minicomputers and mainframes history
wsgr12
- what will be the difference in performance between mincomputers and
mainframes in 1970s ?
- what will be the difference in prices ?
- how many these computers got sold ?
I appreciate any references or suggestions.
Best,
Brian {Hamilton Kelly}
wsg...@yahoo.com "wsgr12" writes:
And *I* would appreciate[1] you doing your OWN research, as your teacher
is expecting you to do.
[1] As, I suspect, would many other readers.
--
Brian {Hamilton Kelly} b...@dsl.co.uk
"We can no longer stand apart from Europe if we would. Yet we are
untrained to mix with our neighbours, or even talk to them".
George Macaulay Trevelyan, 1919
Floyd Davidson
>In article <a0cacdbb.03120...@posting.google.com>
> wsg...@yahoo.com "wsgr12" writes:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> - what will be the difference in performance between mincomputers and
>> mainframes in 1970s ?
>>
>> - what will be the difference in prices ?
>>
>> - how many these computers got sold ?
>>
>> I appreciate any references or suggestions.
>
>And *I* would appreciate[1] you doing your OWN research, as your teacher
>is expecting you to do.
>
>[1] As, I suspect, would many other readers.
I'd say that asking that kind of questions in this kind of a
newsgroup, known to be inhabited by the kind of folks it is, is
a damned *fine* way for a person to do research.
--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) fl...@barrow.com
Joe Pfeiffer
> b...@dsl.co.uk (Brian {Hamilton Kelly}) wrote:
> >In article <a0cacdbb.03120...@posting.google.com>
> > wsg...@yahoo.com "wsgr12" writes:
> >
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> - what will be the difference in performance between mincomputers and
> >> mainframes in 1970s ?
> >>
> >> - what will be the difference in prices ?
> >>
> >> - how many these computers got sold ?
> >>
> >> I appreciate any references or suggestions.
> >
> >And *I* would appreciate[1] you doing your OWN research, as your teacher
> >is expecting you to do.
> >
> >[1] As, I suspect, would many other readers.
>
> I'd say that asking that kind of questions in this kind of a
> newsgroup, known to be inhabited by the kind of folks it is, is
> a damned *fine* way for a person to do research.
There are questions for which asking here would be perfectly
appropriate. Those aren't three of them.
--
Joseph J. Pfeiffer, Jr., Ph.D. Phone -- (505) 646-1605
Department of Computer Science FAX -- (505) 646-1002
New Mexico State University http://www.cs.nmsu.edu/~pfeiffer
Southwestern NM Regional Science and Engr Fair: http://www.nmsu.edu/~scifair
Floyd Davidson
>Floyd Davidson <fl...@barrow.com> writes:
>> b...@dsl.co.uk (Brian {Hamilton Kelly}) wrote:
>> > wsg...@yahoo.com "wsgr12" writes:
>> >
>> >> Hi,
>> >>
>> >> - what will be the difference in performance between mincomputers and
>> >> mainframes in 1970s ?
>> >>
>> >> - what will be the difference in prices ?
>> >>
>> >> - how many these computers got sold ?
>> >>
>> >> I appreciate any references or suggestions.
>> >
>> >And *I* would appreciate[1] you doing your OWN research, as your teacher
>> >is expecting you to do.
>> >
>> >[1] As, I suspect, would many other readers.
>>
>> I'd say that asking that kind of questions in this kind of a
>> newsgroup, known to be inhabited by the kind of folks it is, is
>> a damned *fine* way for a person to do research.
>
>There are questions for which asking here would be perfectly
>appropriate. Those aren't three of them.
I fail to see any distinction between those questions and, for
example, the last question that *I* asked in this newsgroup.
My teacher didn't object to where I got the information from!
Joe Pfeiffer
> >
> >There are questions for which asking here would be perfectly
> >appropriate. Those aren't three of them.
>
> I fail to see any distinction between those questions and, for
> example, the last question that *I* asked in this newsgroup.
>
> My teacher didn't object to where I got the information from!
I don't remember your last question -- but those three were simple
"look it up" sorts of things that shouldn't have taken anybody any
time except the student.
Floyd Davidson
>Floyd Davidson <fl...@barrow.com> writes:
>> >
>> >There are questions for which asking here would be perfectly
>> >appropriate. Those aren't three of them.
>>
>> I fail to see any distinction between those questions and, for
>> example, the last question that *I* asked in this newsgroup.
>>
>> My teacher didn't object to where I got the information from!
>
>I don't remember your last question -- but those three were simple
>"look it up" sorts of things that shouldn't have taken anybody any
>time except the student.
I distinctly do not agree.
jmfb...@aol.com
> wsg...@yahoo.com "wsgr12" writes:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> - what will be the difference in performance between mincomputers and
>> mainframes in 1970s ?
