[cctalk] Re: Thirties techies and computing history

On 5/20/24 10:25, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote: >>> American Computer Museum >>> Computer History Museum >>> Computer Museum of America >>> Large Scale Systems Museum >>> Rhode Island Computer Museum >>> System Source Computer Museum Of course, there's the Living Computer Museum--oh, wait -C

[cctalk] Re: Experience using an Altair 8800 ("Personal computer" from 70s)

On 5/23/24 12:53, Dave Dunfield via cctalk wrote: > I've just passed on my "Mits Altair 8800" - this is a very historic system > from the 70s - it is: > First Personal Computer (long before IBM PC) > First S100 buss system > First system Bill Gates wrote code for (long before Microsoft) I d

[cctalk] Re: Experience using an Altair 8800 ("Personal computer" from 70s)

On 5/24/24 07:57, CAREY SCHUG via cctalk wrote: > (I could be mistaken about the mentioned 8008 device, but I think that was a > training device, no?) Do your homewoork--the MCM-70 ran APL, had cassette storage and a display and keyboard. The MITS 8800 had nothing other than RAM and a CPU. APL

[cctalk] Re: Experience using an Altair 8800 ("Personal computer" from 70s)

On 5/24/24 09:14, Sellam Abraham via cctalk wrote: > This is on the Canonical List of ClassicCmp Debate Topics and is a dead > horse so beaten that there's nothing left but teeth and fur at this point. > Whatever--the MITS 8800 only I/O was a bunch of switches and LEDs. While an I/O card could b

[cctalk] Re: Experience using an Altair 8800 ("Personal computer" from 70s)

On 5/24/24 09:52, Paul Koning wrote: > > I once ran into a pre-WW2 data sheet (or ad?) for a transistor, indeed an FET > that used selenium as the semiconducting material. Most likely that was the > Lilienfeld device. Could also have been a device from Oskar Heil in the 1930s. What really ma

[cctalk] Re: First Personal Computer

On 5/25/24 08:14, Jon Elson via cctalk wrote: > Yes, the Bendix G-15 was said to be the first personal computer. It was > as big as a refrigerator, and weighed a LOT more, and drew much more > power.  (300 vacuum tubes, 3000 Germanium diodes,  drum memory.)  but, > one guy could program it and run

[cctalk] Re: First Personal Computer

On 5/25/24 13:41, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: > On Sat, 25 May 2024, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: > . . . or 100V or 220V in locations where those are the standard for > household residential wiring. > Woulld not want to automatically exclude UK machines, such as the > Sinclair

[cctalk] Re: PCs in home vs businesses (70s/80s)

On 5/25/24 18:50, Maciej W. Rozycki via cctalk wrote: > I think it was indeed the way to tell NEC V20 and other x86 chips apart: > good if you wanted to make seamless use of the 8080 emulation mode). Is this something you've actually verified? Seems to be a bit of an urban legend. I can test i

[cctalk] Re: terminology [was: First Personal Computer]

On 5/26/24 11:11, ben via cctalk wrote: > On 2024-05-26 10:56 a.m., Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: > I did use a CP/M machine once, but the 8" drive was a bit sticky. > You rap the drive to get it unstuck, but if you rap it too hard > the machine would reset. Fred, just forget it. We belong to a b

[cctalk] Re: terminology [was: First Personal Computer]

On 5/26/24 14:14, CAREY SCHUG wrote: > if it only manipulates numeric data, it is a calculator. It must be able to > search, rearrange look up, compare, and display characters. I would have > thought that to be obvious. I don'care if it has 99 terabites of high speed > memory and does fourier

[cctalk] Re: First Personal Computer

On 5/26/24 17:30, dwight via cctalk wrote: > I'm not claiming it was the first personal computer but is was my first > personal computer. It was within a year or two of just about any other first > personal computer. > It was a Poly88 with ROM based tiny basic. I had a keyboard, I think I got >

[cctalk] Re: PCs in home vs businesses (70s/80s)

On 5/25/24 22:03, Maciej W. Rozycki wrote: > On Sat, 25 May 2024, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: > >>> I think it was indeed the way to tell NEC V20 and other x86 chips apart: >>> good if you wanted to make seamless use of the 8080 emulation mode). >> >> Is thi

