14 Mar
2005
14 Mar
'05
11:25 a.m.
---------------Original Message:
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 17:21:05 -0800 (PST)
From: steven stengel <tosteve at yahoo.com>
Subject: Burroughs L7000 Magnetic System - What is it?
Sheesh,
I've been offered a Burroughs L7000, but I don't even
know what it is. Any hints?
http://members.cox.net/stengel/temp/L7000.jpg
Steve.
-----
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 23:47:30 -0500
From: "James Fogg" <James at jdfogg.com>
Subject: RE: Burroughs L7000 Magnetic System - What is it?
Well, it looks like an A/C unit in a hotel ;-)
---------------Reply:
It does indeed, but it is a somewhat misleading close-up
picture of the nameplate.
It's a relatively rare model of the L series accounting computer,
desk size with a keyboard, dual tractor Selectric-type printer,
fixed hard disk and integrated paper tape reader, capable
of reading mag stripe ledger cards (hence the "magnetic").
Suggest you ask for a picture of the whole machine; see:
http://www.sieler.com/L9000/original.html
for excellent pictures of an L9000, identical but with solid state
memory and dot-matrix printer (and a single tape drive on this
particular one).
Possible peripherals include PPT/EPC reader & punch, up to 4
digital cassette tape drives, external card reader, modem, etc.
I believe it was the last model to use a fixed hard disk for program
& working storage before they went solid state (L8000/9000).
Programming was normally done in assembler on a mainframe,
using punched card input and PPT output. With peripherals and
the relevant software it was possible to program on the L itself;
otherwise one could still program in machine language (again,
with the necessary software/firmware).
A real challenge if you don't have the firmware and utility tapes;
threw out most of my manuals & tapes long ago, but might
still have a golf & lunar lander game on cassette tape somewhere.
BTW, looks like Bletchley has a restored L5000 in its collection,
a very similar previous model; also, there used to be someone
on this list with 2 L9000s.
mike
