29 Dec
2016
29 Dec
'16
8:04 p.m.
From: Cory Heisterkamp
this is likely as close as I'll ever come to
having a first generation
machine
Dude, as far as I'm concerned, if it uses some sort of circulating memory for
main memory (either delay line or drum), it's pretty much first generation (of
course, it all depends on how one defines generations).
(Unlike the very similar - in size/cost/role - Bendix G-15, it doesn't have
the 'next instruction' field in each instruction, to optimize performance,
though...)
Interesting factoid about the Bendix G-15: it was designed with the help of
one of the ACE people (Harry Huskey), and is basically a re-packaged ACE with
drum instead of delay lines. There's an interesting article by Huskey himself
in "Alan Turing's ACE" (by Jack Copeland) which discusses the G-15.
From: William Degnan
I am being very careful not to call this "the
first personal computer"
Oh, I think a good case can be made. People often cite the LINC as the first,
but the G-15 and LGP-30 were similar in cost and intent, albeit a generation
(at least) older.
Noel