[cctalk] Re: mainframe vs mini

OB_3-phase anecdote: Shortly before I started teaching at the college (so I got all of the details secondhand), . . . They had a PDP (I don't even know what model) that they used for the prograamming classes. But, they had constant problems with the [after-market?] disk drive, so it was down a lot. Not good when students need it for their homework. One semester, it was down almost all semester. So, they decided to replace it with microcomputers. They sold it to a local school district, and bought a room full of 5150s. Plus an unreliable network ("can support up to 128 simultaaneous users"; "oh, we've never connected more than 8 at a time", and a single user could bring the network to its knees). The school district was thrilled to get the PDP. Then they had PG&E set up the power for it. Some PG&E technicians did not know the difference between "Delta" and "Wye"/"Y" three phase! Seriously dsmaged the machine. PG&E bought a replacement machine for the school district, on the condition that all involved go along with a false story that it had been a lighning strike! I started teaching at the college. Fortran, "Micorcomputer Disk Operating Systems", and later BASIC, PC Assembly language, C, and even COBOL. We had a room full of 5150s, and used the IBM Microsoft Fortran and COBOL. There are some problems with the first version of the IBM/Microsoft PC Fortran, but it was OK for teaching beginning programming. -- Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com