[cctalk] Re: First Personal Computer

On 5/28/24 10:05, ben via cctalk wrote: > Just what is a gas radio? One powered by thermoelectricity fueled by lighting gas. See: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_Museum Looks to be an English peculiarity. Akin to the wood-gas powered card. --Chuck

[cctalk] Re: First Personal Computer

More on gas radios: http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/POWER/thermoelectric/thermoelectric.htm#rl --Chuck

[cctalk] Re: terminology [was: First Personal Computer]

On 5/28/24 16:29, ben via cctalk wrote: > On 2024-05-28 1:23 p.m., John via cctalk wrote: > >> So what, then, consitutes a Real Operating System, and why? > > I am grumpy about OS's like MSDOS, in that programs kept by passing > DOS to handle screen, and serial IO. > I also favor OS's that don't

[cctalk] Re: terminology [was: First Personal Computer]

On 5/28/24 17:02, ben via cctalk wrote: > On 2024-05-28 5:45 p.m., Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: >> On 5/28/24 16:29, ben via cctalk wrote: >>> On 2024-05-28 1:23 p.m., John via cctalk wrote: >>> >>>> So what, then, consitutes a Real Operating System, and w

[cctalk] Re: Bit numbering

On 5/28/24 22:27, Lars Brinkhoff via cctalk wrote: > However, it's not entirely clear cut. In many situations data inside > words are arranged "left to right" and in this case the PDP numbering > sometimes is more convenient than the opposite. The CDC STAR/CYBER machines were bit-addressed. When

[cctalk] Re: Experience using an Altair 8800 ("Personal computer" from 70s)

Liebe Leser, after consigning most of this thread to the bit bucket over the last week or more, I find myself in the position of trying to figure out what the latest posts have to do with 'Experience using an Altair 8800 ("Personal computer" from 70s)'. Indeed, it seems that much of the thread h

[cctalk] Re: Intel 8086 - 46 yrs. ago

On 6/9/24 08:40, Murray McCullough via cctalk wrote: > Intel introduced to the world the x86 processor: the CISC technology still > with us. So what has changed other than speed and upward development? The Internet? Really, it's always been my view that computational technical progress has long b

[cctalk] Re: Intel 8086 - 46 yrs. ago

On 6/9/24 09:59, Milo Velimirović via cctalk wrote: > Word length. :) Scarcely innovative. 64 bit architectures predated the 64-bit x86 by decades. Call it a natural evolution. Don't forget cheap memory. --Chuck

[cctalk] Re: Intel 8086 - 46 yrs. ago

It's interesting and probably indicative of some mindset where a discussion of the evolution of a given architecture is being discussed that specific technical aspects are most often mentioned, even though most of those are holdovers from the 1960s, just made smaller. My take is "why were these ad

[cctalk] Re: Experience using an Altair 8800 ("Personal computer" from 70s)

On 6/11/24 02:02, Dave Dunfield via cctalk wrote: > Chuck Guzis wrote: >> I find myself in the position of trying to figure >> out what the latest posts have to do with 'Experience using an Altair >> 8800 ("Personal computer" from 70s)'. > > Thanks! It's gotten so off-topic, I've all but stopped

[cctalk] Re: Intel 8086 - 46 yrs. ago

On 6/12/24 01:02, Peter Corlett via cctalk wrote: > Fun factoid: despite modern x86 being clocked ~1000x faster than ye olde > 6502, there's not much in it between them when it comes to interrupt > response time. If all goes well, x86 takes "only" a hundred-ish cycles to do > its book-keeping and

[cctalk] Re: Intel 8086 - 46 yrs. ago

On 6/13/24 10:32, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: > Huh? There is no direct connection between word length, register count, and > pipeline length. Indeed. There are architectures with NO user-addressable registers. Some have memory-mapped registers, where a "register number" is merely shorthand

[cctalk] Re: Vintage computing in the San Francisco bay area

On 6/13/24 13:08, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote: > There are a few historic locations. I think I remember driving past the > original house / garage where Apple started, but I am not sure it's public > knowledge. The HP garage in Palo Alto is a state historic landmark: https://en.wikipedia.org/wi

[cctalk] Re: Intel 8086 - 46 yrs. ago

On 6/14/24 08:13, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: > You compare machines by what they deliver. The purpose of computers is not > to deliver logic circuits but to deliver computation, so comparing > computational ability (speed and size) is meaningful, along with cost. How > it's implemented und

