8 Apr
2004
8 Apr
'04
4:49 a.m.
The Cybers weren't just the world's best
compute engines by a large
margin. They also have excellent I/O performance.
Yes, but ...
Show me another
1965 vintage computer that can support timesharing with 600 active
users and excellent interactive response time... (I'm talking about
the PLATO system here -- which ran 600 users on a 6400, not even a
6600, though the I/O is the same for either.)
That was a special-purpose TS application - comparable, say, to airline
booking (which I understood that both IBM and Honeywell (and Univac?)
managed to do reasonably competently).
Those who tried to use "Respond" (I think that is what it was called) for
general purpose timesharing on a CDC6600 were oft inclined to dub it
"Despond". Tho' I did manage to teach someone BASIC in an afternoon at such
a terminal - there were languages other than FTN. (or MNF.)
(and yes, the full stops - "periods" to most readers of this group - were
very significant)
Andy