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Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #164853 > unrolled thread

So, what was your computer birthplace?

Started by"gareth G4SDW GQRP #3339" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid>
First post2016-06-09 17:58 +0100
Last post2016-06-17 08:35 -0500
Articles 20 on this page of 62 — 30 participants

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  So, what was your computer birthplace? "gareth G4SDW GQRP #3339" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2016-06-09 17:58 +0100
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? JimP <solosam90@gmail.com> - 2016-06-09 13:36 -0500
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? bert <bert.hutchings@btinternet.com> - 2016-06-09 12:02 -0700
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? mentificium@gmail.com - 2016-06-09 12:27 -0700
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Joe Makowiec <makowiec@invalid.invalid> - 2016-06-09 20:15 +0000
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? artie <artie.m@gNOSPAMmail.com> - 2016-06-09 14:53 -0700
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Mike Causer <m.r.causer@goglemail.com> - 2016-06-11 20:32 +0100
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Howard S Shubs <howard@shubs.net> - 2016-06-10 00:24 +0000
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2016-06-10 02:38 +0000
        Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2016-06-10 03:59 -0300
          Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2016-06-10 06:58 -0400
            Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-06-10 11:22 +0000
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Stephen Wolstenholme <steve@easynn.com> - 2016-06-10 09:52 +0100
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? "gareth G4SDW GQRP #3339" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2016-06-10 11:49 +0100
        Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-06-10 11:23 +0000
        Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Stephen Wolstenholme <steve@easynn.com> - 2016-06-10 12:45 +0100
          Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? "gareth G4SDW GQRP #3339" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2016-06-10 12:57 +0100
            Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Stephen Wolstenholme <steve@easynn.com> - 2016-06-10 13:57 +0100
              Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-06-10 14:35 +0000
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2016-06-10 13:30 +0200
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Walter Banks <walter@bytecraft.com> - 2016-06-10 12:10 -0400
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Alfred Falk <falk@arc.ab.ca> - 2016-06-10 17:09 +0000
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2016-06-10 19:25 +0200
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-06-10 22:28 -0400
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-06-11 10:48 +0000
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-06-11 13:01 -0700
        Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-06-11 17:39 -0400
          Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-06-13 14:25 -0700
            Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2016-06-13 17:47 -0400
              Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2016-06-13 18:37 -0400
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-06-11 13:12 -0700
        Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? "J. Clarke" <j.clarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2016-06-11 18:07 -0400
          Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-06-13 14:36 -0700
            Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2016-06-13 18:28 -0700
        Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2016-06-11 15:48 -0700
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? "gareth G4SDW GQRP #3339" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2016-06-11 22:45 +0100
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2016-06-11 13:15 -0700
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2016-06-11 14:22 -0700
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-06-11 22:17 +0000
        Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2016-06-11 15:48 -0700
          Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-06-12 09:18 +0000
            Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? "J. Clarke" <j.clarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2016-06-12 07:01 -0400
              Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-06-12 11:09 +0000
                Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? "J. Clarke" <j.clarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2016-06-12 07:24 -0400
                  Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Stephen Wolstenholme <steve@easynn.com> - 2016-06-12 12:37 +0100
                    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-06-12 11:46 +0000
                  Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-06-12 11:44 +0000
                  Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2016-06-12 15:55 +0100
                    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Bob Eager <news0006@eager.cx> - 2016-06-12 15:15 +0000
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? mick <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2016-06-12 14:29 +0000
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Stephen Wolstenholme <steve@easynn.com> - 2016-06-12 15:35 +0100
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2016-06-12 15:51 +0100
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Renaissance <unknown@unknown.invalid> - 2016-06-13 09:59 +0200
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Renaissance <unknown@unknown.invalid> - 2016-06-13 10:06 +0200
        Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Renaissance <unknown@unknown.invalid> - 2016-06-17 16:11 +0200
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Jon Elson <jmelson@wustl.edu> - 2016-06-13 17:27 -0500
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> - 2016-06-16 19:27 -0400
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2016-06-17 12:41 +0000
        Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> - 2016-06-17 16:55 -0400
      Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Stephen Wolstenholme <steve@easynn.com> - 2016-06-17 14:16 +0100
        Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? "Osmium" <r124c4u102@comcast.net> - 2016-06-17 08:22 -0500
    Re: So, what was your computer birthplace? Jim Rymarczyk - 2016-06-17 08:35 -0500

Page 3 of 4 — ← Prev page 1 2 [3] 4  Next page →


#164934

FromBob Eager <news0006@eager.cx>
Date2016-06-12 09:18 +0000
Message-ID<ds4nmuFeav1U1@mid.individual.net>
In reply to#164931
On Sat, 11 Jun 2016 15:48:03 -0700, Quadibloc wrote:

> On Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 4:17:17 PM UTC-6, Bob Eager wrote:
>  
>> One of my most interesting projects was modifying the CPU on a
>> Honeywell 516. Backwards compatible, but some modified instructions and
>> effects in restricted mode.
> 
> Wow! That is an advanced project.

