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Machine-translation, beware. Translated Russian is a bit hard to read, but this one was interesting. ---- Very long time ago, when I was young, is beautiful and is carefree, the computers yet were not. It was completely wild time: the people absolutely recently send from caves and have moved in municipal apartments, on streets the trams went, which doors were closed manually by passengers, and the color television sets were the large rarity, and each of them was serviced by(with) the wizard from a factory of a name Kozitsky. And computers was not. In p?????? the language there was no even such word. The truth, the electronic computers (computer) already were, but the experts knew about them only. And in institute, where I have acted(arrived), the adjacent faculty was named as faculty of computer Technology. Now, certainly, not absolutely clearly, whom it(he) released, because the first set of Mathematicians - calculators has taken place, when I studied already on the third course. Their first have accepted to the Digital Computer "Ural - 2", and not only have accepted, but also have made to do(make) laboratory operations on programming. On institute then the legends went, how one student - calculator the whole semester tried to receive from "Ural" right answer on a question: how many there will be twice two? Whether the student has got careless, whether "Ural" already has run into marasm, but the answer it(he) has not achieved. The offset, truth, has received. And "Ural" soon have written off(copied). The advance went in seven--mile steps, and to the termination(ending) by me of institute has reached and our faculty: to us have arranged laboratory operation on the micro-computer "Promin". Characteristics her(it) I, certainly, whether I do not remember (will be almost student working on graduation thesis, moreover from other speciality to investigate into such details?), but she(it) looked very gracefully: by a size all about a curbstone of a desk, she(it) also was made out as a desk. The Output device (electrical typewriter without the keyboard) was built in a table-top, and on the right on desktop the plug board allocated and cassetestorage with special sprigs - to each command corresponded(met) sprig, like a micro-punched card. The programs were written on something like the Autocode, then laborious putting sprigs were brought in in the micro-computer. Good there was a machine! The fact-finding course for us borrowed(occupied) not that 4, not that 6 hours, thus almost all time cunningly on sorting out (are confused, despite of marking) and putting sprigs, and success anybody from us has not achieved. After that our paths (mine and computer) be for a long time dispatched. Has passed of years. After some vital peripeties I have returned with native institut's of a wall in quality... Well, it is not important. A computer strongly have come in life of the science officers. The scientists (especially, young) any more did not want to consider(count) on adding machines and slide rules, they actively mastered the programming languages and rules of handle of modern computers. (Note in brackets: and now somebody knows how though to consider(count) on a slide rule? And you see the modern microcalculators only absolutely recently have reached(achieved) possibilities, which were given by(with) this simple computing instrument. ?p????, the accuracy for him(it) (for it(her) - bar) is small, only up to the third sign, on weight and overall dimensions she(it) with the calculator is comparable, and under the price and technology of manufacture... Yes... Under the price and technology of manufacture the cart too is much easier than the automobile, and in handle it is easier, just for a long time I of carts did not see.) The computer center of institute sold to faculties a computer time. As a rule, night. Quitted " in night " till two, with thermoses and sandwiches. The institute was those, is deserted and ?????, and only in ?? the light and ????????? life shone. The computer was modern: Minsk - 22. In a huge hall there was a set of iron cases of height hardly less human growth mostly which is not having any indication, except for a bulb "Network". Among them the operator's console was perfectly lost: the large desktop with buttons, keys and several numbers of indicator lamps. The operation passed approximately as follows. From a perforated tape the necessary compiler (from Algol or FORTRAN), then - perforated tape of the program for start of translation (translation from the programming language on the machine codes) was brought in. The translation of the not so large program proceeded of minutes, then started to rumble " wide printing " and with a huge roar ??????????? of meter 1,5 forty centimetric ribbons. After that the operation of the programmer started: it was necessary to correct syntax errors, to amend on a perforated tape, to receive new roll with corrected variant, and the process iterated. Thus the compiler not always produced all errors at once, the part from them appeared only after correction of the previous series, so the path to start of the program was long, is twisting and ???????. But it was the most simple part of path. Various traps and among them rather unpleasant could be hidden further: loophole. The business in that cultures and disciplines ???????????????? of thinking for anybody was not. The concepts "system approach" or "structured programming" were not formulated yet, and attempt to develop principles of "dialog mode" from a computer met furious ????? for the orthodox programmers. The algorithms were thought