When you lot moan about how slow and crap your computers are - SV650.org

11-10-06, 10:04 AM

When you lot moan about how slow and crap your computers are think of me having to use this. It was state of the art in 1971.

It has an 80ft control panel and two whole floors of clicking and clunking relays clockwork timers and stuff underneath.

anybody use anything older.

ps its not me in the pics

11-10-06, 10:08 AM

what is it?

11-10-06, 10:14 AM

I've had the pleasure that many a computer geek would appreciate. I've had a play with PEGASUS II.

PEGASUS I was the first vacuum tube computer to deal with radar, and was delivered by Ferranti Ltd in 1959. It also technically had a due core processor, having eight registers (not even 16bits folks!). A whole 56 words of memory built in, and technically a RAM (stored on magnetic drum) of 5k words. Each word being 40 bits. Two instructions per word.

It managed to caclulate pi to 7480 digits, which at the time, was a record.

Yours faithfully,
Certified Geek.

EDIT: Grinch, it looks like the control unit for a power station, or possibly a rail network management system.

timwilky · 11-10-06, 11:11 AM

Back in 1978 I used to use a programmable signal generator from I think general Automation. It was of about 1971 vintage and would take about an hour at the front panel boot strapping it by dialing in memory addresses, data values using 8 swtitches for the address and a further 8 for the data value.

After that it was then capable of reading in the programme from a teletype. But you quickly learn to cut your code to paper tape and replay that through the teletype.

I used to use it to drive electro hydraulic test rigs for durability testing truck components, by programming things like 1000 cycles of a certain sine wave and then 1 cycle of douple applitude etc.

I was also at that time using a GEC 4080 with a whole 64k of core which dates from 1973 for general data analysis and GEC 2050s for the control of engine test cells. So I guess I worked on some old kit

Our mainframes at that time seemed to get updated every year or so so having started my working career in 1976 I was not exposed to old kit for anything but specialist applications.

Sir Trev · 11-10-06, 11:51 AM

In 1998 I left Lotus Software and went to work for a manufacturing company (I won't say which). On day one I was taken downstairs to be introduced to the tech support guys and commented as we went past this guys desk that I liked his paperweight... He looked like he was going to smack me one until I was hurried away and told that the punch card maker was not a paper weight - it was needed to programme the computer....!!! I then asked in all seriousness if the machine was Y2K compliant and was removed from the building for my own safety.

It it fair to say that these guys did not believe in IT investment. I left after a few months!

11-10-06, 11:56 AM

(Cue Hovis tune) I used to run the engine test bed computer at Leyland trucks in the early and mid 80's. It was the size of five wardrobes, had disk drives the size of filing cabinets with removable disks the size of dustbin lids (they held a whopping 5 meg). The room with the equipment in had to have two dedicated aircon units because of all the heat generated.

Eeeee them were the days !

11-10-06, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timwilky

I was also at that time using a GEC 4080 with a whole 64k of core which dates from 1973 for general data analysis and GEC 2050s for the control of engine test cells. So I guess I worked on some old kit

Eeeh, you were lucky. When I were a lad, the computer I had to operate (Honeywell 400) had a whopping 4K words of core memory. Mind you, they were 48 bit words. It had eight 1" tape drives - no disks, 80 column card reader and card punch. Every hammer on the 136 (yes, 136) column printer had its own fuse. Sometimes, when you powered it up of a shift, it would blow lots of them. Did we complain?

timwilky · 11-10-06, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Well Oiled

(Cue Hovis tune) I used to run the engine test bed computer at Leyland trucks in the early and mid 80's. It was the size of five wardrobes, had disk drives the size of filing cabinets with removable disks the size of dustbin lids (they held a whopping 5 meg). The room with the equipment in had to have two dedicated aircon units because of all the heat generated.

Eeeee them were the days !

