using new technology on old machines. Was: PDP-12 Restoration at the RICM

[tony duell]

> 
> In my opinion, the magic is inside the transistor. Once you bottle enough magic to make a good transistor, the 
> rest is pretty straightforward. :)

Err, yes... It is impossible to understand the transistor using classical physics....

People have made transistors at home, even made their own semiconductors (copper oxide) to do this,
but they are not good ones. 'Instruments of Amplification' is a fun book on this.


> I have a love/hate relationship with USB. I liked moving away from having to figure out which way the danged 
> plugs were wired at both ends for any given pair of devices. But on the other hand, a UART is dirt simple to 

Even though there are at least 4 different USB connectors....

IMHO USB got round the problem of null-modem cables by making them impossible. Which to me is 
not an improvement. I guess USB is OK when it works (like plugging in a memory stick) but a right pain
to debug when it doesn't. And having read the standard there is much I dislike about it.

-tony