On 3/8/23 20:01, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:
On Wed, Mar 8, 2023 at 6:46 PM Jon Elson via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org>
wrote:
On 3/8/23 14:31, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:
THe LGP-30 was to arguably the first personal electronic (non analog)
computer, my opinion, but it covers all of the bases as I see them. A
relatively small stand alone real time general purpose electronic
computer
that one person could operate.
The Bendix G-15 also fits that description.
Jon
John,
I have the manuals for both systems. I don't get the impression that the
G-15 was sold as a "personal computer" in the same way as the Royal McBee
LGP-23/30 were. The Bendix has an analog computing aspect as well so it's
a different beast. I am sure people used them for some degree of personal
computing, but I never read about them that way
There was an add-on analog element, (I've never seen one),
but the G-15 was definitely a digital machine with drum
memory and serial arithmetic. It was used a LOT by highway
departments to plan "cut and fill" highway building
projects. The difference may have been due to marketing
people, but my understanding was that the G-15 was often
used by one operator, and not shared like a corporate mainframe.
Jon