It was my final year undergraduate project (and probably what saved my 
degree).

The modifications were largely to allow one to create a proper VM - the 
original design did not allow proper virtualisation.



-- 
Using UNIX since v6 (1975)...

Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
 http://www.mirrorservice.org

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#164935

From"J. Clarke" <j.clarke.873638@gmail.com>
Date2016-06-12 07:01 -0400
Message-ID<MPG.31c70b2332d3271f98a24a@news.eternal-september.org>
In reply to#164934
In article <ds4nmuFeav1U1@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx says...
> 
> On Sat, 11 Jun 2016 15:48:03 -0700, Quadibloc wrote:
> 
> > On Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 4:17:17 PM UTC-6, Bob Eager wrote:
> >  
> >> One of my most interesting projects was modifying the CPU on a
> >> Honeywell 516. Backwards compatible, but some modified instructions and
> >> effects in restricted mode.
> > 
> > Wow! That is an advanced project.
> 
> It was my final year undergraduate project (and probably what saved my 
> degree).
> 
> The modifications were largely to allow one to create a proper VM - the 
> original design did not allow proper virtualisation.

If you learned how to do that sort of thing as an undergraduate I want 
to have gone to wherever you went.  Or was it a case of learning despite 
the school instead of because of it?

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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#164936

FromBob Eager <news0006@eager.cx>
Date2016-06-12 11:09 +0000
Message-ID<ds4u6mFeav1U3@mid.individual.net>
In reply to#164935
On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:01:40 -0400, J. Clarke wrote:

> In article <ds4nmuFeav1U1@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx says...
>> 
>> On Sat, 11 Jun 2016 15:48:03 -0700, Quadibloc wrote:
>> 
>> > On Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 4:17:17 PM UTC-6, Bob Eager wrote:
>> >  
>> >> One of my most interesting projects was modifying the CPU on a
>> >> Honeywell 516. Backwards compatible, but some modified instructions
>> >> and effects in restricted mode.
>> > 
>> > Wow! That is an advanced project.
>> 
>> It was my final year undergraduate project (and probably what saved my
>> degree).
>> 
>> The modifications were largely to allow one to create a proper VM - the
>> original design did not allow proper virtualisation.
> 
> If you learned how to do that sort of thing as an undergraduate I want
> to have gone to wherever you went.  Or was it a case of learning despite
> the school instead of because of it?
> 
> ---
> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> https://www.avast.com/antivirus

I was actually studying Electronics. I wasn't very good at analogue 
stuff! And then I became hooked on computing in my spare time. My 
vacation project (compulsory) at the end of the second year was a plotter 
interface - which was spectacularly awful. I guess I was just very keen.

I think I still have the drawings somewhere.

Oh, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.



-- 
Using UNIX since v6 (1975)...

Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
 http://www.mirrorservice.org

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#164937

From"J. Clarke" <j.clarke.873638@gmail.com>
Date2016-06-12 07:24 -0400
Message-ID<MPG.31c71067d3f28bf498a24c@news.eternal-september.org>
In reply to#164936
In article <ds4u6mFeav1U3@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx says...
> 
> On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:01:40 -0400, J. Clarke wrote:
> 
> > In article <ds4nmuFeav1U1@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx says...
> >> 
> >> On Sat, 11 Jun 2016 15:48:03 -0700, Quadibloc wrote:
> >> 
> >> > On Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 4:17:17 PM UTC-6, Bob Eager wrote:
> >> >  
> >> >> One of my most interesting projects was modifying the CPU on a
> >> >> Honeywell 516. Backwards compatible, but some modified instructions
> >> >> and effects in restricted mode.
> >> > 
> >> > Wow! That is an advanced project.
> >> 
> >> It was my final year undergraduate project (and probably what saved my
> >> degree).
> >> 
> >> The modifications were largely to allow one to create a proper VM - the
> >> original design did not allow proper virtualisation.
> > 
> > If you learned how to do that sort of thing as an undergraduate I want
> > to have gone to wherever you went.  Or was it a case of learning despite
> > the school instead of because of it?
> > 
> > ---
> > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> > https://www.avast.com/antivirus
> 
> I was actually studying Electronics. I wasn't very good at analogue 
> stuff! And then I became hooked on computing in my spare time. My 
> vacation project (compulsory) at the end of the second year was a plotter 
> interface - which was spectacularly awful. I guess I was just very keen.
> 
> I think I still have the drawings somewhere.
> 
> Oh, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.

