23 Apr
2009
23 Apr
'09
2:02 p.m.
Chuck,
As part of the promotion of this product, each Sales office got one.
I was in Atlanta at that time (1966). So I got some time on it and
hauled it out to Lockheed for a dog and pony show. Was called the
6060. No manual that I ever found even though I looked for years.
I remember how heavy it was, a real back breaker to lug around.
Eventually we had to send it back for "updating" and it was never
returned.
Billy Pettit
24 Apr
24 Apr
7:47 a.m.
On 23 Apr 2009 at 11:02, Rosemary Pettit wrote:
As part of the promotion of this product, each Sales
office got one.
I was in Atlanta at that time (1966). So I got some time on it and
hauled it out to Lockheed for a dog and pony show. Was called the
6060. No manual that I ever found even though I looked for years.
I remember how heavy it was, a real back breaker to lug around.
Eventually we had to send it back for "updating" and it was never
returned.
If I ever saw literature on one, I've long forgotten about it. In a
sense, I suppose this qualifies as one of the earlier remote
interactive timesharing setups. I don't recall seeing any code
related to this device (PP or CP); so it must have been a setup under
COS and been long gone by the time SCOPE was deployed.
Amazing that one found its way as a 1985 movie prop.
--Chuck
8:16 a.m.
On Fri, 2009-04-24 at 04:47 -0700, Chuck Guzis wrote:
If I ever saw literature on one, I've long
forgotten about it. In a
sense, I suppose this qualifies as one of the earlier remote
interactive timesharing setups. I don't recall seeing any code
related to this device (PP or CP); so it must have been a setup under
COS and been long gone by the time SCOPE was deployed.
Amazing that one found its way as a 1985 movie prop.
soylent green was 1973, wasn't it?
could this be another one in "Westworld"?
http://www.jfc.org.uk/files/westworld.png
--
James F. Carter www.jfc.org.uk podquiz.com starringthecomputer.com
12:12 p.m.
On 24 Apr 2009 at 13:16, James Carter wrote:
soylent green was 1973, wasn't it?
Yup you're right--I forgot the name of the film.
could this be another one in "Westworld"?
http://www.jfc.org.uk/files/westworld.png
No, this one looks to be different. In particular, that tape
cartridge sticking out of the top section (technology that hadn't
been invented yet) and the bottom section is differently constructed
(note how the CDC keyboard forms a "lip" on the front of the machine,
where the Westworld gizmo seems to use a different mounting system.
Note the ventilation slots on the bottom of the machine--the
Westworld ones do not extend as far up the side.
It's something else, quite possibly a calculator. Perhaps Rick
Bensene will recognize it.
--Chuck
6:35 p.m.
Chuck wrote:
No, this one looks to be different. In particular, that tape
cartridge sticking out of the top section (technology that hadn't
been invented yet) and the bottom section is differently constructed
(note how the CDC keyboard forms a "lip" on the front of the machine,
where the Westworld gizmo seems to use a different mounting system.
Note the ventilation slots on the bottom of the machine--the
Westworld ones do not extend as far up the side.
It's something else, quite possibly a calculator. Perhaps Rick
Bensene will recognize it.
It is no calculator that I recognize. It is different in construction (as Chuck pointed
out) than the CDC calculator "terminal", but the keyboard layout on the
Westworld shot looks very similar to that of the CDC terminal.
I wonder if perhaps the device pictured may be a follow-on to the original CDC calculator
terminal that added local programmability, e.g., some local storage that could store
"learn-mode" key press programs (and perhaps conditionals), and also allowed
store/recall of said programs to/from the cartridge tape drive. Additional circuitry to
provide this functionality would require a different (larger) cabinet, and perhaps more
cooling. It is all just supposition, as I've not seen any indication of such a device
existing.
Another possibility is that it is some kind of m?lange of various bits and pieces of stuff
put together by some prop department.
An interesting mystery...
Rick Bensene
The Old Calculator Museum
http://oldcalculatormuseum.com
8:44 p.m.
Rick Bensene wrote:
Chuck wrote:
> No, this one looks to be different. In particular, that tape
> cartridge sticking out of the top section (technology that hadn't
> been invented yet) and the bottom section is differently constructed
> (note how the CDC keyboard forms a "lip" on the front of the machine,
> where the Westworld gizmo seems to use a different mounting system.
> Note the ventilation slots on the bottom of the machine--the
> Westworld ones do not extend as far up the side.
>
> It's something else, quite possibly a calculator. Perhaps Rick
> Bensene will recognize it.
I have the CDC 6600 ad on my web site here:
http://www.dvq.com/ads/cdc6600_sa_12_65.jpg
It really looks like the westworld one except for the tape cartridge.
Possibly someone just wanted the
nice display and the rest was used for the prop with the display panel
filled in.
Bob
9:38 p.m.
On 24 Apr 2009 at 17:44, Bob Rosenbloom wrote:
It really looks like the westworld one except for the
tape cartridge.
Possibly someone just wanted the nice display and the rest was used
for the prop with the display panel filled in.
Yeah, the key arrangement is the giveaway. I wonder if it's the same
one that was in "Soylent Green"?
Whatever happens to these old props anyway? I remember all of those
IBM 1620 consoles from 'The Forbin Project" and the CDC 3000-series
"green glass" peripheral cabinets. They'd probably fetch a pretty
penny today...
--Chuck
9:53 p.m.
In article <49F2071A.26851.452B4BEE at cclist.sydex.com>,
"Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> writes:
Whatever happens to these old props anyway?
I think they go into storage and get revived/recycled as needed.
For instance, SAGE slices have appeared on recent shows such as Lost.
--
"The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download
<http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html>
Legalize Adulthood! <http://blogs.xmission.com/legalize/>
25 Apr
25 Apr
3:09 a.m.
New subject: equip as movie props / was Re: CDC Calculator
Chuck Guzis wrote:
Whatever happens to these old props anyway? I remember all of those
IBM 1620 consoles from 'The Forbin Project" and the CDC 3000-series
"green glass" peripheral cabinets. They'd probably fetch a pretty
penny today...
I've seen a few pieces of equipment that had been turned into movie props:
completely gutted so only the visible exterior esthetics were in any sense
intact. Sometimes it was done to reduce weight to make them easier to
manoeuver, or they were filled with xmas lights or some such. One never knows,
but I wouldn't anticipate much if something had been through a movie prop phase
during it's existence.
9:46 a.m.
New subject: equip as movie props / was Re: CDC Calculator
I've seen a few pieces of equipment that had been
turned into movie props:
completely gutted so only the visible exterior esthetics were in any sense
intact. Sometimes it was done to reduce weight to make them easier to
manoeuver, or they were filled with xmas lights or some such. One never knows,
but I wouldn't anticipate much if something had been through a movie prop phase
during it's existence.
Very true. I have had quite a few things that were once props. A
couple years ago I purchased all the electronics from that DeNiro bomb
"The Good Shepherd" - mostly radios and lab equipment. Except for a
few key pieces the prop guys wanted untouched, some equipment was
crudely modified - and I mean CRUDELY - if DeNiro wanted more lights.
Likewise, I purchased one of the Thinking Machines CM-5s that was used
in "Jurrasic Park". Contrary to what the movie fansites say, the
things were not real CM-5s. They were built up on CM frames made for
machine orders that were never fulfilled. The triple wide racks were
empty, except for one of the shelves had a power supply installed to
run the blinkenlights. Even the blinkenlight panels were fooled with -
mounted in non standard ways, with a good deal of the rows of lights
covered with black gaffers tape. Apparently there were too many
lights!
--
Will
5548
days inactive
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