[cctalk] Re: Delay slots, was: Re: Re: early microprocessor limited pipelining [was: Intel 8086 - 46 yrs. ago]

I'm certain that Paul has done his share of this, but an art on the CDC 6600 was hand-scheduling instruction execution. There was at least one class for this--and probably more. The CPU could issue one instruction every cycle, assuming that there were no conflicts. The 6600 had several functiona

[cctalk] Re: Delay slots, was: Re: Re: early microprocessor limited pipelining [was: Intel 8086 - 46 yrs. ago]

On 6/15/24 12:39, Paul Koning wrote: > > > I learned it from OS code reading and adopted some of it for my own work, but > not much because I actually only worked on the 6500 -- which doesn't have > multiple functional units. > > Writing good code for those machines was further complicated by

[cctalk] Re: The magic smoke....

On 6/15/24 21:51, D. Resor via cctalk wrote: > Seems this eBay seller let the magic smoke get out, then proceeded to power > it on again one hour later. > > Litton Monroe OC 8820 > > https://www.ebay.com/itm/355793400092 > > See the description.. Probably due to the failed film-in-oil (sometim

[cctalk] Re: The magic smoke....

On 6/16/24 19:42, Dave Dunfield via cctalk wrote: > Chuck Guzis wrote: >> Probably due to the failed film-in-oil (sometimes known as Rifa) line >> filter capacitors--a very common failure and nonfatal. > > I never "just turn on" equipment that's been out of service for an extended > period of time

[cctalk] Re: Seattle’s Living Computers Museum logs off for good as Paul Allen estate will auction vintage items

On 6/25/24 12:21, John Herron via cctalk wrote: > What a disappointing shame. It happens to too many good computer museums. I > wonder if there's a solution for the future. Hopefully they're in contact > with CHM and others prior to the auction but it unfortunately sounds like > they're looking fo

[cctalk] Re: Seattle’s Living Computers Museum logs off for good as Paul Allen estate will auction vintage items

On 6/25/24 13:28, Tom Uban via cctalk wrote: > If Paul Allen was unable to setup his museum, something he clearly cared > deeply about, in a way that would not be dissolved when he passed, who > could? Mr. Allen collected a lot of things, which, given his wealth, probably can be viewed in the same

[cctalk] Re: Seattle’s Living Computers Museum logs off for good as Paul Allen estate will auction vintage items

On 6/25/24 16:03, Jon Elson via cctalk wrote: > I think he really thought he had more time on earth, and didn't consider > the estate planning of the museum to be an urgent matter.  Sadly, he was > wrong about that! I can understand that. Currently, my wife and I have a sort of "blanket" will th

[cctalk] Re: Seattle’s Living Computers Museum logs off for good as Paul Allen estate will auction vintage items

On 6/25/24 16:22, Sellam Abraham via cctalk wrote: > I can't. Dude had virtually limitless money and couldn't hire an estate > planner to take care of it? > > There's literally no excuse in this case. Had Allen given final instructions that the entire LCM be cleaned out and melted for scrap, wou

[cctalk] Re: Seattle’s Living Computers Museum logs off for good as Paul Allen estate will auction vintage items

On 6/25/24 18:29, phil--- via cctalk wrote: > > Nope. LCM had a KI-10, ISTR it was half of a dual CPU system from > Kiel. When I visted there was a 2060 and a 2065, as well as a KS. > I understand that later they acquired a KA and the MIT-MC KL (1080). Please pardon the side trip on this thread,

[cctalk] Re: Revocable Living Trust for Computer Collectors

I'm reminded of how long it took to get access to Don Maslin's disk collection. His widow didn't want to deal with it. Very fortunate that the storage fees were paid. --Chuck

[cctalk] Re: Revocable Living Trust for Computer Collectors

On 6/27/24 13:11, Tony Jones via cctalk wrote: > I see so many sellers listing stuff as "used" with poor photos and often > some "as-is" disclaimer in the text body. I don't know why sellers do > this as eBay is going to force them to take an item back at their own > expense. I see a lot of list

[cctalk] Re: what to do with our "treasures"

I've long thought that it would be a practical idea to set up a catapult in Detroit with a receiving station in Windsor to serve as a shipping arrangement between the US and Canada. "Honest, Constable, the stuff just fell out of the sky..." --Chuck