Compulsory vacation project?  Definitely a different approach from US 
colleges, at least the ones I've attended.



---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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#164938

FromStephen Wolstenholme <steve@easynn.com>
Date2016-06-12 12:37 +0100
Message-ID<v0iqlb5ck7eh5t1kppmovoc3lcsjjfg1l4@4ax.com>
In reply to#164937
On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:24:29 -0400, "J. Clarke"
<j.clarke.873638@gmail.com> wrote:

>In article <ds4u6mFeav1U3@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx says...
>> 
>> On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:01:40 -0400, J. Clarke wrote:
>> 
>> > In article <ds4nmuFeav1U1@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx says...
>> >> 
>> >> On Sat, 11 Jun 2016 15:48:03 -0700, Quadibloc wrote:
>> >> 
>> >> > On Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 4:17:17 PM UTC-6, Bob Eager wrote:
>> >> >  
>> >> >> One of my most interesting projects was modifying the CPU on a
>> >> >> Honeywell 516. Backwards compatible, but some modified instructions
>> >> >> and effects in restricted mode.
>> >> > 
>> >> > Wow! That is an advanced project.
>> >> 
>> >> It was my final year undergraduate project (and probably what saved my
>> >> degree).
>> >> 
>> >> The modifications were largely to allow one to create a proper VM - the
>> >> original design did not allow proper virtualisation.
>> > 
>> > If you learned how to do that sort of thing as an undergraduate I want
>> > to have gone to wherever you went.  Or was it a case of learning despite
>> > the school instead of because of it?
>> > 
>> > ---
>> > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
>> > https://www.avast.com/antivirus
>> 
>> I was actually studying Electronics. I wasn't very good at analogue 
>> stuff! And then I became hooked on computing in my spare time. My 
>> vacation project (compulsory) at the end of the second year was a plotter 
>> interface - which was spectacularly awful. I guess I was just very keen.
>> 
>> I think I still have the drawings somewhere.
>> 
>> Oh, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
>
>Compulsory vacation project?  Definitely a different approach from US 
>colleges, at least the ones I've attended.
>

It my experience vacation work was advisory rather than compulsory.
Even so I never got around to doing any! 

Steve

-- 
Neural Network Software for Windows                 http://www.npsnn.com

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#164940

FromBob Eager <news0006@eager.cx>
Date2016-06-12 11:46 +0000
Message-ID<ds50d1Feav1U5@mid.individual.net>
In reply to#164938
On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 12:37:44 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:

> On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:24:29 -0400, "J. Clarke"
> <j.clarke.873638@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>>In article <ds4u6mFeav1U3@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx says...
>>> 
>>> On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:01:40 -0400, J. Clarke wrote:
>>> 
>>> > In article <ds4nmuFeav1U1@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx
>>> > says...
>>> >> 
>>> >> On Sat, 11 Jun 2016 15:48:03 -0700, Quadibloc wrote:
>>> >> 
>>> >> > On Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 4:17:17 PM UTC-6, Bob Eager wrote:
>>> >> >  
>>> >> >> One of my most interesting projects was modifying the CPU on a
>>> >> >> Honeywell 516. Backwards compatible, but some modified
>>> >> >> instructions and effects in restricted mode.
>>> >> > 
>>> >> > Wow! That is an advanced project.
>>> >> 
>>> >> It was my final year undergraduate project (and probably what saved
>>> >> my degree).
>>> >> 
>>> >> The modifications were largely to allow one to create a proper VM -
>>> >> the original design did not allow proper virtualisation.
>>> > 
>>> > If you learned how to do that sort of thing as an undergraduate I
>>> > want to have gone to wherever you went.  Or was it a case of
>>> > learning despite the school instead of because of it?
>>> > 
>>> > ---
>>> > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
>>> > https://www.avast.com/antivirus
>>> 
>>> I was actually studying Electronics. I wasn't very good at analogue
>>> stuff! And then I became hooked on computing in my spare time. My
>>> vacation project (compulsory) at the end of the second year was a
>>> plotter interface - which was spectacularly awful. I guess I was just
>>> very keen.
>>> 
>>> I think I still have the drawings somewhere.
>>> 
>>> Oh, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
>>
>>Compulsory vacation project?  Definitely a different approach from US
>>colleges, at least the ones I've attended.
>>
>>
> It my experience vacation work was advisory rather than compulsory.
> Even so I never got around to doing any!

This was specifically for the vacation preceding the final year. One had 
to actually attend the university (or do a VERY detailed essay, which was 
anathema to science students).

