. I have fond memories of watching him and Gary Kildall (also RIP) on the Computer Chronicles. He was so influential and ahead of the game.
bladerunnercyber@reddit
Thats such a shame, loved his show.
samalex01@reddit
I read about this yesterday :( I bet he and Gary are having a grand time up there!
thatvhstapeguy@reddit
RIP. It is a shame we don't have the same kind of tech journalism anymore.
barce@reddit
I've tried as a producer of tech journalism. It's a good thing / bad thing: there are just so many creators & journalists that you can't create a monolithic audience like Stewart had. That said, it's out there if you dig enough. And if not, anybody with a phone & a good bluetooth mic with a muffler can create the same thing for pennies instead of the 10s of thousands that went into the Computer Chronicles.
BennyTroves@reddit
I love watching the old episodes on YouTube. Stewart was a champ. RIP
oulu2006@reddit
Same love this coverage and seeing how far we're come.
Cferra@reddit
Oh man….
tekfx19@reddit
This man is a legend. I found myself stuck binge watching episode after episode that same night. I didn’t know he passed. RIP Legend.
coogie@reddit
Truly sad. Computer Chronicles was a big part of my weekend TV viewing growing up.
diychitect@reddit
I loved this show. I discovered it last year and just binge on it. In it I could reminisce of my first computing experiences as a kid. I’ll forever yearn for that era, of my childhood.
titanunveiled@reddit
I loved watching computer chronicles on Sunday nights on pbs :( He was a large part of my successful career in it
antdude@reddit
I think my local PBS aired it on Fridays.
rick420buzz@reddit
My local PBS played it on Saturday afternoons, usually paired up with "New Tech Times" hosted by Mort Crim.
BobBelcher2021@reddit
The PBS station I got never even had it. But then again it also didn’t carry NOVA at one point either.
I discovered the show on YouTube about 12 years ago.
antdude@reddit
Wow. Which station was this?
BobBelcher2021@reddit
WQLN in Erie, PA
carfo@reddit
RIP to him and Gary--LEGENDS!!
drhoads@reddit
So long Stewart. Thanks for the memories!
Flygsand@reddit
Computer Chronicles no doubt inspired many to join the IT field and continues to be enjoyed by so many more. Rest in peace, Stewart.
AssholeinSpanish@reddit
Cheifet’s death truly marks the end — in my mind, at least — of the techno-optimism of the 80s and 90s. The culture he showcased is gone and we’re all worse off for it.
luis-mercado@reddit
And this is how I find out. The most important educator of early computing. May he rest in peace
This-Requirement6918@reddit
I'll never forget those two hippies from San Francisco on the show showing a new Mac off that were so obviously stoned out of their mind.
Or Jan and her satisfying lisp!
fissionpowered@reddit
Dude. I could sit there and listen to that version of Susan Kare for hours.
The vision she presented was also so visionary. Looking back 40 years on, it's one of the few episodes that really nailed the requirements of the future of personal computing.
Equally interesting is when the techy male Apple rep would try to but in to discuss features and speed and whatnot. At least Stewart did a pretty good job of letting her just be her.
oulu2006@reddit
Loved this guy and love watching YT re-runs of CC in the background
lutello@reddit
Wow, I was JUST watching that show a few hours ago and wondering how he is. I wonder if my non-nerd brother remember us watching the Computer Bowl when he was a kid. I was suprised how much he got into it.
MeAnMyMitsi@reddit
One the most interesting dudes ever and his show literally influenced my life long passion around the field of personal computing and other related tech. He was always right on point with his questions and analysis as he interviewed his guests and demonstrated the products being tested. He could appeal to the layperson and the experts just the same. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would agree that his content would come to influence a whole generation of tech enthusiasts. Stewart will be held up as one of the great influencers of innovation and for that, I take off my hat to him. REST IN PEACE ALWAYS BUDDY.. 😔
hugh_jorgyn@reddit
This made me so sad. I looked him up just a couple weeks ago to check if he had appeared in any YT interview recently. I was so happy to learn he was still alive, and now… I watched so many episodes of his show. I really love how thorough and well informed they were. RIP, king!
FYou-Tucsonmods-7656@reddit
RIP. Loved Computer Chronicles. The Golden Age for computer lovers.
BobBelcher2021@reddit
What a career he had. I’ve watched many, though not all of the Computer Chronicles episodes on YouTube. It’s amazing seeing him, Gary Kildall and George Morrow talking about computers and the future of computing in the 1980s, there’s even a 1985 episode about AI, it’s almost trippy hearing them talking about AI 40 years ago.
OptimusPrimalufugus@reddit
RIP Stewart
ksuwildkat@reddit
Oh damn I just watched LGRs Christmas 87 video with him in it.
:(
micjosisa@reddit
Wow. What a legend. So many Computer Chronicles episodes will live vividly in my head for eternity. RIP Stewart.
2HDFloppyDisk@reddit
Never knew that. Pretty cool.
BobBelcher2021@reddit
In fact The Computer Chronicles were the first videos ever uploaded to the Internet Archive. Cheifet was very active with them when it first started up.
lesterd88@reddit
I didn’t discover Computer Chronicles until well into my adulthood on YouTube. But it immediately made me go back to those tech glory days that were so dynamic at the time. I wish I had known about the show before recently to be able to enjoy it in the moment.
Thoughts are with his family.
DickyPoteat@reddit
Just the other day I watched LGR's latest Computer Chronicles watch along and I remember thinking how happy I was Stewart was still around :(
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWXLDfbmpU8
BobBelcher2021@reddit
I just watched it too, LGR should do more of these
SqualorTrawler@reddit
I really liked this guy. Sad to see him go. So thankful for Computer Chronicles and Net Cafe.