out on the basis of the most common reasonings of the scientific principal: " And it is good, if after that there was it; and here should stand, as the small enough coefficient is told in establishing operation of the academician ??????????... " And so on; how many time the computer will consider(count) the program, nobody could tell even approximately, and debug resources was not in general. And through a little bit night ?????? it was suddenly found out, that the condition of loop termination is formulated incorrectly, the program is considered as hours and in any way does not give result (expected result, and in general though any!) Not because the computer considers(counts) too slowly, that is why, that she(it) considers(counts) same - overcycling. There were things and completely surprising: for example, " the small enough coefficient " at all not rendered concrete by the academician, at the value, taken from a ceiling, equal to unit worked poorly, at one thousand did not work in general, and in limits from one up to two tenth reduced in conditions of originating multi-hour, that is practically infinite, cycle. Also sit under morning, look on blinking bulbs and think: " Like would consider(count), but what?! " However, for me it was rather fast completed: me have charged to master the off-the-shelf micro-computer "World" with the purpose to have on faculty of the ready expert already to the moment of its(her) purchase. It was the perfect computer! Small, approximately as two ???????? under the TV set and the desktop with built "??????'??" (is an electrical typewriter with the keyboard) for input-output on a paper, punched tape input-output, rather large for such computers size of the RAM - 4 (four!) Kilobyte, built-in compiler from the own programming language "?????" (the a little bit simplified cyrillic Algol) - what still to engineer is necessary? "World" was decrypted as " the Computer for Engineering Accounts " or " Dream of the Engineers - ??????????? ". (you have paid attention to change of a keynote? "Consul" any more is not named as an input\output Device, and it is simple by input - output. The people began to get used to a civilization, the period of quivering respect to a computer already has passed, and in some years "Consuls" began to be named in general rather neglectfully - ?????????.) But while the faculty proved to the heads necessity of an own computer, while beat out funds (at all I do not present, that this such, but without it was impossible) "World" is obsolete and has turned to "World - 1", because has appeared "World - 2". On sizes she(it) was of time in two more, than previous, and by possibilities - it is more many times over. For it(her) RAM (eight Kilobytes was twice enlarged!), the display is added which in addition had a graphic mode (that is not only output ?????-letter strings(lines), but allowed to build the scatter diagrams with two levels of luminance of points) and input\output device on magnetic cards. "?????" too was extended and the language for mathematical accounts has turned in "Analyzer" -. In the display in special slot there was a light pencil, which functions at all I do not remember, because it(he) almost at once has broken, and small, but the incredibly heavy box for operation with magnetic cards worked so unsafe&, that we have tried it(him) of time twenty and any more did not include. To work, certainly, it became more convenient. For debugging the program became optional for printing out, and enough was of screen variant, but diagnostics of syntax were reduced to ??????????????? to the phrase which has been printed out by "Consul": " There is no memory ". Having received ten - other short machine-gun queues of "Consul" - " Are not present memory ", " There is no memory ", " There is no memory " - very much it would be desirable ????????: " And the conscience for you is?! " Remarkable there was a computer, I recall her(it) with ???????. The first acquaintance with ??-3 was extremely unsuccessful. For operation in that time of a computer to me was absolutely not necessary, but the operation was madly boring, and from melancholy I have gone on courses on learning the System of Small computers. Having read us course of the lectures on ???, to be exact, honesty having retold the Description, (from which I by the equal score nothing have understood - well, I do not know how "dry"), all of us ?????? to look (only to look!) on the present "iron". And having seen for the first time of directories (and there were in it(him) 5-6 system programs, yes 5-6 working units) with all history of operation for last some days (date, time, old variant of the program .???), I have told to our lecturer: " Well and ???????? the computer! " - " Why? " - that was surprised. " Because the chief at any moment will approach and will see, that yesterday you were engaged at all in that it(he) has charged you ". The lecturer has become puzzled, the similar thought did not come to it(him) in a head, and has not found the worthy answer. The times were ????????????, and labour discipline ????? is very strict! Then some time I worked on ?-6000. It was the controlling computer, she(it) was not intended for program - debug operations, therefore from controls for it(her) were only "Consul" and console with bulbs for reading addresses both datas, and buttons for their introduction and replacement. The truth, to it(her) was possible ???????????? the device of preparation of programs "Alpha" with the alphanumeric display and set of compilers on perforated tapes. Then the epopee with "Electronics engineering - 60" began. It was the unique apparatus. System block was a size about a modern IBM - ???? the block such as "Tower", of the same sizes was also Armenian (Yerevan production) drive, these two devices were inserted into the standard rack of height more human growth, and for the alphanumeric display (I emphasize all time it, because after "World - 2" of graphic modes I did not meet down to ???