[cctalk] Re: what to do with our "treasures"

On 7/1/24 19:04, Wayne S wrote: > Hda weighs about 50lbs so you aren’t carrying it very far. Well, a trebuchet then. How wide is the Detroit river at its narrowest? Seriously, the US-Canada border is over 5,000 miles long, with plenty of opportunity for slipping stuff across, even if it's just t

[cctalk] Re: what to do with our "treasures"

On 7/1/24 20:18, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: > Airline baggage used to be a good deal. > Size limit on carry-on, weight limit on checked. > > Sending a tech with parts on a plane was often much cheaper than rush > shipping. I often took the "noon balloon" out of San Jose with a Samsonite case lo

[cctalk] Re: what to do with our "treasures"

On 7/2/24 13:40, Adrian Godwin via cctalk wrote: > I was once told that the Chinese government subsidises post in exchange for > getting prompt tax returns. Don't know how true that is. > > There's also some sort of agreement between postal services that means > every country gets uncharged local

[cctalk] Re: LCM auction pre-notice

On 7/13/24 21:14, Brian L. Stuart via cctalk wrote: > On Sat, Jul 13, 2024 at 08:43:59PM -0400, Patrick Finnegan via cctalk wrote: >> I'm definitely a bit sad that Purdue's former CDC 6500 (priming that's what >> they meant) will probably go to some unknown high dollar bidder. Yup, ran code on tha

[cctalk] Re: Old vintage computing magazine/newsletters

On 7/16/24 14:46, Brad H via cctalk wrote: > Just a 'survey' sort of question - how much value do you guys put in vintage > copies of old newsletters, magazines, etc. I'm talking mid-1970s, like > People's Computer Company, etc. Someone has been selling them one at a time > on ebay and they routi

[cctalk] Re: Old vintage computing magazine/newsletters

On 7/16/24 18:22, Murray McCullough via cctalk wrote: > I, as a history-researcher, relied on computer magazines from the early > era. I wrote my book using articles from these magazines. I don't > subscribe, no pun intended, to the theory that their really worth anything. > Hardware is another iss

[cctalk] Re: Old vintage computing magazine/newsletters

On 7/16/24 18:22, Murray McCullough via cctalk wrote: > I, as a history-researcher, relied on computer magazines from the early > era. I wrote my book using articles from these magazines. I don't > subscribe, no pun intended, to the theory that their really worth anything. > Hardware is another iss

[cctalk] Re: Old vintage computing magazine/newsletters

On 7/16/24 19:39, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote: > Proceedings are not magazines, they're their own class of document. > Bill CACM? It's a monthly. Calls itself a "journal". IEEE "Computer"? Calls itself a "magazine". --Chuck

[cctalk] Re: Old vintage computing magazine/newsletters

On 7/16/24 20:51, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote: > Proceedings from a convention or event is what I am talking about > Bill I was mostly observing that the "JCC Proceedings" back in the day had the most "meat" as far as I was concerned. CACM goes back to 1958, so I guess that's "Early". IEEE Comp

[cctalk] Re: Estate Planning was: Re: Auction houses vs ebay

Having just updated my Advance Directives document before going under the knife and saw, I thought a bit about the subject of estate planning. My Lovely Wife, were she to become a Lovely Widow has enough trouble dealing with day-to-day tasks. There's no way that she would want to deal with the mi

Re: AW: 50Hz Pulley for 8" Floppy Drive Mitshubishi M2894-63B

On 11/10/18 7:55 AM, dwight via cctalk wrote: > Typically, both the motor pulley and belt are changed as a set to keep the > distance from motor to flywheel the same. > In my younger days, a friend and I ground down a motor pulley, on a 50 Hz > Shugart 800, to be a 60 Hz. We used a file while the

Re: AW: 50Hz Pulley for 8" Floppy Drive Mitshubishi M2894-63B

On 11/10/18 11:42 AM, dwight via cctalk wrote: > He needs a larger pulley if going from 60 to 50 ( as a motor pulley ). It > needs to be 20% bigger because the motor turns slower on 50 Hz. 6/5 to be > exact. > Dwight No argument there--but the size increment is pretty small. Consider that a typ

