Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #236663

Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?)

Newsgroups	alt.folklore.computers, comp.os.linux.misc
From	Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid>
Subject	Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?)
References	(3 earlier) <11ceaa8$c9ap$1@dont-email.me> <k9AGS.307464$xwD5.240961@fx47.iad> <11cm2tq$33858$1@dont-email.me> <wEudnY94QsYfIXP3nZ2dnZfqnPGdnZ2d@giganews.com> <11cnc4c$3g7sr$1@dont-email.me>
Message-ID	<WoRHS.510$v13.412@fx38.iad> (permalink)
Date	2026-11-08 02:47 +0000

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

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On 2026-11-07, Lars Poulsen <lars@beagle-ears.com> wrote:

> The RC2000 paper tape reader actually could read up to 2000 characters 
> per second. It contained a 512 byte buffer memory. The more open space 
> in the buffer, the faster the paper tape would advance. It was very 
> impressive to see it  running at full speed!

My first job was programming a Univac 9300 which had an RC2000
interfaced to it.  Most of our jobs didn't need data fast enough
to make it really wind up, so I added a summary option to one
program to make it show its stuff.

Later we came up with an application that needed to read lots of
tape at full speed.  A big roll of tape shooting through the machine
at 200 inches per second built enough of a static charge to create
a fat spark - which crashed the machine.  I rigged up a chain of
paper clips (grounded, of course) that hung where the tape would
hit it on its way out of the reader.  Even then, we have to get
a kettle boiling in the machine room to get the humidity up enough
to help the charge bleed off.

> "You never forget your first!"

Amen, brother.

-- 
/~\  Charlie Gibbs                  |  In this world there are
\ /  <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid>      |  two kinds of people:
 X   I'm really at ac.dekanfrus     |  1. Those who can extrapolate
/ \  if you read it the right way.  |  from incomplete data.

Thread

My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Lars Poulsen <lars@beagle-ears.com> - 2026-11-06 18:37 -0800
  Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-11-07 00:51 -0500
    Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Lars Poulsen <lars@beagle-ears.com> - 2026-11-07 06:20 -0800
      Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-11-07 07:38 -0700
      Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-11-08 02:47 +0000
    Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-11-07 07:31 -0700
      Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Lars Poulsen <lars@beagle-ears.com> - 2026-11-07 06:52 -0800
        Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-11-07 20:09 -0500
          Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> - 2026-11-08 08:08 +0000
            Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-11-08 21:24 -0500
              Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Lars Poulsen <lars@beagle-ears.com> - 2026-11-08 18:34 -0800
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-11-08 22:54 -0500
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-11-09 04:39 +0000
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-11-09 21:08 -0500
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-11-10 02:25 +0000
                Re: My Computer History Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-11-10 02:32 +0000
                Re: My Computer History c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-11-09 23:07 -0500
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-11-09 22:49 -0500
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Lars Poulsen <lars@beagle-ears.com> - 2026-11-10 06:03 -0800
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2026-11-10 15:08 +0000
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-11-09 07:29 -0700
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2026-11-09 16:11 +0000
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-11-09 21:19 -0500
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Bob Eager <throwaway0008@eager.cx> - 2026-11-10 14:31 +0000
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2026-11-09 07:48 -1000
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-11-09 21:55 -0500
                Re: My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-11-09 21:35 -0700
              Re: spooling, My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> - 2026-11-09 16:56 +0000
                Re: spooling, My Computer History (Re: Is This An Old Folks Home?) c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2026-11-09 21:46 -0500

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