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From: jmfbahciv <See.ab...@aol.com>
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers
Subject: Re: Word Length
Date: 21 Apr 2012 14:24:03 GMT
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Rich Alderson wrote:
> jmfbahciv <See.ab...@aol.com> writes:
>
>> heh, i'd forgotten about RSX-15.  :-)
>
>> There was A, B, C, D, M, M+, 20F.  Each one was created because two -11
>> developers couldn't agree.
>
> But from what I can tell, A/B/C/D are not rewrites, they are enhancements.
> M was a complete rewrite (and M+ is an enhancement).
>
> RSX-20F is another matter altogether.  It's RSX-11M with changes to the disk
> drivers to use an 18-bit-formatted disk instead of a 16-bit-formatted one.
> (At the lowest level, the data on an RP or RM disk is written in 16- or
18-bit
> chunks with parity, and a sector is made up of 400--uh, 256--of those
chunks.)
> But it's still RSX-11M.  When you got the front-end software source kit, you
> got the -11M manual set with it.
>
> [I wrote:]
>
>>> And the input of LCG, who were used to writing operating systems for large
>>> computers...
>
>> Pete Conklin didn't show up over there until the 80s.  Getting input
>> from the PDP-10 developers was a Sin.
>
> I was speculating on what would have happened if DEC had decided to do a
32-bit
> computer instead in the timeframe of the PDP-11 development.

Ah, missed that.

>There was no
> "over there" back then, right?
>

Right.  People were still able, and dared, to utter the word No to two
of the headstrong people.  I would think 32-bits would have been too
pricey but I don't know anything about manufacturing.

/BAH