A blast from the past

[DaveDragon]

Raw computing power!http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif
http://www.jonco48.com/blog/How_20Computers_20Have_20Changed.jpg

[hoog62]

A new Connie lists for $8499 doesn't it? Same era technology, but the Connie is still a viable piece of hardware.


Unless you have more money than brains........;)

[jayz9705]

A new Connie lists for $8499 doesn't it? Same era technology, but the Connie is still a viable piece of hardware.


Unless you have more money than brains........;)


Actually, wasn't the Connie introduced in 1986?

[hoog62]

At this point, the mid-to-late eighties has become one era to me.....

[dwsdad]

Actually, wasn't the Connie introduced in 1986?
Yep, and she's still a great bike after all these years!

[Woolly]

.. I went to Uni in 75-78 - Electronics & Computing -1st real job was commercial programming COBOL for a 'bureau', but coz I woz a clever D**k, I ended up working on the development team, with mini & micro computers (paper tape boot strap loaders etc.). The most impressive macine I ever came across woz a (don't cringe) Commodore Pet (not a 64) - I want one (any ideas??)

[jayz9705]

Any one remember the PDP 8 I mini. It stood 8 feet tall and filled a standard rack. Had to be bootstrap loaded via octal switches, then by paper tape. THEN you could start it up!

[Woolly]

Any one remember the PDP 8 I mini. It stood 8 feet tall and filled a standard rack. Had to be bootstrap loaded via octal switches, then by paper tape. THEN you could start it up!

... why do I remember a PDP 11 ?? or a DEC system 10 - but coming from the UK, we all knew (even in the 70's) what ICL stood for - 'it can't last' !!

[tmgs]

A new Connie lists for $8499 doesn't it? Same era technology, but the Connie is still a viable piece of hardware.


Unless you have more money than brains........;)


and when you do, you buy a FJR

running and ducking

Sorry i really couldn;t resist that one <heheheh>

My first PC was a magnavox 386SX 16 with 1 meg of ram a 40 meg hard drive I thought it was awesome when i put 4 megs of ram and realized the hard drive had been formatted wrong and was a 80 meg drive and got a 2400bps modem - i actually r an a BBS off that setup The Harley house South a Friend had one called The Harley house in Agusta GA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Woolly]

My first PC was a magnavox 386SX 16 with 1 meg of ram a 40 meg hard drive

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

.. 1meg of RAM :eek: 40meg HDD(Winchester):eek::eek: - you were spoilt - I had to write accountancy systems on 32 K of RAM, AND TWIN 8" Floppies (bout 300K each, I seem to remember(but don't shoot me...))

[dshealey]

... why do I remember a PDP 11 ?? or a DEC system 10 - but coming from the UK, we all knew (even in the 70's) what ICL stood for - 'it can't last' !!

My first experience with computers was in the mid '70s, starting my company at the time out in CAD, with an Intergraph system on a PDP11/70. Shut it down on Friday evening, then took 20 minutes every Monday morning to boot it up from a tape cartridge. It had a HUGE 64K memory bank if I remember correctly. :D
Now a really cheap starter PC from Wal-Mart has far more power, memory, and storage!

Wow how far we have come in such a short time!

[mwnahas]

.. 1meg of RAM :eek: 40meg HDD(Winchester):eek::eek: - you were spoilt - I had to write accountancy systems on 32 K of RAM, AND TWIN 8" Floppies (bout 300K each, I seem to remember(but don't shoot me...))

You were spoilt - I had to write programs and store them on audio cassette tapes.

[ksailor]

Hmmm.. Seem to remember an old IMSI 8080, toggle up to boot up. Finally got a COCO with audio cassette. Remember buying extra memory chips and soldering the 16 pins in piggyback to increase memory from 16k to 32k and then to 64k. What a mess. Traded for an old Compaq ton-and-a-half portable in a box with a fold down keyboard. WOW 10meg hard drive with 5.25 floppy!

Graduated to IBM Z80, 286, 386, 486 with 20 meg hard drive and a 3.5 floppy and finally built my own.

We had an old TRW system at work for operating the power system.