My vacation work was mainly working in a service station in my first 
year. I then had a job working in the computer centre of the university 
nearest home (4 miles away) as an operator and programmer.



-- 
Using UNIX since v6 (1975)...

Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
 http://www.mirrorservice.org

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#164939

FromBob Eager <news0006@eager.cx>
Date2016-06-12 11:44 +0000
Message-ID<ds509dFeav1U4@mid.individual.net>
In reply to#164937
On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:24:29 -0400, J. Clarke wrote:

> In article <ds4u6mFeav1U3@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx says...
>> 
>> On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:01:40 -0400, J. Clarke wrote:
>> 
>> > In article <ds4nmuFeav1U1@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx
>> > says...
>> >> 
>> >> On Sat, 11 Jun 2016 15:48:03 -0700, Quadibloc wrote:
>> >> 
>> >> > On Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 4:17:17 PM UTC-6, Bob Eager wrote:
>> >> >  
>> >> >> One of my most interesting projects was modifying the CPU on a
>> >> >> Honeywell 516. Backwards compatible, but some modified
>> >> >> instructions and effects in restricted mode.
>> >> > 
>> >> > Wow! That is an advanced project.
>> >> 
>> >> It was my final year undergraduate project (and probably what saved
>> >> my degree).
>> >> 
>> >> The modifications were largely to allow one to create a proper VM -
>> >> the original design did not allow proper virtualisation.
>> > 
>> > If you learned how to do that sort of thing as an undergraduate I
>> > want to have gone to wherever you went.  Or was it a case of learning
>> > despite the school instead of because of it?
>> > 
>> > ---
>> > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
>> > https://www.avast.com/antivirus
>> 
>> I was actually studying Electronics. I wasn't very good at analogue
>> stuff! And then I became hooked on computing in my spare time. My
>> vacation project (compulsory) at the end of the second year was a
>> plotter interface - which was spectacularly awful. I guess I was just
>> very keen.
>> 
>> I think I still have the drawings somewhere.
>> 
>> Oh, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
> 
> Compulsory vacation project?  Definitely a different approach from US
> colleges, at least the ones I've attended.

Long gone now. It only lasted until the mid 1970s. We were given a small 
cash grant to cover costs; I seem to remember that it covered rent, and a 
pint of milk, each day. Food was down to us!

-- 
Using UNIX since v6 (1975)...

Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
 http://www.mirrorservice.org

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#164947

FromAhem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net>
Date2016-06-12 15:55 +0100
Message-ID<20160612155522.a053b231d8f62a062ac8d5bb@eircom.net>
In reply to#164937
On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:24:29 -0400
"J. Clarke" <j.clarke.873638@gmail.com> wrote:

> In article <ds4u6mFeav1U3@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx says...
> > 
> > On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:01:40 -0400, J. Clarke wrote:
> > 
> > > In article <ds4nmuFeav1U1@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx
> > > says...
> > >> 
> > >> On Sat, 11 Jun 2016 15:48:03 -0700, Quadibloc wrote:
> > >> 
> > >> > On Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 4:17:17 PM UTC-6, Bob Eager wrote:
> > >> >  
> > >> >> One of my most interesting projects was modifying the CPU on a
> > >> >> Honeywell 516. Backwards compatible, but some modified
> > >> >> instructions and effects in restricted mode.
> > >> > 
> > >> > Wow! That is an advanced project.
> > >> 
> > >> It was my final year undergraduate project (and probably what saved
> > >> my degree).
> > >> 
> > >> The modifications were largely to allow one to create a proper VM -
> > >> the original design did not allow proper virtualisation.
> > > 
> > > If you learned how to do that sort of thing as an undergraduate I want
> > > to have gone to wherever you went.  Or was it a case of learning
> > > despite the school instead of because of it?
> > > 
> > > ---
> > > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> > > https://www.avast.com/antivirus
> > 
> > I was actually studying Electronics. I wasn't very good at analogue 
> > stuff! And then I became hooked on computing in my spare time. My 
> > vacation project (compulsory) at the end of the second year was a
> > plotter interface - which was spectacularly awful. I guess I was just
> > very keen.
> > 
> > I think I still have the drawings somewhere.
> > 
> > Oh, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
> 
> Compulsory vacation project?  Definitely a different approach from US 
> colleges, at least the ones I've attended.

	It wasn't common in the UK, at least in the normal course of
things but it wasn't unusual if you were switching subjects to have to do a
transition course of some kind in the summer vac - usually quite short. I
had a three week one switching from maths to computer science which included
an infamous FORTRAN in three days section (by the end of which we had an
essay to write on the differences between FORTRAN II and FORTRAN IV).

