30 Mar
2004
30 Mar
'04
7:41 p.m.
On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 18:06:31 -0500 (EST)
William Donzelli <aw288(a)osfn.org> wrote:
I have a few tubes of IM6100 Microprocessor chips, which is the first generation
'PDP-8 on a chip.' That's as close as I come to having a PDP-8 though. I
programmed a PDP-8 in the 'Introduction to Computer Programming' course that I
took at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1978. And I worked at a Microfilm
shop that had COM (Computer Output to Microfilm) Cameras controlled by PDP-8 processors a
few years after that. Otherwise I have had little experience with DEC gear, though
I'm about ready to track down my first VAX sometime soon (I hope).
I think you
need a bit of perspective here! "Lots of us" is
a microscopic crowd, a very few hardcore collectors with the
$ to stockpile.
I think the number of people on this list with PDPs of some flavor would
be quite high - maybe at least 20 percent? It is a rough guess, but
judging from the posts here and there over the years...
As far as "$ to stockpile" - almost anyone
on this list could have a PDP-8
(with the exception of a Straight, LINC-8, or -8/S) if they put their mind
to it. They are still out there, so if money is problem, old fashioned
legwork will eventually pay off. An then there is ebay, of course, and we
all know that quite few PDP-8s appear every year. Spending $1000-2000 for
a PDP-8 (maybe an 8/E) is really not completely insane. Put in some
overtime, wheel and deal, sacrifice a few other luxuries, whatever -
budget and save and that $2000 will appear.
Now an S/360 is a different matter. I have worked my legs for something
like seven years for one, and nothing has come my way (although I missed
that model 22 by a few weeks, I think). I have also made a serious budget
for one if Ebay finally pops one up, but none have. Where am I to get one?
Wouldn't you need a raised floor/controlled-environment to run a S/360? My dad worked
with those back in the day, and I have an authentic official 'System 360' Ashtray
still in the box that he brought home, but that's the only S/360 item in my
collection. Anybody else have a S/360 ashtry, or one of the wooden 'THINK' desk
signs IBM distributed in the 60's? (still have one of those dad gave me, too) I
really, REALLY wish I hadn't lost track of the IBM LP record I used to have from some
IBM Symposium. It had IBMers singing songs, etc. They had an official Company song, back
in the day.