25 Jan
2012
25 Jan
'12
8:27 p.m.
On Jan 25, 2012, at 2:53 PM, Brent Hilpert wrote:
Whirlwind never used Williams-tube storage, at least
as I understand the definitions. I don't believe it is even historically accurate to
say ".. Whirlwind used a modified form of the Williams tube".
Williams-tubes memory (or the preferred "Williams-Kilburn-tubes") and the first
memory system of Whirlwind were both electrostatic CRT-based storage. The design approach
of the Williams-Kilburn-tube-memory was intended to enable the use of standard or
off-the-shelf CRTs, while the Whirlwind design used specialised holding-beam CRTs.
I tend to think of basically any CRT memory system as "Williams Tubes", which is
obviously inaccurate. I'll have to recalibrate my taxonomy. :-)
- Dave