Laptops are much nicer.

[jayz9705]

Don't ANY of you guys go back in computers far enough to be BEFORE DOS and minis?

I can't be the only one who worked on IBM 360 mainframe. Octal operator console, assy language, punch card data entry, NRZI tape drives daisy chained on bus & tag cabling, vacuum columns and capstans for tape motion, setting tape skew with a soldering iron?

How about machine language thumb in diagnostics at the TCU panel to exercise the tape drive for testing?

All this goes back to the very late '60s & early '70s.

[Woolly]

Don't ANY of you guys go back in computers far enough to be BEFORE DOS and minis?

I can't be the only one who worked on IBM 360 mainframe. Octal operator console, assy language, punch card data entry, NRZI tape drives daisy chained on bus & tag cabling, vacuum columns and capstans for tape motion, setting tape skew with a soldering iron?

How about machine language thumb in diagnostics at the TCU panel to exercise the tape drive for testing?

All this goes back to the very late '60s & early '70s.

...one bored lunchtime, I knocked out every location on a punch card (took ages!) - It ended up like a piece of lace. I then put it through a card copier - its amazing how many full columns it copied before the engineer had to fix the machine :eek:

I was once given a paper tape hand editor punch as a leaving prezzy - it was a work of art - beautiully machined anodized aluminium & perspex - I think I might still have it somewhere.

[Zotter]

Anybody got any boot floppies for a Kaypro-II?

Got one here be kinda neat to fire up again.

[BMWphreak]

Any one remember the PDP 8 I mini. It stood 8 feet tall and filled a standard rack. Had to be bootstrap loaded via octal switches, then by paper tape. THEN you could start it up!


Oh yeah Jay, I remember! We had one running a piece of miltary communications switchgear when I worked for GTE back in 75. I pretty good at loading a program through the toggle switches...

[BMWphreak]

Anybody got any boot floppies for a Kaypro-II?

Got one here be kinda neat to fire up again.


I think I have Turbo Pascal on a Kaypro floppy somewhere!

[hschisler]

Don't ANY of you guys go back in computers far enough to be BEFORE DOS and minis?

I can't be the only one who worked on IBM 360 mainframe. Octal operator console, assy language, punch card data entry, NRZI tape drives daisy chained on bus & tag cabling, vacuum columns and capstans for tape motion, setting tape skew with a soldering iron?

How about machine language thumb in diagnostics at the TCU panel to exercise the tape drive for testing?

All this goes back to the very late '60s & early '70s.Started my IT career in 1978 working on IBM S/360, later S/370, then VM machines. Keypunch input, printed output, and you were lucky to get one program a day run and results back to you.

My first PC was an IBM. $3,300 got me 2 (2!) 5.25" single-sided diskettes (180k each, I think), a monochrome monitor, and 128k memory. Had to buy a Quadram Systems Quadboard -- provided memory expansion, parallel and serial interfaces, and something else (thus the name "quad"). No hard drive; they weren't available yet. Can't believe I gave serious consideration to a DEC Rainbow, an Apple something-or-other, and a couple of other brands that don't exist any longer. Paid big $$ for real copies of WordStar, dBase II, and Visicalc.

Amazing.

[airborneod]

Would any of you guys be interested in my TI 994a....I'll even toss in a few storage cassettes and a tape recorder........Thank God for progress.

[midwilshire]

My first experience with computers was in the mid '70s, starting my company at the time out in CAD,I thought you were a Coastie lifer, David. Can we get a CV posted here? It's hard to keep up. :)

[dshealey]

I thought you were a Coastie lifer, David. Can we get a CV posted here? It's hard to keep up. :)

Oh no, I only put in 4 years as a coastie. Made first class engineman in 3 years, 3 months though. Not many have done that. They tried to get me to stay in with a large re-enlistment bonus and promise of Warrant Officer school, but the outside world beckoned louder. :D

BUT: Looking back now, I often wonder if I maybe should have considered it longer. I would have retired as an officer, put 20 years in and retired 20 years ago. But here I am, still working my butt off. :confused:

As the old Dutchman said: "Too soon old, too late smart."