-- 
Steve O'Hara-Smith                          |   Directable Mirror Arrays
C:>WIN                                      | A better way to focus the sun
The computer obeys and wins.                |    licences available see
You lose and Bill collects.                 |    http://www.sohara.org/

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#164949

FromBob Eager <news0006@eager.cx>
Date2016-06-12 15:15 +0000
Message-ID<ds5ckuFeav1U8@mid.individual.net>
In reply to#164947
On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 15:55:22 +0100, Ahem A Rivet's Shot wrote:

> On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:24:29 -0400 "J. Clarke"
> <j.clarke.873638@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> In article <ds4u6mFeav1U3@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx
>> says...
>> > 
>> > On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:01:40 -0400, J. Clarke wrote:
>> > 
>> > > In article <ds4nmuFeav1U1@mid.individual.net>, news0006@eager.cx
>> > > says...
>> > >> 
>> > >> On Sat, 11 Jun 2016 15:48:03 -0700, Quadibloc wrote:
>> > >> 
>> > >> > On Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 4:17:17 PM UTC-6, Bob Eager wrote:
>> > >> >  
>> > >> >> One of my most interesting projects was modifying the CPU on a
>> > >> >> Honeywell 516. Backwards compatible, but some modified
>> > >> >> instructions and effects in restricted mode.
>> > >> > 
>> > >> > Wow! That is an advanced project.
>> > >> 
>> > >> It was my final year undergraduate project (and probably what
>> > >> saved my degree).
>> > >> 
>> > >> The modifications were largely to allow one to create a proper VM
>> > >> -
>> > >> the original design did not allow proper virtualisation.
>> > > 
>> > > If you learned how to do that sort of thing as an undergraduate I
>> > > want to have gone to wherever you went.  Or was it a case of
>> > > learning despite the school instead of because of it?
>> > > 
>> > > ---
>> > > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus
>> > > software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus
>> > 
>> > I was actually studying Electronics. I wasn't very good at analogue
>> > stuff! And then I became hooked on computing in my spare time. My
>> > vacation project (compulsory) at the end of the second year was a
>> > plotter interface - which was spectacularly awful. I guess I was just
>> > very keen.
>> > 
>> > I think I still have the drawings somewhere.
>> > 
>> > Oh, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
>> 
>> Compulsory vacation project?  Definitely a different approach from US
>> colleges, at least the ones I've attended.
> 
> 	It wasn't common in the UK, at least in the normal course of
> things but it wasn't unusual if you were switching subjects to have to
> do a transition course of some kind in the summer vac - usually quite
> short. I had a three week one switching from maths to computer science
> which included an infamous FORTRAN in three days section (by the end of
> which we had an essay to write on the differences between FORTRAN II and
> FORTRAN IV).

Mine wasn't transition - it was compulsory in every subject!

-- 
Using UNIX since v6 (1975)...

Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
 http://www.mirrorservice.org

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#164942

Frommick <invalid@invalid.invalid>
Date2016-06-12 14:29 +0000
Message-ID<575d71dd$0$62129$b1db1813$19ace300@news.astraweb.com>
In reply to#164853
On Thu, 09 Jun 2016 17:58:22 +0100, gareth G4SDW GQRP #3339 wrote:

> Apart from the FORTRAN for engineers course in 1969,
> My exposure was to PDP11 and PDP8 in their naked format,
> so that I had complete control and understanding of the machine,
> and, even when I progressed to RSX-11, I had complete knowledge of the
> source and workings of it, having been on the systems programmer course
> at the Butts centre in Reading in 1978.
> 
> The result of all that exposure was that I feel uneasy with any computer
> system where I am not in complete control or lack knowledge about what
> is hiding under the API with which I interact, and it is that sense of
> unease that motivates me for my language and OS ideas.


My very first computing experience was building a simple analogue 
computer from pots and a meter while at school. It sort of worked. :)

After that is was a Nascom-1 kit in 1979 (I think). You got a big PCB, a 
bag of components, a pre-built keyboard and 2 instruction books. The 
power supply was an optional extra! The instruction books were the 
assembly manual (also known as "the easy book") and the programming 
manual (known as "the hard book"). Output was to a TV via an RF modulator.
All programmed in Z80 code using an on-board 1k machine code monitor.

