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http://www.research.microsoft.com/~gbell Gordon’s Personal View of Personal Computing: before the PC Vintage Computer Society 27 September 1998 Gordon Bell [email protected]
Transcript of Gordon’s Personal View of Personal Computing: before the PC · Gordon’s Personal View of ......
http://www.research.microsoft.com/~gbell
Gordon’s Personal View of Personal Computing:
before the PC
Vintage Computer Society 27 September 1998
Gordon Bell [email protected]
Apple II
First personal computer
Micral
In the beginning: Manchester “Baby” ran the first program 22 June 1948
English Electric Deuce Console 1955
Whirlwind c1953 … 1st generation, 16-bit word; 4 KB memory; 8 K drum
Whirlwind begot TX-O/TX-2 begot DEC PDP-1Real time, first compiler, ECAD, text editor
Whirlwind console, drum, 1 Kw core
SAGE Control Room c 1962. Whirlwind used for first experiments.
SAGE (Semi-Automatic GroundEnvironment) Operator Console
TX-0 Console c1959… one of the first transistorized personal computers
Speech, handwriting recognition, neuro data analysis, etc. Interactive editors, debuggers, etc.
MIT Speech group with TX-0, c1959.
DEC Computer before PDP-111957 1961 1963
DEC PDP-1 c1961
Wes Clark & LINC c1962: Personalcomputers for bio-medical research
PDP-5 c1964: PDP-8 predecessor
Process control, real time experiments. Fortran ran in 4 K, 12 bit words
Gbell with LINC and PDP-8 c1965
PDP-8: first mini
First OEM computer. OS/8 (from timesharing) begot RT-11 begot CPM
PDP-8 Modules
PDP-8/E
PDP-8 and Linc Family Tree
PDP-8 12 bit word price (t)
PDP-8 prices (t)
Timesharing: given everyone theirown, low cost, personal computer
PDP-6 c1965 : First commercial timeshared computer. Gbell & Alan Kotok
PDP-6 Development team c1965
PDP-6/10/ DECsystem 10/20family tree
There is no reason anyoneThere is no reason anyonewould want a computer in theirwould want a computer in theirhome.home.
Ken OlsenPresident, Chairman and
founder of Digital, 1977
Equating yourself to the average “user/buyer” is risky . . . unless you’re anaverage user.
Why didn’t Digital leadpersonal computers?
That’s another talk…
Minis and timesharing contributions 4SpaceWar demonstrated the
importance of interactive graphics 4Editors, calculators, interactive
debuggers, interpreters were in use 4Mail and chat used timesharing 4Minis established embedded
computers
