6 Feb
2004
6 Feb
'04
8:51 p.m.
Quoth John Lawson:
If you look at the pix on the ebay page, you will
notice that this is only
half the system, and I contacted the seller (who I know) - it's all they
have. Its just the core planes and the switching logic. Its a 32KW
stack, BTW...
32Kw x 18, and with ICs around the core planes... was this for a PDP-15,
or perhaps a PDP-9?
[...] nonetheless, I intend to frame it, open, and
hang it on the wall
in my machine room, Dave. I think it's beautiful, and I think it's enough
of a piece of computing history that various people might like to have a
look at real core memory. Our IT guy at work has been doing computers for
a living for quite a while, and he had no real idea what the word 'core'
actually meant....
Core memories are indeed beautiful. That is, until you have to find and
repair a bad connection on one... <cringe> ...well, okay, they're _still_
beautiful, but in an infinitely more frustrating sort of way. :)
I think it's amusing that there are computer people who have never seen or
worked with core memory. O'course, I also have coworkers who have never
owned a 33-1/3 record, and more recently coworkers who think the idea of a
telephone with a cord attached is antiquated. Damn. I _am_ getting old,
aren't I? :)
-O.-
...but then, I've never used a punch-card or a drum memory, so maybe I
_am_ young. :) :)