Electronic_Algae_524@reddit
Sad news! We lost another of the pioneers of the golden age of personal computing. Stewart and Gary's show was a Don't Miss when it was on.
chuchrox@reddit
🫡
swift-sentinel@reddit
I loved his show.
taborcarn@reddit
RIP Stewart. I've been slowly watching all the Computer Chronicles episodes from the beginning but I'm only up to 1985.
EriolGaurhoth@reddit
Oh man, this one hurts. RIP to this absolute legend who instilled a love for computing into generations of people
TheBitMan775@reddit
Man. I knew he was getting up there. RIP Stewart
fivetriplezero@reddit
This hits hard. Computer Chronicles was such an iconic show and a source of wonderment to me. I've re-watched numerous episodes on YouTube and I still love it.
Given the link to the Michael J Fox Foundation, I take it he had Parkinson's?
"Stewart is best known for producing and hosting the nationally broadcast PBS television programs Computer Chronicles and Net Cafe. Computer Chronicles aired from 1984 to 2002, producing more than 400 episodes that documented the rise of the personal computer from its earliest days. Net Cafe, which aired from 1996 to 2002, explored the emergence of the internet. Both programs were widely regarded as visionary, capturing the evolution of personal computing and the early development of the digital age. "
It's always amazing to me how one's life gets summarized into just a few short paragraphs in an obituary. A reminder to make it count!
antdude@reddit
RIP. :(
Legal-Swordfish-1893@reddit
Rest in Peace.
The_Freeholder@reddit
All of our heroes from the early days are taking their leave of us. I hate watching this happen.
Jealentuss@reddit
Aww man, I remember earlier in the year thinking "I've been watching all these old Computer Chronicles... Wonder what Stewart is up to today?" Then watching a recent interview and seeing him with his finger still on the pulse of IT and hearing how sharp and lucid he was even in advanced age and being very impressed. Sad news. RIP, Legend.
_Erin_@reddit
So sad to hear of Stewart Cheifet’s passing. The Computer Chronicles was a significant inspiration for me and really helped & informed my interest in a career in IT. RIP Stewart.
8layer8@reddit
I loved the show and was recently rewatching it on YouTube. It's hilarious how wrong some of those big names were, like Alan Shugart talking about hard drives and how they were silly because you could have as many floppies as you wanted but hard drives limited you. Granted a lot of it aged like milk, like the one floppy=one license per application and the utter vilification of the "Hacker", but it's still a great history lesson.
flecom@reddit
I didn't learn about the computer chronicles until a couple years ago but they provide invaluable snapshots in time into the computer revolution
Thanks for everything you did Stewart, RIP
br0ast@reddit
Oh wow. That's so sad. My heart goes out to his loved ones. He was great
dissected_gossamer@reddit
I discovered Computer Chronicles a few years ago on YouTube and binged every episode. I couldn't stop watching. What an excellent body of work.
c0l0n3lp4n1c@reddit
rip. i was just watching a bunch of old episodes from the early 80s and could hardly stop. i’m from western europe, and it’s so interesting to experience the emergence of personal computing again, right from the source, where it all happened. every episode with a new glimpse into the wonders of technology that were about to change the world forever.
FAMICOMASTER@reddit
Ah. I was wondering why he hadn't responded to my last email. Rest in peace, Stewart! This is a crying shame but I know he will always be remembered.
schmosef@reddit
Oh, man!
Terrible.
😢
MonsieurMoune@reddit
Sad, yesterday I watched the Gary Kildall special episode from of the Computer Chronicles, 1995 :(
Accordxtc@reddit
Sad news, I just watched LGR episode with the CC. A legend of a man in the computer world. RIP Stewart
odar420@reddit
One of the greats.
derpjutsu@reddit
Knew he was getting up there. What a legend, loved the show. Thank you Stewart!
ThePupnasty@reddit
No!!!! Wtf!? I didn't know! 😭😭😭
ABeardHelps@reddit
For so many of us back in those pre-Internet days, The Computer Chronicles was one of our go to sources for news in the computer industry. I remember watching it all the time on PBS.
Thank you for all you have done, good sir, and rest in peace.
clkw@reddit
Oh man, that’s awful.
caddymac@reddit
Impressive education background, amazing he went on to talk computers to the normies. Goes to show that the mark of a talented and smart person is how well they can convey information to nearly everyone.
mmiller1188@reddit
Oh no. I had no idea he died.
I grew up watching Computer Chronicles on PBS with my dad. My dad was born in the 40s but really got into computers as he was an electrical engineer when he was younger. That's how I got into my IT career. Was always encouraged to play and learn with computers. Really enjoyed watching computer chronicles over the years.
I like to go back and watch the reruns now and then.
Hatta00@reddit
What a legend and legacy. Computer Chronicles will be watched by historians forever. Literally forever. Anyone interested in what the birth of popular computing was like has a primary source better than any other cultural transformation I can think of, thanks to Stewart Cheifet.
diodesign@reddit
That's such sad news, though it sounds as though his life was well lived. I don't doubt his work was nothing short of an inspiration to future journalists and engineers. RIP Stewart.
bakewithjake420@reddit
Man, I was not expecting to read this headline today. Stewart was like a man brought forward from the glory days of computing. I always loved watching his joy come through on computer chronicles and his sense of enthusiasm was contagious. I will always appreciate the work he and everyone put in to make Computer Chronicles a fantastic time capsule. Thanks Stewart, I won't forget it.
8bitaficionado@reddit (OP)
VCF East XI - Stewart Cheifet
Stewart has been called “the original TV techie” and “the dean of television computer journalists”. He pioneered the field over twenty-five years ago when he created and launched the award winning public television series Computer Chronicles for which he was host and managing editor. He also anchored another public television series devoted to the people, culture and business of the Internet, called Net Café
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncnje4DdRxE