Re: AW: 50Hz Pulley for 8" Floppy Drive Mitshubishi M2894-63B

On 11/10/18 12:33 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: >>> He needs a larger pulley if going from 60 to 50 ( as a motor pulley >>> ). It needs to be 20% bigger because the motor turns slower on 50 Hz. >>> 6/5 to be exact. > On Sat, 10 Nov 2018, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wr

Sun doc: "Writing Device Drivers for the Sun Workstation"

I discovered this one (Document 800-1304-05, 19 September 1986 Still in shirnk-wrap, so pristine. I offered it to Al, but got no response. FFS USA --Chuck

Re: Bill Godbout

On 11/12/18 1:39 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: > Google has no mention.  Yet. > How can we confirm? Bill's family confirms and has set up a GoFundMe page for his wife and son: https://www.gofundme.com/godbouttuckcampfirerelieffund --Chuck

Re: desoldering (was Re: VAX 9440)

On 11/13/18 7:38 AM, Mark J. Blair via cctalk wrote: > Instead, I use two pencil-type irons, one in each hand, working under > a stereo microscope. The tips are much better, and manipulating each > tip independently provides great control of what's going on. Only > drawback is that if you want to

Re: TCL Terminal

Don't know the exact product, but TCL INc. was in Fremont, CA and was a maker of various bits of LAN gear. --Chuck

Re: TCL Terminal

On 11/25/18 9:55 AM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote: > 'TCL' are the initials of the person who created the first Ethernet > transceiver (Tat Lam). > > > https://books.google.com/books?id=ooBqdIXIqbwC&pg=PA73&lpg=PA73 I note that the same section mentions Jim Theornton. I recall on a trip to CDC A

Re: Text encoding Babel. Was Re: George Keremedjiev

On 11/25/18 2:53 PM, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote: > On Sun, 25 Nov 2018 at 23:42, Grant Taylor via cctalk > wrote: > >> I bet you see all sorts of things that I'm ignorant of. > > It's been enlightening! I routinely get Turkish and Greek spam in my mailbox--and I've gotten Cyrillic-alphabet st

Re: FixMeStick

On 11/26/18 9:57 PM, ED MAJDEN via cctalk wrote: > > Hello group: > Has anyone used a FixMeStick to fix computer issues like virus problems > and key tracking hacking? Does it really fix such problems or create new > ones? > Thanx for any comments that are posted. > Ed A friend loaned

Re: Text encoding Babel. Was Re: George Keremedjiev

On 11/27/18 6:23 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: > I love the use of an arrow for assignment.  In teaching, a student's > FIRST encounter with programming can be daunting.  Use of an equal sign > immediately runs up against the long in-grained concept of commutative > equality.  You would be surp

Re: 34 pin Card Edge “Male to Male” Connector

On 11/28/18 5:13 PM, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: > > >> On Nov 28, 2018, at 8:01 PM, William Sudbrink via cctalk >> wrote: >> >> I'm not sure you're quite getting it... they say a picture is worth a >> thousand words: >> >> http://wsudbrink.dyndns.org:8080/images/20181128_194316.jpg >> >> As

Re: CDC floppy disks on Ebay.

On 12/9/18 3:30 PM, Guy Dunphy via cctalk wrote: > FWIW, years ago a friend of mine found some important floppies of his had all > developped mold on the magnetic surfaces. Which fouled read heads, making them > useless. We found that slitting open the covers, taking out the disks and > literally

DG Nova 4 for pickup on Lon Gisland

Cribbed from VCF: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Data-General-NOVA4-Nova-4-nova-desktop-computer-minicomputer-8-floppy-vintage/332940164292?hash=item4d84c7bcc4:g:2skAAOSwqIhcDrmI:rk:39:razz:f:0 Chuck

Re: Core memory emulator using non volatile ram.

On 12/15/18 10:01 AM, Guy Sotomayor Jr via cctalk wrote: > FRAM or MRAM. I make extensive use of them in my projects. > > Everspin has a few (all SMT and 3.3v). As I recall they run ~$20/ea for 4Mb > (512K x 8 or 256K x 16). As neither MRAM nor FRAM requires a write-after-read refresh, I fail

Re: Data Electronics Incorporated (DEI) CMTD-300S2 tape drive manual

I've got a 3M DCD drive that's very similar--fixed multi-track head. I've never seen a practical use for it, however, given the terribleness of old QIC carts. DEI also re-packaged the Exabyte 8mm transports in their own enclosures with their own LCD readouts. I've got one such drive here. --Chu

Re: Core memory emulator using non volatile ram.

