12 Jun
2006
12 Jun
'06
5:27 a.m.
Chuck Guzis wrote:
On 6/11/2006 at 1:08 PM Don Y wrote:
Heck I bet it is 100x faster and 4096x more memory at least.
*Why* aren't people interested in this sort of
thing?
Well, okay. Here's my take--while the miniature front panel is kind of
cute, why the PDP-8? To my mind, the PDP-11 was a giant leap forward in
terms of usability and might be a better target for implementation. The
PDP-8 had a very small instruction set, miserable memory management and
wasn't very fast (I'll bet the uC on the IDE drive that it's attached to
is at least an order of magnitude faster). I have no particular fondness
for it. Perhaps someone else does. Now, put out something that will exercise my mind a
bit, say a multicore
VLIW machine with vector capabilities, and I could get interested. How
about a Dataflow machine?
The PDP8 is a 1965 era computer ... a 40 year old design.
The PC (XT) is 25 years and the 386 15 years.
I can't say that computers have improved since all want to run
Windows or claim to a RED HAT linux file server. ( I have no idea
what a mac is since they dropped the 68000 ). Every body here
wants just music, illegal CD's and DVD's downloaded and the internet
to give you Junk Mail and free SEX at high speed.
( I have been on dial up a long time and then it was $60 a month )
One could see the same thing in amateur radio or even
audio. At one time,
the way to get some of the best stuff at affordable prices was to build
your own. When I was active in amateur radio, I built all of my own
equipment--even my receiver. But after awhile, it was clear that folks
with more money to spend than I had could buy better than the builders
could build. So you got the phenomenon of the geezers with KWM-2s and
whatnot sitting around and whiling away the hours on 75 meter fone. I
would have sooner had a root canal than do that--it might as well be CB.
Thank heavens I discovered computers.
Well I guess morse code people don't use any more? Most short wave
radio all seems to bible preaching or something Spanish.
Well, now computers have turned into a plug-in
artist's dream. In fact,
things have gone a step further than amateur radio--the ready-made stuff is
not only good, it's DISPOSABLE. What's the point of fooling with this
stuff trying to make it better? I'd sooner make my own paper towels.
You get what you pay for.
Sure, I've got lots of memories tied up in this
stuff. But they're just
that--memories and the gear is just that--stuff. I want to make some new
memories while I still have time. The stuff's just a means to an end.
Cheers,
Chuck
.