Weekly Classic Computer Trivia Question (20150204)

[Dave G4UGM]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of ANDY
> HOLT
> Sent: 04 February 2015 22:30
> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
> Subject: Re: Weekly Classic Computer Trivia Question (20150204)
> 
> >>>>
> >
> > As silly as it was the movie Hackers referred to the mainframe
> > computer in the movie as a Gibson.
> 
> > Where did the term Gibson come from?
> 
> A benchmark for commercial-type workload in the 1960s was called the
> "Gibson Mix"
> (presumably after a Mr or Dr Gibson). It predates the Whetstone.
> I can't remember whether CCTA ran it on our ICL1905E or the Honeywell L66

Ah the joys of CCTA tests. I worked on two of those, one for a L66 to DPS300 upgrade at NERC Bidston, and one for an IBM4381 install at Nerc Wallingford...

> that replaced it.
> <<<<
> 
> Just looked it up on wiki … my memory is a bit faulty - it was a benchmark for
> scientific workloads and dates from the late 50s.
> But, yes, it was devised by a Jack Clark Gibson of IBM.