3 Feb
2007
3 Feb
'07
2:21 a.m.
On Thu, 2007-02-01 at 22:47 -0600, Jim Isbell, W5JAI wrote:
I used the 7070 because that was all that was
available. Don't know the
7090. But at the time the 7070 was the best available. The US gov paid
dearly for it even though it had only 9K of memory, 10 bit words and no hard
drives, just a bank of big Ampex tape drives. When it shut down it took 2
days to get all the blown tubes replaced so it was back up again.
If it used tubes, then it was NOT a 7070. Period. You claim to be
"absolutely sure" that it was a 7070. If it was, it had no tubes. You
also claim to have been using the computer in 1959 and 1960. The 7070
was first released in June of 1960, so you clearly were NOT using a 7070
in 1959, and the first half of 1960. You certainly have SOMETHING wrong
here, absolute surety aside.
As to enabling the computer, I think loading a program
is enabling...don't
you?
I would also consider it pleasing to load a program into a computer.
Nonetheless, I doubt I would refer to a program load as "pleasing the
computer."
Please don't talk down to me. I think I have been
around computers as long
as you and I don't like your condescending tone..
Despite claims to the contrary, it's quite difficult to see "tone"
in written words. Sometimes, text is phrased in such a way as to be
highly suggestive of a certain tone, but if one believes that "tone" to
be indicative, one is acting upon an assumption from complete data, and
has a decent chance of assuming incorrectly.
What I wrote certainly was not WRITTEN condescendingly. Perhaps you
view yourself as such an authority that any attempt to correct you is
seen as a de facto insult? Your 7070 gaffe, coupled with statements
that the Apple ][ and Commodore 64 were flops, and that Linux came from
Apple, your proposal of the false dichotomy of fun computers versus
machines which could run various programming languages, and your
statement about the TRS-80 having the primary foundation of computer
code, when it was, among other things, based upon a second-generation
computer chip (and ignoring the MASSIVE software base that had been
written for the CP/M environment) could easily lead someone to believe
that you know very little about the computer field. I know it guided me
to that conclusion, although the 7070 information came later.
At the risk of stating the obvious, it seems to me that the easiest
way to avoid correction is to avoid saying incorrect things.
Personally, I don't mind being corrected, at least when I'm wrong, so
it's not an issue for me. I view a venue such as this one as a great
place to learn things. For me, learning things involves, from time to
time, putting out my view of things, and seeing who salutes it, and who
shoots at it. I can then compare what others are saying, and generally
expand my knowledge. Sometimes, I will even change an opinion, based
upon things others have said or quoted. I do that when I feel my
previous opinions have been wrong. Again, personally, I find being able
to improve my world view to be highly gratifying. YMMV.
Peace,
Warren E. Wolfe
wizard at voyager.net