[midwilshire]

Oh no, I only put in 4 years as a coastie. Made first class engineman in 3 years, 3 months though. Not many have done that. They tried to get me to stay in with a large re-enlistment bonus and promise of Warrant Officer school, but the outside world beckoned louder. :DFunny, I was in the same position. Just replace "coastie" with "Marine" and "first class engineman" with "Sergeant."
BUT: Looking back now, I often wonder if I maybe should have considered it longer. I would have retired as an officer, put 20 years in and retired 20 years ago. But here I am, still working my butt off. :confused:

As the old Dutchman said: "Too soon old, too late smart."My thoughts exactly. Meeting John (alaskafish), a retired coastie, at WCR rekindled my interest and I now have my lengthy JAG application package pending in the USCG recruiters office. I wouldn't mind trading my dreary existence in corporate wasteland for a uniform again - at least for those 16 years 'til retirement. And even though my base pay would be less than 1/2 what I make now, the final tally of allowances and sundry benefits brings it surprisingly close. Plus, I might learn to drive a boat :)

[jayz9705]

........Thank God for progress.



Sometimes that even happens in a positive direction!

[Daibach]

Yes I do remember the PDP 8. My first experience with a computer. It was mounted in the wheel house of a seismic boat in the Beaufort Sea and after toggling up then feeding it the program and data on miles of teletype tape, it would calculate the bearing and distance to each shot.

[JCarver]

I've still got some dos 6 boot disks, but they are 3.5, not 5.25. I think I threw those out some time ago.

My start with computers, ones that I bought, was an Atari 800, then the 1200XL, then after they cancelled that model after it being on the market for only 3 months, I just used others systems. Finally got an Amiga 1000 in 85, then a 286-16 a couple of years later, and so it goes.

ttyl



Anybody got any boot floppies for a Kaypro-II?

Got one here be kinda neat to fire up again.

[jackd]

I can't be the only one who worked on IBM 360 mainframe. Octal operator console, assy language, punch card data entry, NRZI tape drives daisy chained on bus & tag cabling, vacuum columns and capstans for tape motion, setting tape skew with a soldering iron?

All this goes back to the very late '60s & early '70s.

Ding Ding.... I'm here. A little late but..

Well the 360 mainframe was the new generation of equipment for me...

I first worked on the 7040/7044 mainframe in the 'early 60's'.. SMS technology (you remember the kind that actually had transistors that you could touch, see and solder) once you identified the bad one and didn't have a replacement. ;)

If we have someone familiar with current IBM products they will know that the 7040 is now a valid machine type.. :D again...

[meese]

Wow how far we have come in such a short time!You're welcome. :) Actually, working in some of the semiconductor fabs means I often get to see what's coming next years ahead of time. I remember repairing an etch machine that was making 1 Gig RAM chips, back when my own hard disk wasn't that big yet. That's kinda cool.

[jayz9705]

Ding Ding.... I'm here. A little late but..

Well the 360 mainframe was the new generation of equipment for me...

I first worked on the 7040/7044 mainframe in the 'early 60's'.. SMS technology (you remember the kind that actually had transistors that you could touch, see and solder) once you identified the bad one and didn't have a replacement. ;)

If we have someone familiar with current IBM products they will know that the 7040 is now a valid machine type.. :D again...



Hi, Jack!

I never actually worked on it, but Schlumberger-Doll Research center had an original ALL RELAY computer in an old barn on their Ridgefield, CT facility. It was not in use, but it was functional. They would fire it up just for grins and giggles, and input a simple addition problem.

The exceute key would begin a cacophony of sound worthy of Apocolypse Now, and the Flight of The Valkeries, in full Dolby Surround sound with monster mega-base!!!! Dust would rise from the ground 50 feet from the building! Awesome!

Talk about digital....clickity clack!

[jackd]

Hi, Jack!

I never actually worked on it, but Schlumberger-Doll Research center had an original ALL RELAY computer in an old barn on their Ridgefield, CT facility. It was not in use, but it was functional. They would fire it up just for grins and giggles, and input a simple addition problem.

