Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

I sent this privately to the OP at first, who liked it and suggested I re-send it to the entire group as the thread is already OT and others might like the story also. My father, 86 now, became fascinated with computers in the late 50's early 60's during his first career as a surveyor and map

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

I agree, it's fascinating. But now I'm wondering whether part of its attraction to me is imagining myself in his position, being in demand for high-profile jobs (at twice the salary!). Don't get me wrong, I'm a geek and want to stay a geek; I have consciously avoided the management track,

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

A simply fascinating read, Phil. Thanks for sharing it. DJ -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

Yes, I'm occasionally gratified or sometimes just amused by what I think of as a "trivial" programming project nowadays, one which would have left me completely at sea back in my student days. --- Bob Bridges, robhbrid...@gmail.com, cell 336 382-7313 /* If God is sovereign, then he is in control

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

Bob Bridges wrote, in part: >Speaking as a computer geek with no talent whatever for the visual arts, I'm >curious: Why in the world would artsy folks back then (or even now) want a Computing Office? What did he do with it? Ah, you're confused. "Arts" is aka "liberal arts", generally

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

On Fri, 15 Apr 2022 at 15:37, Phil Smith III wrote: > > Yes to the editing! Indeed. Smells like a self-published book that badly needed an editor -- even just a proofreader or spellchecker. > The Xerox I learned PL/C on was a Xerox 530, a midrange that my dad bought > for the nascent Arts

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

Yep. Been hearing a lot from IBM people a few from the seven dwarfs then the bunch, not much from those who tried to get in but never had the chance. Very interesting point of view. Later you hear from Microsoft People and some Linux people and other systems. On Fri, Apr 15, 2022 at 7:06 PM

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

Subject: Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted" Speaking as a computer geek with no talent whatever for the visual arts, I'm curious: Why in the world would artsy folks back then (or even now) want a Computing Office? What did he do with it? And yes to Beowulf! I read it as a child and ad

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

Speaking as a computer geek with no talent whatever for the visual arts, I'm curious: Why in the world would artsy folks back then (or even now) want a Computing Office? What did he do with it? And yes to Beowulf! I read it as a child and adored it; I still have vivid mental images of

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

Yeah, I didn't want to be too picky but it was badly written on several levels. Still fascinating, though. --- Bob Bridges, robhbrid...@gmail.com, cell 336 382-7313 /* In the end time, lambs will lie down with lions. Even then I will want to be a lion, I think. -attributed to David

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

ng for Arts Students, who were a LOT better-looking than their Math and CS compatriots. -Original Message- From: Mike Cairns Sent: Friday, April 15, 2022 3:06 PM To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU; Phil Smith III Subject: Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted" That's a brilliant read

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

That's a brilliant read, thanks for posting. Amazing to see the perspective of an early CIO in action considering the S360 offerings against their competitors as things looked to them at the time. And also a brilliant exposition of what really happened at Xerox from someone with a seat at the

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

Paul Gilmartin wrote: >For me, it was broken on the UA LISTSERV website and in >Mac Mail.app. The raw source shows: >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >... > > http://worrydream.com/refs/Strassmann%20-%20The%20Computers%20Nobody%20Wante

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

On Thu, 14 Apr 2022 17:16:56 -0400, Phil Smith III wrote: >? My link worked fine as sent, both at my end and in Gmail. Gil, your client >seems to be breaking QPed lines?! > For me, it was broken on the UA LISTSERV website and in Mac Mail.app. The raw source shows: Content-Type: text/plain;

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

? My link worked fine as sent, both at my end and in Gmail. Gil, your client seems to be breaking QPed lines?! Anyway, yours works too! -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to

Re: "The Computers Nobody Wanted"

On Thu, 14 Apr 2022 16:59:46 -0400, Phil Smith III wrote: >http://worrydream.com/refs/Strassmann%20-%20The%20Computers%20Nobody%20Wante >d.pdf > ITYM . -- gil

"The Computers Nobody Wanted"

http://worrydream.com/refs/Strassmann%20-%20The%20Computers%20Nobody%20Wante d.pdf This is sort of interesting, starting at bottom of PDF page 10, "The IBM 360 Promises". A different view on the 360 from the one we grew up with; reality is presumably somewhere in the middle. (And how did I