discrete transistor computer - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

19 Nov 2012

On Sun, 18 Nov 2012 22:18, "Dave" <dave.g4ugm at gmail.com> wrote:
[snip]
...
 > On 18 November 2012 19:14, Ed Spittles
<ed.spittles at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 16/11/2012 08:13, ben wrote:
> >> On 11/16/2012 12:50 AM, Ed Spittles wrote:
> >>>> [conversation about Wireless World articles - a digital computer
> >>>> built from reject germanium transistors] [snip]
...
 > Fantastic!  I got in touch with Hector Parr, and
he directed
> me to a memoir he's written, and I now have a story: [snip]
...
 > Hector read Alan's book and proceeded to get
> the Maths department and pupils to finance and build a
> machine called DENICE, designed from scratch but with
> inspiration from the book.
> [snip]
...
   His memoir can
be bought at

http://www.lulu.com/shop/hector-c-parr/music-maths-and-machines/paperback/p…
> - there's a copy of this too on its way to me. [snip]
...

 (As for the reported cost of ?50 in the late 60's, I'm told a weekly shop 
for a couple would be ?2 and a pint of rough > > cider would be 1/9d (that
 is, 21 old pence, which were 240 to the pound.) According to

http://safalra.com/other/historical-uk-inflation-price-conversion/,
 the project would cost ?750 today, although those anecdotal prices suggest  rather
more.)

 I think ?750 is probably about right, but comparisions are difficult as
 prices havn't increased uniformly. My dad earned around ?22 a week. In my
 first part time job at this time I earned 10/- (50p or ?0.50 in current
 money) for 4 hours work at our local Woolworths. I seem to recall paying
 ?25.00 for a second hand motor bike around that time. I also remember
 getting over time for swapping out around 100 tills that did the old style
 ?:s:D for new ones that did ?/P one Saturday night 
All good info!  I dimly recall getting 3d pocket money, some time in
the late 60's. But I was a mere nipper and pocket money is highly
variable.

Perhaps a better calibration might come from the job ads in New
Scientist:?there's a 1965 issue here
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=F4zFnwoUmHQC&printsec=frontcover#v=o…
and we see a junior technician can get GBP280-520 at the University of
Keele, or  an 18 year old can get GBP660 by joining the Royal Navy
Engineering Service. There are job ads for programming a LEO, but the
private sector isn't upfront about salaries.  The Tanzanian Treasury
would pay you GPB2361 with free passage to program their ICT 1500, but
overseas pay won't be a good indication of the value of money.

[snip]
...
  If you find any mreo info about Denice I would be
really interested... 
Well, I found a post by ... you! On alt.folklore.computers

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!searchin/alt.folklore.compute…
(aka http://goo.gl/ebXiT)

I hope to learn a little more from Hector's book when it turns up.

...
  Dave Wade G4UGM
 Illegitimi Non Carborundum 
Cheers
Ed

(Thanks to Rick Bensene for the correction on the photo:)

...
   Hector later
taught at Barnard Castle School, where he was  photographed in
  1978 with a different computer:
 http://ww2.durham.gov.uk/dre/pgDre.aspx?ID=DRE10345&PIC=Y
 His memoir can be bought at 
 The "computer" in the photo is appears not to be a computer, but a
 terminal.
 It appears to be a Southwest Technical Products CT-64 terminal.
 See:
 http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/CT_64/CT_64.htm

 This device was probably connected either to some form of microcomputer
 (e.g., Altair, IMSAI, etc.), or potentially some home-built machine, or
 was connected via modem to a remote timesharing service, as was common
 in schools during the timeframe.

 Rick Bensene 