>>
>> - what will be the difference in prices ?
>>
>> - how many these computers got sold ?
>>
>> I appreciate any references or suggestions.
>
>And *I* would appreciate[1] you doing your OWN research, as your teacher
>is expecting you to do.
>
>[1] As, I suspect, would many other readers.
And these can't be writing assignments. It's beginning to
sound like homework.
/BAH
Subtract a hundred and four for e-mail.
jmfb...@aol.com
But it's not research. The questions are coming too frequently.
It's homework.
Floyd Davidson
I wasn't aware that that poster had asked other questions, and
if so then must not have been archived by google. Likewise a
quick search on google does not confirm one way or the other
whether the OP is a student or not, though it tends to indicate
not.
It appears to me to be research in the most basic way: the OP
is asking people who were there and were part of that history
for original data points.
I'd say just about the best research the OP might be able to
do would be to specifically direct his questions at *you*!
Do you know of anyone with a better handle on it???
jmfb...@aol.com
Floyd Davidson <fl...@barrow.com> wrote:
>jmfb...@aol.com wrote:
>> Floyd Davidson <fl...@barrow.com> wrote:
>>>Joe Pfeiffer <pfei...@cs.nmsu.edu> wrote:
>>>>Floyd Davidson <fl...@barrow.com> writes:
>>>>> b...@dsl.co.uk (Brian {Hamilton Kelly}) wrote:
>>>>> > wsg...@yahoo.com "wsgr12" writes:
Floyd, Note the wsgr12 designation...it's usually a 12th
grade moniker assignment. The kid also said "teacher"
and "paper". To me, that smells of a student doing some
school work. The difference between a kid doing a paper
and answering homework questions is the pest factor. Once
we start doing his homework for him, he'll never learn
how to work. One of the unique things of this group is
that all of us do not take kindly to anybody who doesn't do
the work. Most of our laments is all about what work didn't get
done by those who know better.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >> Hi,
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >> - what will be the difference in performance between mincomputers
and
>>>>> >> mainframes in 1970s ?
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >> - what will be the difference in prices ?
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >> - how many these computers got sold ?
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >> I appreciate any references or suggestions.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >And *I* would appreciate[1] you doing your OWN research, as your
teacher
>>>>> >is expecting you to do.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >[1] As, I suspect, would many other readers.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'd say that asking that kind of questions in this kind of a
>>>>> newsgroup, known to be inhabited by the kind of folks it is, is
>>>>> a damned *fine* way for a person to do research.
>>>>
>>>>There are questions for which asking here would be perfectly
>>>>appropriate. Those aren't three of them.
>>>
>>>I fail to see any distinction between those questions and, for
>>>example, the last question that *I* asked in this newsgroup.
>>>
>>>My teacher didn't object to where I got the information from!
>>
>>But it's not research. The questions are coming too frequently.
>>It's homework.
>
>I wasn't aware that that poster had asked other questions, and
>if so then must not have been archived by google.
Perhaps, you should have viewed Brian's answer a tad more
objectively, then.
> .. Likewise a
>quick search on google does not confirm one way or the other
>whether the OP is a student or not, though it tends to indicate
>not.
And everything I see on my screen indicates the OP is. It doesn't
matter. The frequency of asking these questions is too high to
blithely answer them without questioning the reason the OP is
asking them. If it's homework, there is a reason the instructor
asked questions that need a three-year research grant to answer.
>
>It appears to me to be research in the most basic way: the OP
>is asking people who were there and were part of that history
>for original data points.
But that wasn't the question. The questions are very specific
and have nothing to do with the real history. I purposely thread
drifted to mention ANSI and ISO giving incantations to the kid.
>
>I'd say just about the best research the OP might be able to
>do would be to specifically direct his questions at *you*!
That would be bad advice, very bad advice.
>Do you know of anyone with a better handle on it???
Yes. Morton just named a person in another post. Anybody
whose name and/or initials appear in the ANF-10 listings.
I wish you had read my answer. I specifically pointed at
the places where info could be obtained. I'm not about
to give answers. The whole point of being here is to
teach people how to find the answers. There are now
ways to study many implementations of OSes. The biz
is no longer stuck with only learning from the flavor of
the month.
If this is a kid who is a sleeping bit god, giving him the
answers will only put the god into a permanent coma.
Floyd Davidson
>In article <87he07b...@barrow.com>,
> Floyd Davidson <fl...@barrow.com> wrote:
>>jmfb...@aol.com wrote:
>>> Floyd Davidson <fl...@barrow.com> wrote:
>>>>Joe Pfeiffer <pfei...@cs.nmsu.edu> wrote:
>>>>>Floyd Davidson <fl...@barrow.com> writes:
>>>>>> b...@dsl.co.uk (Brian {Hamilton Kelly}) wrote:
>>>>>> > wsg...@yahoo.com "wsgr12" writes:
>
>Floyd, Note the wsgr12 designation...it's usually a 12th
>grade moniker assignment.