The exceute key would begin a cacophony of sound worthy of Apocolypse Now, and the Flight of The Valkeries, in full Dolby Surround sound with monster mega-base!!!! Dust would rise from the ground 50 feet from the building! Awesome!

Talk about digital....clickity clack!

Hey Jay.. How is the new homeland?

I saw this a few years ago... you might recognize this..:D

That is if I can get this picture attached... Hmmm got to figure this out.. :confused: when I have some more time..

[jayz9705]

Hey Jay.. How is the new homeland?

I saw this a few years ago... you might recognize this..:D

That is if I can get this picture attached... Hmmm got to figure this out.. :confused: when I have some more time..


So far, it's great down here! The weather is a bit better than you've been getting in CT. At least we're not alternating drowning and baking!:)

Even so, it's still, for me, too hot to ride much.

I'll look out for the picture.:abduct:

[jackd]

So far, it's great down here! The weather is a bit better than you've been getting in CT. At least we're not alternating drowning and baking!:)

Even so, it's still, for me, too hot to ride much.

I'll look out for the picture.:abduct:

Well, that is great that you are enjoying the new home. After all that is what it's all about. As far as baking and drowning... that was yesterday.. Heat index has it 110 or 100 with 76% humidity... and we had a T' storm that lasted 30 minutes and dropped .8 inch of rain.. Hmmm.. Florida without Mickey.. :D

Looks like my photo problem is too many pixels... Have to try an see if I can figure out a way to reduce density without loading a ton of new software. :(

[McAllister]

I remember in school, '67 or '68, getting up at 2:00 in the morning and going down to the computer center to see if my "program" ran and to get time on the keypunch machine to make the corrections in any were needed. The keypunch room was open 24/7. Later, after I got out of school, I remember a HUGE computer room running flight simulators that were nowhere near as capable as an early version of Microsoft Flight Sim. I've still got an Apple II in the basement and the great big 16K upgrade to make it a + model.


If you guys think looking back on the past improvements made in computers over the last 25+ years is neat, imagine what our Kids will be talking about 25 years from now on the advances that will be made between now and then. It ought to be quite a ride!

[tmgs]

Hmmm.. Seem to remember an old IMSI 8080, toggle up to boot up. Finally got a COCO with audio cassette. Remember buying extra memory chips and soldering the 16 pins in piggyback to increase memory from 16k to 32k and then to 64k. What a mess. Traded for an old Compaq ton-and-a-half portable in a box with a fold down keyboard. WOW 10meg hard drive with 5.25 floppy!

Graduated to IBM Z80, 286, 386, 486 with 20 meg hard drive and a 3.5 floppy and finally built my own.

We had an old TRW system at work for operating the power system.

Laptops are much nicer.


ok maybe some of you guys are older than Lynn

tom <hahahahaha>

[ksailor]

Right On Tom!!!

[kflanigan]

I had a Commadore PET! 4k memory, chiclet size keys, cassette tape drive all built in to a durable metal case. Traded a fantastic 1000mm f5.6 Zeiss lens for it. Dang, sure wish I had that lens back. It's still worth a bunch 'o bucks.

These "reminders" of what we paid for "bleeding edge" technology really strikes home.

[STEBS]

and when you do, you buy a FJR

running and ducking

Sorry i really couldn;t resist that one <heheheh>

My first PC was a magnavox 386SX 16 with 1 meg of ram a 40 meg hard drive I thought it was awesome when i put 4 megs of ram and realized the hard drive had been formatted wrong and was a 80 meg drive and got a 2400bps modem - i actually r an a BBS off that setup The Harley house South a Friend had one called The Harley house in Agusta GA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

My first computer was 386/dx 33 with 4 meg of ram and a 105 meg drive, it was a monster back in those days, I also ran a bbs for many years on that computer called The House Of Hell. Started with a 2400 modem, graduated to a 9600 and then a 14400, added another drive and a tape back up, some more ram, networked the msg boards with several other local bbs's. And wala we were the internet until everyone discovered Al Gores new system. :-) Yuk Yuk.

I still have that computer with the bbs intact.