On 12/15/18 1:30 PM, Warner Losh via cctalk wrote: > True. Lessening the pain still doesn't make it right :). MRAM or FRAM does > sound a lot simpler to use... How about nvRAM? Faster, with high capacity. Stores into flash (every CMOS RAM cell is paired with a flash cell) when the supply drops

Re: Core memory emulator using non volatile ram.

On 12/16/18 11:21 AM, Paul Koning wrote: > If you simply want non-volatile memory, the obvious answer is SRAM with > battery backup and a small FPGA to do the interfacing. I proposed nvRAM - CMOS SRAM backed by cell-for-cell flash. Loads SRAM from flash on power-up and stores into flash at powe

Re: Core memory emulator using non volatile ram.

On 12/17/18 9:51 AM, Guy Sotomayor Jr wrote: > Except it is *much* more expensive than MRAM. 32x8 NVSRAM is $18.50 in qty 1 > from Digikey. > A 64Kx16 MRAM is $11.84 in qty 1 from Digikey. MRAM requires no additional > circuitry so that > also reduces the overall cost (and has unlimited write

Re: More old stuff incoming

On 12/19/18 7:41 AM, Ethan via cctalk wrote: >> Really? Show me one that is 1) in current production, 2) offers the >> full ISA bus (not just some decoded address lines and 8 data lines), >> 3) plugs into a PCI slot. >> Christian > > Surprised no one has used something like an ATMega or cheap USB

Re: More old stuff incoming

On 12/19/18 11:59 AM, Toby Thain via cctalk wrote: > On 2018-12-19 2:33 PM, Bill Gunshannon via cctalk wrote: >> >> when will someone be coming out with another sound card with a >> vacuum tube on it? >> >> bill >> > > Hm, I do have some 12AX7's lying around... Well, there have been PC motherbo

Re: New takes on XT-IDE, a new FDC, and a new CM/S GAL WAS: RE: More old stuff incoming

On 12/19/18 12:10 PM, systems_glitch via cctalk wrote: > The controller chip used on that FDC is the same as found on some Adaptec > AHA-15xx series cards, which have been the go-to for a long time on adding > FM support to PCs whose onboard controllers don't support it. I don't think that's corr

Re: NSC 8477 Was: New takes on XT-IDE, a new FDC, and a new CM/S GAL

On 12/19/18 5:38 PM, Ali via cctalk wrote: >> Micro Solutions initially shipped the CompatiCard IV with the Intel >> chip--and it worked well. Intel then revised the chip as the 82077AA-1 >> to add tape support and broke the FM capability. When I inquired about >> this to Intel, I got the respons

Re: More old stuff incoming

On 12/19/18 7:32 PM, Ali via cctalk wrote: >> I don't know how functional their solutions are and I've never had any >> of >> their products nor I have anything to do with them, but I've had this >> link: in my bookmarks just in case since >> 2005. >> I guess if they have

Re: ◾NSC 8477 Was: New takes on XT-IDE, a new FDC, and a new CM/S GAL

On 12/19/18 10:40 PM, Ali via cctalk wrote: >> No, the CCIV initially had a plain-jane Intel rev 0 82077AA in a 68 pin >> PLCC. After Intel "improved" the chip to the 82077AA-1, FM ceased to >> work. Fortunately, as I mentioned NSC 8477 is a plug-in replacement, >> with the exception of not needi

Re: Origin of 'Straight 8' name

Back in the first half the 20th century, there were various configurations of 8-cylinder internal combustion engines. We're all familiar with the V-8, but there were inline 8-cylinder designs used primarily on luxury cars, making for a wonderfully long engine compartment. Cord, Buick, Packard, Ch

Re: Origin of 'Straight 8' name

On 12/21/18 11:32 AM, allison via cctech wrote: > And the automotive reference was not it.  It was the straight as in not > later lettered > versions.  Best similar use is:  Whiskey straight, water on the side. Could be--but I was pointed out that "straight eight" was an automotive term familiar

Re: wanted any and all XSCRIBE closed caption related and steno typer key board related ... docs... parts.. units building up an working analog CC demo chain for display in our Deaf and Hard of Hearin

On 12/23/18 5:52 PM, ED SHARPE via cctalk wrote: > wanted any and all XSCRIBE closed caption related and steno typer key board > related ... docs... parts.. units building up an working analog CC demo > chain for display in our Deaf and Hard of Hearing assisting tech area. will > consider ot

Re: OCR old software listing.