That beastie ended up with all sorts of expansion and mods. :)
(more information: www.nascom.info )

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#164944

FromStephen Wolstenholme <steve@easynn.com>
Date2016-06-12 15:35 +0100
Message-ID<tmsqlbtrbkcptorbq045b6mrkqad7jh98j@4ax.com>
In reply to#164942
On 12 Jun 2016 14:29:49 GMT, mick <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>On Thu, 09 Jun 2016 17:58:22 +0100, gareth G4SDW GQRP #3339 wrote:
>
>> Apart from the FORTRAN for engineers course in 1969,
>> My exposure was to PDP11 and PDP8 in their naked format,
>> so that I had complete control and understanding of the machine,
>> and, even when I progressed to RSX-11, I had complete knowledge of the
>> source and workings of it, having been on the systems programmer course
>> at the Butts centre in Reading in 1978.
>> 
>> The result of all that exposure was that I feel uneasy with any computer
>> system where I am not in complete control or lack knowledge about what
>> is hiding under the API with which I interact, and it is that sense of
>> unease that motivates me for my language and OS ideas.
>
>
>My very first computing experience was building a simple analogue 
>computer from pots and a meter while at school. It sort of worked. :)
>
>After that is was a Nascom-1 kit in 1979 (I think). You got a big PCB, a 
>bag of components, a pre-built keyboard and 2 instruction books. The 
>power supply was an optional extra! The instruction books were the 
>assembly manual (also known as "the easy book") and the programming 
>manual (known as "the hard book"). Output was to a TV via an RF modulator.
>All programmed in Z80 code using an on-board 1k machine code monitor.
>
>That beastie ended up with all sorts of expansion and mods. :)
>(more information: www.nascom.info )

Mine was probably the main cause of my divorce!

Steve

-- 
Neural Network Software for Windows                 http://www.npsnn.com

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#164948

FromAhem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net>
Date2016-06-12 15:51 +0100
Message-ID<20160612155109.64cfe1f147c4b5ccb93eebf7@eircom.net>
In reply to#164853
On Thu, 9 Jun 2016 17:58:22 +0100
"gareth G4SDW GQRP #3339" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> wrote:

> Apart from the FORTRAN for engineers course in 1969,
> My exposure was to PDP11 and PDP8 in their naked format,

	Mine came in 1973 when one of our maths teachers asked who would
like to be introduced to "the computer". It wasn't a computer, as we soon
learned, it was a teletype on which we could prepare BASIC programs on
paper tapes to be sent to the computer at the local tech that evening and
the results returned the following evening. Then I found out that I could
go visit the machine any evening (there was an open hour), put my programs
on decks of cards, walk in put my cards in the hopper, wait and collect my
printout from the 1403. Then things got even better - I could book the
machine and have it all to myself for an hour once a week.

	The machine was an IBM 1130, with a 1442 card reader punch, a 1403
printer and a paper tape reader/punch which IIRC wasn't IBM. After I found
my way to it I taught myself FORTRAN and then 1130 assembler. Then there
was a pause while I concentrated on A-Levels, entrance exams and some
fascinating work in the Cavendish Labs before I wound up working my break
year in a Tandy franchise just in time to be handed one of the first
TRS-80s in the country and told to see what I could do with it to make a
demonstration. Then I went to university and met the 370 there and actually
learned about computing.

-- 
Steve O'Hara-Smith                          |   Directable Mirror Arrays
C:>WIN                                      | A better way to focus the sun
The computer obeys and wins.                |    licences available see
You lose and Bill collects.                 |    http://www.sohara.org/

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#164954

FromRenaissance <unknown@unknown.invalid>
Date2016-06-13 09:59 +0200
Message-ID<njlp4o$8l5$1@virtdiesel.mng.cu.mi.it>
In reply to#164853
Il 09/06/2016 18.58, gareth G4SDW GQRP #3339 ha scritto:

> The result of all that exposure was that I feel uneasy with any
> computer system where I am not in complete control or lack
> knowledge about what is hiding under the API with which I interact,
> and it is that sense of unease that motivates me for my language and OS
> ideas.

1983, pdp-11/23, rsx-11m+, 12 vt100s. Fortran, Pascal, Assembly.
1983, Commodore 64, basic, assembly.
1986, First ibm pc compatible, i386 25mhz, 4mb ram, ms-dos 4.1 - 5,
windows 3.0 - 3.1, sco xenix 386.

bye G.L.
-- 
Da i.d.c.tutela:
P.S. Quando ci sarà lo switch-off, avrò problemi anche col
monitor del PC? Ho visto che è collegato in modalità analogica.

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#164956

FromRenaissance <unknown@unknown.invalid>
Date2016-06-13 10:06 +0200
Message-ID<njlpiu$8v9$1@virtdiesel.mng.cu.mi.it>
In reply to#164954
Il 13/06/2016 9.59, Renaissance ha scritto:

> 1986, First ibm pc compatible, i386 25mhz, 4mb ram, ms-dos 4.1 - 5,
> windows 3.0 - 3.1, sco xenix 386.

