The tech world suffered a big loss with the passing of disk-drive pioneer Al Shugart on Wednesday in Monterey, CA. Having worked in and around the data storage industry at different times during my career, I’ve had many clients and colleagues who knew the man. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to meet him myself. But I’ve always admired Mr. Shugart as a leader and industry icon. He was one of a kind, a huge personality, and we owe him a lot. Here in Minnesota, we still benefit from his legacy, since Seagate continues to maintain a large presence here with thousands of employees. I learned of his passing from a very nice tribute that hit my mailbox this morning, from one of his many loyal former employees.