New subject: IBM mechnical devices

27 Nov 2007

Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:52:00 -0800 (PST)
From: Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com>
Subject: Re: Teaching kids about computers...

...
 > So, I propose that programming be taught first in
machine language,
> then assembly.  That's how I learned to do it. 
...
 EAM first!  There's nothing like "cardboard
technology" to demystify the
whole thing.   "How can you use an 08x sorter (one column at a time) to
efficiently arrange a large deck of cards with a sequence number in 73
through 80?"  "Wire a plug board for an interpreter to print last name,
then first name, that have fields in the middle of the card, flush left."
"Use a 407? accounting machine to print results directly onto a form
1040."  "Use a Gerber Data Digitizer ("Etch-a-sketch") to make a deck
of
cards with a risque picture." 
...
 OK, NOW write machine language.  (1401 emulator on a
1620)? 
------
RIGHT ON!

That's how I got started, and it's definitely the only way!

The noise alone will be special, not to mention the excitement when little 
brother trips him/her on the way from the sorter to the collator and 4000 
cards go flying across the room; what better way to grasp the concept
of a glitch on a data bus...

But I didn't have anything as modern as a 407; In My Day we only had 402s!!!
BTW, my claim to fame was making it multiply; they said it couldn't be done, so...

Haven't seen any with peripherals on eBay lately though...

m