03-03-2023, 01:52 PM
The first computer I got my hands on was a Modular One computer in the Electrical Engineering dept at Loughborough University in 1972.
IIRC it had a whole 4k of ram, a paper tape reader, a paper tape punch, an ASR33 teletype and a bistable screen vdu: not the read the text type but an XY plot it type.
First punch your FORTRAN source on the ASR33, then load the compiler from paper tape, read the source, correct the errors, read the source, punch the object, load the linker, link the object and finally run the exe.
Oh what fun. Not. I think I managed to get one program to draw a sinewave on the vdu.
Next was a PET, the one with a calculator keyboard, whilst at 3M in ?1977?. Ah the joys of saving programs to cassette. Well at least we had plenty of those, they assembled them in the basement.
The pet also had an ASR33 that was connected via some magic box that generated current loop and cost £100.
The computer dept wanted to confiscate said PET but they weren't allowed to.
Following that it was 7 years of FORTRAN IV and CAP 16 assembler at Siliconix until the poor old General Automation 16-220 was scrapped: a whole 48k of ram, and 20Mb of HD running MTS.
The first computer I bought with my own cash was a Jupiter ACE which resides upstairs somewhere.
Then a Dragon 32 and a Tatung Einstein before the inevitable 286 appeared.
IIRC it had a whole 4k of ram, a paper tape reader, a paper tape punch, an ASR33 teletype and a bistable screen vdu: not the read the text type but an XY plot it type.
First punch your FORTRAN source on the ASR33, then load the compiler from paper tape, read the source, correct the errors, read the source, punch the object, load the linker, link the object and finally run the exe.
Oh what fun. Not. I think I managed to get one program to draw a sinewave on the vdu.
Next was a PET, the one with a calculator keyboard, whilst at 3M in ?1977?. Ah the joys of saving programs to cassette. Well at least we had plenty of those, they assembled them in the basement.
The pet also had an ASR33 that was connected via some magic box that generated current loop and cost £100.
The computer dept wanted to confiscate said PET but they weren't allowed to.
Following that it was 7 years of FORTRAN IV and CAP 16 assembler at Siliconix until the poor old General Automation 16-220 was scrapped: a whole 48k of ram, and 20Mb of HD running MTS.
The first computer I bought with my own cash was a Jupiter ACE which resides upstairs somewhere.
Then a Dragon 32 and a Tatung Einstein before the inevitable 286 appeared.