On 12/26/18 3:17 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote: > > > On 12/26/18 2:55 PM, Steve Malikoff via cctalk wrote: > >> Scan them all as-is, put them up and 'crowd source' this list > > And TYPE the programs in again I've found that it's often the best course of action and consumes the least time ov

Re: WTD: 9 track open reel for PDP-11

On 12/27/18 9:46 AM, Glen Slick via cctalk wrote: > On Thu, Dec 27, 2018 at 9:17 AM W2HX via cctalk wrote: >> >> I've been building up a nice little PDP-11/23+ with cabinets, RL02's etc. To >> really round things off, I'm looking for a open reel-to-reel style 9-track >> tape drive to add to the

Re: WTD: 9 track open reel for PDP-11

On 12/27/18 10:32 AM, Glen Slick via cctalk wrote: > If you want something that can easily be shipped and moved around one > option is a Qualstar 1052. I wasn't impressed with the quality and > performance of those. I gave away the ones I had. They do 1600 (and > 3200), but not 6250. The 1260 (or

Re: WTD: 9 track open reel for PDP-11

On 12/28/18 10:46 AM, Douglas Taylor via cctalk wrote: > I have a Qualstar 1260 (Pertec Interface) and connected it to a > PDP-11/23 with an Emulex TC02.  It was fun to see it spin the tape and > read/write data.  I could just imagine what torture it was to collect > data or install operating syst

Re: CDC transistor boards

On 12/28/18 12:42 PM, Peter Van Peborgh via cctech wrote: > Gentlemen of advanced years who can remember CDC, cradle of Cray. > > Can you tell me which CDC computer type these three boards belonged to? It > is for labeling purposes in my personal museum. > > https://postimg.cc/crJHv3Lt > https:

Re: WTD: 9 track open reel for PDP-11

On 12/28/18 2:57 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: > But, not quite as much bandwidth as a station wagon full of tapes > hurtling down the highway. I once rode on an USAF general's jet with a load of 844 packs. That probably was pretty good bandwidth for the time... One thing that escapes many w

Re: WTD: 9 track open reel for PDP-11

On 12/29/18 5:31 AM, John Foust via cctalk wrote: > At 06:03 PM 12/28/2018, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: >> Let's see you do that with your LTO carts! > > I suppose we could do the math if we had enough data about the > reliability of each. There's more bytes in the

Re: CDC transistor boards

On 12/29/18 10:47 AM, William Donzelli via cctalk wrote: > Statistically, it is more likely to be a 1700 module (a more common > machine). The front bracket is missing, which is the easy way to > distinguish the two types. That's an interesting observation, but I'm not sure I'd agree with you. Whi

Re: wanted back issues IEEE ANNALS OF THE HISTORY OF COMPUTING bound or unbound... dtop us a line off list please.

On 12/29/18 11:49 AM, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote: > I just passed along three boxes of these to the VCFed collection. > Eventually I assume there will be a library to make these available onsite, > not sure. Stupid question, but doesn't IEEE CS already have these archived? (Yes, I know for acce

Re: CDC transistor boards

On 12/29/18 10:47 AM, William Donzelli via cctalk wrote: > Statistically, it is more likely to be a 1700 module (a more common > machine). The front bracket is missing, which is the easy way to > distinguish the two types. Don't know what the 1700 count was, but each 6600 had about 6,000 modules--

Re: CDC transistor boards

On 12/29/18 12:34 PM, William Donzelli wrote: > I think the Cyber 70s used the later modules (the multilayer and/or IC > things). Nope, the Cyber 70s were very minor upgrades to the 6000 series. A bunch of QSEs were made standard features, such as CMU (lower Cyber), CEJ, ILR, etc. Same cordwood

Re: Osborne-1 with prototype-based motherboard

On 12/29/18 12:53 PM, Brad H via cctalk wrote: > I've posted a blog about it here with a picture of the board for those > curious: http://bradhodge.ca/blog/?p=1186 If you can run down any of the old Sorcim crowd, say, Richard Frank or Marty Herbach, they might have saved some information. I fir

Re: CDC transistor boards

Were the brackets on the 1700 cordwood modules shorter than the 6000 series? I've got a switch module here in a desk drawer--it's a 3-position switch labeled A O C and is illuminated with a couple of reed relays on the PCB. PCB size is the same as 6000, as is the connector, but bracket is defini

Re: wanted back issues IEEE ANNALS OF THE HISTORY OF COMPUTING bound or unbound... dtop us a line off list please.

