20 Jan
2004
20 Jan
'04
1:38 a.m.
On Sun, 2004-01-18 at 18:32, ben franchuk wrote:
But with TUBE computers you just fix the broken part.:)
That is the major difference between IC's and the
earlier
generations of computers. That is part of the reason
real classic computers have a better chance of sticking
around, as you can still make parts like core memory
for a modest amount of $ compared to anything with a IC
in it.
Actually there's a interesting lesson in here, in that in the tube days
the components -- though manifold and balky -- were common, cheap,
easily substituted, and maint problems are largely the sheer number of
tiny, stupid parts. Any given part is easily re-fabricated, but sheesh
there's so damn many of them.
I have a new design (yes you read right) for a tube computer, probably
75 envelopes, on my website. 20 bits, serial arith, drum memory but I
later realized that switched-capacitor (aka DRAM) was actually
historically acceptable since one was made (NBS "test" computer; the
diodes were too expensive in 1952 but it was basically just a DRAM).
Somehow, I can't find the money to make it. But I'm serious enough,
there's an assembler and simulator there (wps.com/projects).