There was also a 1K by 4 version of this tube.
On 1/6/2022 3:03 AM, Brent Hilpert via cctalk wrote:
On 2022-Jan-06, at 12:19 AM, Joshua Rice via cctech wrote:
Not cost effective at nearly $10,000! I understand they're very rare, given
they were only used for a few years in industry and they're clocking on 3/4 of
a century old, but even then, that seems an order of magnitude or two off the
real value.
Actually, looking them up, doesn't seem they were used in much at all. Seems to
have been a bit of a technological dead-end since core memory quickly
superseded it with it's (relatively) cheap costs and (relative) ease of
manufacturing. I imagine the US gov. probably used them somewhere, since they
were a sucker for cutting edge technology of the time.
Would be interesting to know how many hours it's got on it
"Not cost effective" ? What does that mean in the arena of valuation of
historic artifacts?
No, they didn't go anywhere as a product and apparently only saw use in one
machine.
However, the 'pro' side of such a debate is that they were a very early attempt
to produce a fast digital RAM memory specifically for use in Stored-Program
Machines, at a time when memory was at the top of the list of problems in
development of the first SPMs, and actually before any SPMs had been produced,
and weren't a serial technology like drums and delays lines tortured into
applicability for the task.
They are wrapped up in the history of John VonN and the IAS machine, one of the
most significant machines in computing history (arguably the most significant).
There's always opinion and subjective valuation in assessments of history but
if one is acquainted with what was going on in that period of 46-50, they are a
very interesting and notable development attempt.
------ Original Message ------
From: "pbirkel--- via cctalk" <cctalk@classiccmp.org>
To: "'General Discussion: On-Topic Posts'" <cct...@classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, 5 Jan, 2022 At 17:35
Subject: Memory Tech you don't see very often
Selectron Vacuum Tube: https://www.ebay.com/itm/174977901251
<https://www.ebay.com/itm/174977901251>
Really nice photo-shoot! I wonder what the back-story to this particular
tube might be.
I don't think that $16.18 shipping would be, um, adequate protection by any
measure.
Cheap, but not so sure about "cost-effective" .