Can't be any more so than *yours*!
>The kid also said "teacher"
>and "paper".
There is no indication this is a "kid", and there was *no*
mention of "teacher" or "paper" either one. You are imagining
an awful lot here...
Actually, I am quite certain that this "kid" is too old to
call a kid in the way that you are insinuating.
> To me, that smells of a student doing some
>school work. The difference between a kid doing a paper
>and answering homework questions is the pest factor.
I've never found the concept of helping children with their
school work or anything else to be related to a "pest factor".
Regardless, I'd expect that someone who advertizes positions for
hire at UCLA should be granted a little more respect than you
are offering. I have no idea who or what this person is, but
this unnecessary rudeness based on snob appeal is not
appropriate.
>> .. Likewise a
>>quick search on google does not confirm one way or the other
>>whether the OP is a student or not, though it tends to indicate
>>not.
>
>And everything I see on my screen indicates the OP is.
But 1) you've imagined things that are not there, and
2) you clearly didn't do your own research.
jmfb...@aol.com
Floyd Davidson <fl...@barrow.com> wrote:
<snip>
>But 1) you've imagined things that are not there, and
>2) you clearly didn't do your own research.
Jesusfuckingchrist. I'm going to quit. The user name used
has been used before by a kid.
Dr. Richard E. Hawkins
Oh, all right. Let's give the kid a break, an answer his questions:
Climatically speaking, the 1960's was a cold period. Not enough to be
classified as an ice age, but enough that people found it worthwhile to
be a bit heavier to deal with the cold. As a result, the hefty men of
the period were often referred to as "mainframes" really a corruption of
"mainly padding over the frame," with "frame" being a common slang
word at the time for "skeleton."
The computers of the time required regular maintenance and tending; it
was rare to see a machine without a couple of large burly men about it.
Carrying the joke a bit far, and in a quite insensitive manner, wags
noticed a resemblance between the large bulky operators, and the
large bulky machines, which had their controls conveniently placed for
operation while standing. Thus the "mainframe" tag slowly came to
refer to the machines rather than the operators.
Unusaly solar activity in the early 1970's warmed the climate, causing
people to lose the excess weight they had gained in the 60's. Some were
more successful than others, and wanted to show off. This led to the
"miniskirt" trend among young women. The prior generation did not
approve, and mocked the wearers as "minis."
Major social changes were also afoot, with women entering the workforce
in large numbers. In fact, young women, or minis, largely replaced men
as computer operators.
We turn now to the engineers. Many might call them dull, or socially
inept, but very few are actually stupid. They saw a great potential.
Seriously, now, a pretty young lady in a mini skirt standing next to the
computer to operate it is indeed a lovely sight. But having the same
hormones as the rest of us, the engineers saw the advantages of a
smaller computer (and the visual advantage they hoped to gain!), and
created a new breed of computer. These were typicaly a foot and a half
tall, with the controls on the top. For safety and cooling reasons,
they were kept behind a rail, which the operator, typically minis, had
to lean over to work. Quite predictably, the new "minicomputers" were
a great hit. (They also benefitted the glass-fitters, who were often
called in to add windows to the computer operations rooms!)
Such trends often get out of hand. The miniskirt over time gave way to
the "micro," and there was no longer a need to induce the wearer to
bend. As such, "microcomputer" refers not to a computer operated by a
micro wearer, but by a machine built in that era, in which the function
of the machine, rather than the outfit of the operator, controleld its
external design.
hawk
--
Richard E. Hawkins, Asst. Prof. of Economics /"\ ASCII ribbon campaign
doc...@psu.edu Smeal 178 (814) 375-4700 \ / against HTML mail
These opinions will not be those of X and postings.
Penn State until it pays my retainer. / \
Steve O'Hara-Smith
ha...@slytherin.ds.psu.edu (Dr. Richard E. Hawkins) wrote:
DREH> Oh, all right. Let's give the kid a break, an answer his questions:
That's a keeper - nice one.
--
C:>WIN | Directable Mirrors
The computer obeys and wins. |A Better Way To Focus The Sun
You lose and Bill collects. | licenses available - see:
| http://www.sohara.org/
jmfb...@aol.com
Steve O'Hara-Smith <ste...@eircom.net> wrote:
>On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 17:07:09 +0000 (UTC)
>ha...@slytherin.ds.psu.edu (Dr. Richard E. Hawkins) wrote:
>
>
>DREH> Oh, all right. Let's give the kid a break, an answer his questions:
>
> That's a keeper - nice one.
>