30 Mar
2010
30 Mar
'10
12:23 p.m.
On Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 3:25 PM, Ian King <IanK at vulcan.com> wrote:
Hmmm. I would argue the HP Model 30 Calculator (aka HP9830) from 1973 is
a desktop computer. Or at least I'd love to see a sensible definition of
'desktop computer' that excludes it.
That machine is portable in the sense 1 person can easily carry it (HP
even sold an optional carrying handle..). I've carreid mine into
buildings to give talks/demonstrations of it.
We're still in our first steps, and
haven't made a lot of use of vintage systems in the classroom (although I do like to
bring along my PDP-8/f, just to demonstrate what a desktop computer looked like in 1970).
If you have a moving van, you could bring a DataSystem 310 (PDP-8/a
w/RX02) to show that in 1978, a desktop computer was so-called because
it came with its own desk. ;-)
The Straight-8, the -8/S, the -8/L and the -8/e all had "desktop"
configurations as well as rackable configurations (i.e. - factory-made
desktop covers (black metal except for the Straight-8, which was
smoked plexi), but I think the other models of PDP-8 only had rackable
packages (not that you couldn't leave a PDP-8 out on a desk, but in
I have. On the deks alongside me is a PDP8/e, a TU56 and sittiog on top
of the TU56 is a PC04.
terms of aesthetics, vents, mounting ears, etc., they
weren't "desk
pretty").
Indeed.
Philips mdea portable version of the P850 minicomputer. It was a standard
P850 chassis in a plastic casing.I suspect it took 2 people to move it
sensibly. I have never seen it, only pictures.
-tony