Errata corrige: 1989.

bye G.L.
-- 
Da i.d.c.tutela:
P.S. Quando ci sarà lo switch-off, avrò problemi anche col
monitor del PC? Ho visto che è collegato in modalità analogica.

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#165408

FromRenaissance <unknown@unknown.invalid>
Date2016-06-17 16:11 +0200
Message-ID<nk10et$b5s$1@virtdiesel.mng.cu.mi.it>
In reply to#164956
Il 13/06/2016 10.06, Renaissance ha scritto:

1984-1985: nbs-z80 nanocomputer, z80 assembly, hex z80 programming and
interfacing:
http://www.introni.it/pdf/Nichols%20-%20Nanobook%20Z80%20-%20Vol%203.pdf

1986-1988: at the Campus, Unix System V on NEC mini (I don't remember
which serie, it was a multiprocessor system Motorola 68010 + MMU based),
Pascal.

bye G.L.
-- 
Da i.d.c.tutela:
P.S. Quando ci sarà lo switch-off, avrò problemi anche col
monitor del PC? Ho visto che è collegato in modalità analogica.

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#164986

FromJon Elson <jmelson@wustl.edu>
Date2016-06-13 17:27 -0500
Message-ID<VZ6dnV7TW4XarsLKnZ2dnUU7-XPNnZ2d@giganews.com>
In reply to#164853
gareth G4SDW GQRP #3339 wrote:

> Apart from the FORTRAN for engineers course in 1969,
> My exposure was to PDP11 and PDP8 in their naked format,
> so that I had complete control and understanding of the machine,
> and, even when I progressed to RSX-11, I had complete knowledge
> of the source and workings of it, having been on the systems
> programmer course at the Butts centre in Reading in 1978.
> 
> The result of all that exposure was that I feel uneasy with any
> computer system where I am not in complete control or lack
> knowledge about what is hiding under the API with which I interact,
> and it is that sense of unease that motivates me for my language and OS
> ideas.
That doesn't bother me a bit, unless I'm hooking up bit-flipping hardware to 
it.  Then I need to know more about the underlying construction.

I found the Beagle Bone to be really good in this regard.  For higher-level 
stuff, program in C or whatever language you like.  For low-level stuff that 
needs to be fast, you can use the PRU, a pair of 200 MHz 32-bit 
microcontrollers that have direct access to a small number of I/O pins.

I emulated an old PC with DMA card using the PRU, and was able to unpack 
run-length compressed bit strings and feed them to a laser diode at 5 
us/pixel.  You couldn't do that reliably with the ARM processor in the Linux 
user environment.

If you want to go back to the PDP-11 console mode programming, SIMH is quite 
good.  I showed my kids how a computer really worked with that.

Jon

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#165357

FromRich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com>
Date2016-06-16 19:27 -0400
Message-ID<mddwplo1zqe.fsf@panix5.panix.com>
In reply to#164853
1968-69:  1401 - FORTRAN IV; System/360 - COBOL, PL/1
summer 1969: System/360 assembler
1969-1970: System/360 - Coursewriter III, APL\360; IBM 1800 - Coursewriter II, APL\1500
autumn 1970: CDC 6600 - COMPASS; System/370 introduction
1973-1975: System/360 - Coursewriter III, COBOL, PL/I (Optimizer and Checkout), Assembler
1977-1978: DEC-20 - BASIC+2; System/370 - VSBASIC; worked in PL/1
1978: ported Tiny Pascal (BYTE) from Northstar BASIC to TOPS-20 BASIC+2;
      beginning Lisp romance
1979-1982: financial applications on Amdahl 470 in COBOL and PL/I;
	   wrote indirect cost system for University of Chicago in System/1022 on DEC-20
1982-1984: systems programming under SVS on Amdahl 470 and MVS on 4341;
	   systems programming under TOPS-20 v4 and v5.1 on DEC-20
1984-present: systems and applications programming under TOPS-20
2003-present: systems and applications programming under Tops-10
2013: applications programming under OS/8
2014-present: systems and applications programming under WAITS
2016: initial systems work under VM/370

-- 
Rich Alderson                                   news@alderson.users.panix.com
    the russet leaves of an autumn oak/inspire once again the failed poet/
    to take up his pen/and essay to place his meagre words upon the page...