Eeeye up, which set of engine test cells. Those in test ops for development purposes or those for post production at the back of No 8 shop spurrier works ?. Granted I had left Leyland by 84

11-10-06, 12:35 PM

You were lucky,,

How many of these pre 1980 mammoths are still in daily use. That thing is use is in use 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

It's probably not actually classed as a computer but just a machine as you cant reprogramme it or get it to do anything beyond the options hardwired into it.
If we could then people would get killed.

11-10-06, 10:04 AM	#1
Rob S (Yella) Guest Posts: n/a	When you lot moan about how slow and crap your computers are When you lot moan about how slow and crap your computers are think of me having to use this. It was state of the art in 1971. It has an 80ft control panel and two whole floors of clicking and clunking relays clockwork timers and stuff underneath. anybody use anything older. ps its not me in the pics

11-10-06, 11:11 AM	#4
timwilky Member Mega Poster Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Not in Yorkshire. (Thank God) Posts: 4,116	Back in 1978 I used to use a programmable signal generator from I think general Automation. It was of about 1971 vintage and would take about an hour at the front panel boot strapping it by dialing in memory addresses, data values using 8 swtitches for the address and a further 8 for the data value. After that it was then capable of reading in the programme from a teletype. But you quickly learn to cut your code to paper tape and replay that through the teletype. I used to use it to drive electro hydraulic test rigs for durability testing truck components, by programming things like 1000 cycles of a certain sine wave and then 1 cycle of douple applitude etc. I was also at that time using a GEC 4080 with a whole 64k of core which dates from 1973 for general data analysis and GEC 2050s for the control of engine test cells. So I guess I worked on some old kit Our mainframes at that time seemed to get updated every year or so so having started my working career in 1976 I was not exposed to old kit for anything but specialist applications. __________________ Not Grumpy, opinionated.

11-10-06, 11:51 AM	#5
Sir Trev Member Mega Poster Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: High Wycombe, where the chair factories used to be Posts: 1,479	In 1998 I left Lotus Software and went to work for a manufacturing company (I won't say which). On day one I was taken downstairs to be introduced to the tech support guys and commented as we went past this guys desk that I liked his paperweight... He looked like he was going to smack me one until I was hurried away and told that the punch card maker was not a paper weight - it was needed to programme the computer....!!! I then asked in all seriousness if the machine was Y2K compliant and was removed from the building for my own safety. It it fair to say that these guys did not believe in IT investment. I left after a few months! __________________ We are the Goon Squad and we're coming to town, BEEP BEEP!

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11-10-06, 10:14 AM	#3
Baph Guest Posts: n/a	I've had the pleasure that many a computer geek would appreciate. I've had a play with PEGASUS II. PEGASUS I was the first vacuum tube computer to deal with radar, and was delivered by Ferranti Ltd in 1959. It also technically had a due core processor, having eight registers (not even 16bits folks!). A whole 56 words of memory built in, and technically a RAM (stored on magnetic drum) of 5k words. Each word being 40 bits. Two instructions per word. It managed to caclulate pi to 7480 digits, which at the time, was a record. Yours faithfully, Certified Geek. EDIT: Grinch, it looks like the control unit for a power station, or possibly a rail network management system.

11-10-06, 11:56 AM	#6
Well Oiled Guest Posts: n/a	(Cue Hovis tune) I used to run the engine test bed computer at Leyland trucks in the early and mid 80's. It was the size of five wardrobes, had disk drives the size of filing cabinets with removable disks the size of dustbin lids (they held a whopping 5 meg). The room with the equipment in had to have two dedicated aircon units because of all the heat generated. Eeeee them were the days !

11-10-06, 12:35 PM	#9
Rob S (Yella) Guest Posts: n/a	You were lucky,, How many of these pre 1980 mammoths are still in daily use. That thing is use is in use 24 hours a day 365 days a year. It's probably not actually classed as a computer but just a machine as you cant reprogramme it or get it to do anything beyond the options hardwired into it. If we could then people would get killed.