-3?) with the system block the separately applied desktop intended. The wide printing with "Daisy wheel" stood on a separate support. Therefore very first, that we have made, are have removed from the rack of front panels, have put there plywood shelf, and on it(her) the display. But this "????-plywood" very long did not want to fly... That is to consider(count). The business has appeared available faults of the second sort. As is known, in an electron technology in general and in computer technology as its(her) constituents, exist faults only of two sorts: first - there is a contact there, where it(him) should not be, and second - there is no contact there, where it(he) should be. So, while we have not guessed to pull out all cards from "basket", to wipe by their spirit, ???????? in plugs of "basket" ????????????? to turn up ????? (plugs were such, that the springs without the special work could be moved even by the small screwdriver), and ????????????? - but with force! - to put all back, the tests went through ???? in a pack, displaying each time new faults and not noting once already shown. After that the operation of "electronics eNgineering" more or was less adjusted, though at a door of a room it was necessary to hang up ????????: " by a Door to not clap! ". The drives ticked and ???????, the ventilator for cooling a power supply unit pulled all dust directly through reading of the head, disks ???????, all ??????????????, and a bit later has found out, that the right drive does not read written left and on the contrary, besides both have ceased to read records of bi-monthly prescription. To this time were not in time yet neither to create for this computer new, nor to update ??-??? the editors and compilers, therefore process of creation of programs represented the rather complex(difficult) task, complex(difficult) even psychologically, as all knew, that such special ?p??p?????? ?p?????? in a nature already are, and they strongly facilitate life. And on it, from a permission to tell, the computer the simple Soviet engineers have created for one about - very much solid organization the rather decent multimachine system, and even have started her(it) in production. And with pride I can mark, that, on some datas, still couple of years back, at any rate, one copy of this system quite satisfactorily worked. Soviet - means excellent(different)! For the sake of justice it is necessary to mention, that all above described epopee occured to one of the first copies of "electronics eNgineering - 60", almost from first hundred released computers. The factory gained experience, culture of production, though and slowly, grew, and with the subsequent copies of efforts was much less. Then for us has appeared multi-user ??-4 (I intentionally I do not specify its(her) official title). For it(her) I did not like the keyboard: I all time got not on those keys. Besides all my programs were on ????????? for "Electronics engineering", and in ?? such input was not. Therefore I ?????????? have connected them in one network (it not absolutely how now: has bought the modem, cable, the driver - has thrust, has included and has earned; similar, but it is more complex(difficult)) and worked on ?? through "Electronics engineering", which we now is proud named: " the intellectual terminal ". Shortly have bought one more computer - ???-3 (Dialogue computer complex). As a matter of fact it was repetition of "electronics eNgineering - 60" (same 32 Kilobytes of the RAM), only more accurately manufactured, in an overall dimensions of a present PC and two-pocket five inch drive. The diskettes were capacity 80 Kilobytes, the hard disk was not. With ?p???p??????? of this computer ??p?? we again have risen a transport problem ????????????? of program archive on a new size of diskettes. It was necessary also her(it) urgently to anchor to the system of data exchange. The development of domestic computing machine construction industry all was accelerated. Practically after ???-3 we have received ???-3?. It(she) already had any modest video memory (black-and-white, it is natural) and Bulgarian hard disk, which has broken for the third day. After repair it(he) has worked week, and after second - two. Third time we it(him) to repair were not lucky(carrying). At this time in laboratory one has appeared at first, and then by other IBM - 386. And favourite me ??? looked on their background... You know as. On it my rough computer biography practically was completed. Now I at home on a desk have 486-th computer with the color display (about it and to mention inconveniently), ??????? ??????? by Megabytes of RAM, beggarly hard disk on 480 Megabytes, which for 1,5 years of operation ??????? all once, and that on my fault (I have managed to write something in a zone of the housekeeping information, it was necessary ??????????? to search and to clean the soiled place) and - about, horror! - without ?D-ROM?. The seven-years(seven-summer) neighbour with the computer toys to me does not come - it(him) not interestingly. ? 1997, you and your Computer ---- -- adavie(a)mad.scientist.com visit the Museum of Soviet Calculators at http://www.comcen.com.au/~adavie/slide/calculator/soviet.html a Yahoo!, Netscape, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and New Scientist Cool Site!? ?