I wish I would have known. I joined IEEE Annals at the beginning. I eventually dropped my subscription because I found that the inaccuracies would just make me mad. I threw out a bunch of ACM SIGPLAN notices (the local library didn't want them) from the 1978s. Still need to get rid of a pile o

Re: Microcode, which is a no-go for modern designs

On 1/2/19 8:02 AM, Jon Elson via cctalk wrote: > Random logic instruction decode was a REAL issue in about 1960 - 1965, > when computers were built with discrete transistors.  The IBM 7092, for > instance, had 55,000 transistors on 11,000 circuit boards.  I don't know > how much of that was instru

Re: Microcode, which is a no-go for modern designs

On 1/2/19 10:44 AM, Guy Sotomayor Jr wrote: > Also, recall that there are different forms of micro-code: horizontal > and vertical. I think that IBM (in the S/360, S/370, S/390, z/Series) > uses the term micro-code for horizontal micro-code and millicode > for vertical microcode. On the CDC STAR

Re: ELTRAN THE COMPILER ANY DOCS? (NOT THE SEMICONDUCTOR STUFF!)))

On 1/4/19 8:42 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: > Would be  interesting when you find it. > Not necessarily "tiny" > Remember WATFOR?   (very impressive!) I guesss not too many numerical methods types hwere, but ELTRAN is a subroutine in the EISPACK linear programming set. Yes, it's all FORTRAN:

Re: ELTRAN THE COMPILER ANY DOCS? (NOT THE SEMICONDUCTOR STUFF!)))

Okay, I think I found the reference to it. It turns out that it was a high-school student's project entered in the "Fourth Annual Computer Programming Contest for Grades 7 to 12'. To quote: "The 1966 winner was William J. Elliott, a 12th grade student at West High School in Minneapolis. His pro

Re: ELTRAN THE COMPILER ANY DOCS? (NOT THE SEMICONDUCTOR STUFF!)))

some familiarity with ELTRAN and know where some documentation exists. --Chuck On 1/5/19 10:10 AM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: > Okay, I think I found the reference to it. > > It turns out that it was a high-school student's project entered in the > "Fourth Annual Computer Pro

Re: Bogus "account hacked" message

On 1/8/19 12:20 PM, Kevin Lee via cctalk wrote: > Delete it don’t respond and ignore it.. been getting them too.. change your > password > If your that concerned.. it’s a fishing trip.. Yeah, I get the one occasionally that claims to have compromising video taken with my PC's webcam. Except, o

Re: Teaching Approximations (was Re: Microcode, which is a no-go for

On 1/8/19 1:31 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: > > I first encountered it about 60 years ago, in fifth grade.  Our textbook > said, "PI is about 3.1416 or 22/7."  Our teacher insisted that that > sentence meant "PI is about 3.1416, or exactly 22/7."  I argued it.  I > pointed out that 22/7 was abo

Re: OT? Upper limits of FSB

On 1/8/19 1:23 PM, Tapley, Mark via cctalk wrote: > Why so (why surprising, I mean)? Understood an unrolled loop executes > faster... That can't always be true, can it? I'm thinking of an architecture where the instruction cache is slow to fill and multiple overlapping operations are involved an

Re: Teaching Approximations (was Re: Microcode, which is a no-go for

On 1/8/19 3:04 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: > But, using a crude code of 'A' = 1, 'B' = 2, 'C' = 3, etc. > "ELGAR" appears in PI at decimal digits 7608455 I suspect that Pi, to a sufficient number of places could decode anyone's surname. No, I'm thinking of "Nimrod"... --Chuck

Re: Anyone want an irman (Infrared to serial dongles)

On 1/8/19 3:05 PM, David Brownlee via cctalk wrote: > While tidying up I've found a few Irman infrared to serial dongles > > https://web.archive.org/web/20060314052558/http://www.evation.com/irman/index.html > > they connect via a 9 pin serial plug and then convert any consumer > remote IR signal

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