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#165393

Fromscott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal)
Date2016-06-17 12:41 +0000
Message-ID<peS8z.275$oD2.95@fx33.iad>
In reply to#165357
Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> writes:
>1968-69:  1401 - FORTRAN IV; System/360 - COBOL, PL/1
>summer 1969: System/360 assembler
>1969-1970: System/360 - Coursewriter III, APL\360; IBM 1800 - Coursewriter II, APL\1500
>autumn 1970: CDC 6600 - COMPASS; System/370 introduction
>1973-1975: System/360 - Coursewriter III, COBOL, PL/I (Optimizer and Checkout), Assembler
>1977-1978: DEC-20 - BASIC+2; System/370 - VSBASIC; worked in PL/1
>1978: ported Tiny Pascal (BYTE) from Northstar BASIC to TOPS-20 BASIC+2;
>      beginning Lisp romance
>1979-1982: financial applications on Amdahl 470 in COBOL and PL/I;
>	   wrote indirect cost system for University of Chicago in System/1022 on DEC-20
>1982-1984: systems programming under SVS on Amdahl 470 and MVS on 4341;
>	   systems programming under TOPS-20 v4 and v5.1 on DEC-20
>1984-present: systems and applications programming under TOPS-20
>2003-present: systems and applications programming under Tops-10
>2013: applications programming under OS/8
>2014-present: systems and applications programming under WAITS
>2016: initial systems work under VM/370

 Have you done any programming on the V380 yet?

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#165427

FromRich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com>
Date2016-06-17 16:55 -0400
Message-ID<mddh9cr8rhv.fsf@panix5.panix.com>
In reply to#165393
scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) writes:

> Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> writes:
>> 1968-69:  1401 - FORTRAN IV; System/360 - COBOL, PL/1
>> summer 1969: System/360 assembler
>> 1969-1970: System/360 - Coursewriter III, APL\360; IBM 1800 - Coursewriter II, APL\1500
>> autumn 1970: CDC 6600 - COMPASS; System/370 introduction
>> 1973-1975: System/360 - Coursewriter III, COBOL, PL/I (Optimizer and Checkout), Assembler
>> 1977-1978: DEC-20 - BASIC+2; System/370 - VSBASIC; worked in PL/1
>> 1978: ported Tiny Pascal (BYTE) from Northstar BASIC to TOPS-20 BASIC+2;
>>       beginning Lisp romance
>> 1979-1982: financial applications on Amdahl 470 in COBOL and PL/I;
>> 	   wrote indirect cost system for University of Chicago in System/1022 on DEC-20
>> 1982-1984: systems programming under SVS on Amdahl 470 and MVS on 4341;
>> 	   systems programming under TOPS-20 v4 and v5.1 on DEC-20
>> 1984-present: systems and applications programming under TOPS-20
>> 2003-present: systems and applications programming under Tops-10
>> 2013: applications programming under OS/8
>> 2014-present: systems and applications programming under WAITS
>> 2016: initial systems work under VM/370

>  Have you done any programming on the V380 yet?

Not yet.  I've had a couple of very large PDP-10 related projects taking most
of my time for the last couple of years.

-- 
Rich Alderson                                   news@alderson.users.panix.com
    the russet leaves of an autumn oak/inspire once again the failed poet/
    to take up his pen/and essay to place his meagre words upon the page...

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]


#165405

FromStephen Wolstenholme <steve@easynn.com>
Date2016-06-17 14:16 +0100
Message-ID<jet7mblmuqk20ralq4om0jicdlec19vns8@4ax.com>
In reply to#165357
On 16 Jun 2016 19:27:21 -0400, Rich Alderson
<news@alderson.users.panix.com> wrote:

>1968-69:  1401 - FORTRAN IV; System/360 - COBOL, PL/1
>summer 1969: System/360 assembler
>1969-1970: System/360 - Coursewriter III, APL\360; IBM 1800 - Coursewriter II, APL\1500
>autumn 1970: CDC 6600 - COMPASS; System/370 introduction
>1973-1975: System/360 - Coursewriter III, COBOL, PL/I (Optimizer and Checkout), Assembler
>1977-1978: DEC-20 - BASIC+2; System/370 - VSBASIC; worked in PL/1
>1978: ported Tiny Pascal (BYTE) from Northstar BASIC to TOPS-20 BASIC+2;
>      beginning Lisp romance
>1979-1982: financial applications on Amdahl 470 in COBOL and PL/I;
>	   wrote indirect cost system for University of Chicago in System/1022 on DEC-20
>1982-1984: systems programming under SVS on Amdahl 470 and MVS on 4341;
>	   systems programming under TOPS-20 v4 and v5.1 on DEC-20
>1984-present: systems and applications programming under TOPS-20
>2003-present: systems and applications programming under Tops-10
>2013: applications programming under OS/8
>2014-present: systems and applications programming under WAITS
>2016: initial systems work under VM/370

I wish I had kept a diary. Apart from starting as a mainframe engineer
in 1969 and retiring in 2003 I've forgotten most of my working life!

Steve

-- 
Neural Network Software for Windows                 http://www.npsnn.com

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