Uses for old floppy discs?

Dunno, had to wait until I was sober enough to drive to the shed.

Regards,

David P.

Reply to
David Powell
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The RIM was only 17 words. I have a few spare indicator lamps for a PDP8-I somewhere...

We used to run four users off an PDP8-I with a 32k disk (very fast it had 32 heads) and 8k of core memory.

So you can understand why MS software is referred to as "bloatware" my new Vista machine typically occupies 1G, before any "user" apps are started up...

Reply to
Steve W

Shuggart

Subsequently

paper tape

started

The Ferranti Argus machines I worked on in the early 1970's were 24 bit RISC machines, with a very basic 27 microprogram instructions that were worked up in the operating system to a very full function set that could be customised to the application. Using remarkably little core memory and small hard disk sizes wonders could be performed. For instance the entire CEGB National Control Centre ran on 56K of core and a 2Mbyte disk. This was operating the main control room frequently shown on the telly at the time during strikes etc with wall displays operator graphics screens and drew in telemetry from all over the grid. Everything was streamlined for real time operations, with a sophisticated interupt system ensuring programs couldn't go wild. Despite the small memory and disk sizes the machine room was the size of a ball room by the time the standby suite, programmers suite, and telemetry racks were in there alongside the battery room and UPS !

AWEM

Reply to
Andrew Mawson

And was still in use in the 1990s.

Russell

Reply to
Russell

remember

retired.

memorised

"bloatware"

little

frequently

displays

Were you involved with National Control Russell ?

AWEM

Reply to
Andrew Mawson

No, but I knew some people who were and we were having a discussion about the risks involved with new systems.

Russell

Russell

Reply to
Russell

Did you have those same core memory boards we had - about a foot square and knitted with true magnetic cores, all made in Ireland. I think it was about 12K per board - at which rate your average data stick would fill an aircraft hanger (1 Gbyte would be 80,000 boards of one foot square).

You are SO right about the bloatware. Whatever happened to the KISS principle. The OS should be tight, fast, clean code with watertight security. 20 years ago Primos had this, shame the company died. I was on Unix 15 years ago and it was 20 years old then, so I am loath to go back as its full of dinosaur bones. However MS are playing mister Blobby with the Windows (and I am still on Windows 2000, Vista must be awful !!). I wonder if Apple's OS has legs, or failing that I think there is a next generation Open Software offering in the making - Hurry up guys - throw out the old crap and start again!!

You know when the ex VMS guys invented NT I really thought they had something - but Microsoft turned it into Elvis - and here we go again !

Steve

Reply to
Cheshire Steve

Did you have those same core memory boards we had - about a foot square and knitted with true magnetic cores, all made in Ireland. I think it was about 12K per board - at which rate your average data stick would fill an aircraft hanger (1 Gbyte would be 80,000 boards of one foot square).

You are SO right about the bloatware. Whatever happened to the KISS principle. The OS should be tight, fast, clean code with watertight security. 20 years ago Primos had this, shame the company died. I was on Unix 15 years ago and it was 20 years old then, so I am loath to go back as its full of dinosaur bones. However MS are playing mister Blobby with the Windows (and I am still on Windows 2000, Vista must be awful !!). I wonder if Apple's OS has legs, or failing that I think there is a next generation Open Software offering in the making - Hurry up guys - throw out the old crap and start again!!

You know when the ex VMS guys invented NT I really thought they had something - but Microsoft turned it into Elvis - and here we go again !

Steve

Yep real core memory.

Do you remember the story that "HAL" from Space Odessey was IBM shifted one place left? And that W(indows)NT was VMS shifted one place right?

Steve

Reply to
Steve W

I never heard the one about WNT/VMS - cute !

I did hear about IBM standing for Its Bloody Marvellous - and also Its Being Mended

Steve

Reply to
Cheshire Steve

It's like busses - you wait for one, and then there are lots of them.

As luck would have it, a friend who knows I use BBC micros just offered me one which was just taken out of service at a primary school for £20 with all the bits - including two boxes of disks. So if anyone else wants the ones you have, that's fine by me.

-- Peter Fairbrother

Reply to
Peter Fairbrother

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