New book about the PiDP-1

[Andrew Barron]

This book was written by a real person who purchased the kit, built it, and spent months researching and writing. It is a sequel to my books about the PiDP-11 and PiDP-10.
Goto the Amazon page
The book is an introduction to the PiDP-1 kit produced by Oscar Vermeulen and the PDP-1 simulator software written by Angelo Papenhoff. It also includes an alternative PDP-1 simulator written by Bill Ezell. You can run the PDP-1 simulators on any Linux computer or a Raspberry Pi. Building the PiDP-1 kit adds another dimension to the experience. I found it great fun to experiment with the PDP-1 software and run a few early computer games.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Dear Andrew

Thank you for taking the initiative to produce this, your latest tome.

It helps make Oscar's kits and the work of a very talented group of supportive specialists and enthusiasts much more approachable to interested laypeople like me.

I shall order a copy and look forward to working my way through it.

Best wishes,

Andrew

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[AB]

Count me in Andrew - all the previous books are excellent!

cheers,  Andy

[Bill E]

Copying what I sent him in a private email, outstanding work!

Keep up the writing, I'll keep up the coding.

Bill

[Phillip Porch, MD]

I have all the others you have written and just ordered this one. Thank you!

[Andrew Barron]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate your support. I really liked the PiDP-1, it has a lot of charm as well as a lot of historical significance. I didn't know the PDP-1 existed, until I saw the PiDP-1 kit. I had seen and run programs on a PDP-10 and seen a PDP-11, but I never used that.

cheers

Andrew B 

[Jorge Amodio]

Very cool! I had your PiDP-10 one, didn’t know you also had one for the PiDP-11 so I ordered both to have the full collection :-)

Cheers

-Jorge

On Sep 11, 2026, at 22:08, Andrew Barron <ad.b...@xtra.co.nz> wrote:

This book was written by a real person who purchased the kit, built it, and spent months researching and writing. It is a sequel to my books about the PiDP-11 and PiDP-10.

Goto the Amazon page
The book is an introduction to the PiDP-1 kit produced by Oscar Vermeulen and the PDP-1 simulator software written by Angelo Papenhoff. It also includes an alternative PDP-1 simulator written by Bill Ezell. You can run the PDP-1 simulators on any Linux computer or a Raspberry Pi. Building the PiDP-1 kit adds another dimension to the experience. I found it great fun to experiment with the PDP-1 software and run a few early computer games.

<PiDP-1 cover 3.jpg>

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<PiDP-1 cover 3.jpg>

[R Clark]

Thanks for all the hard work to put this together.  Have your other two books and they are good references. Ordered!  

[MICHAEL GARDI]

Thank you, Andrew, for your hard work. Book ordered!

Mike

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[Andrew Barron]

Thanks everyone!  BTW what do you think of the paper quality? It is the first time I have used Amazons 'groundwood' "eco" paper. If it is really bad, I will change the title back to ordinary white paper.

Andrew B

[Michael Spitrey]

I bought the book. I bought all your books. Very informative for me. On the newest book, I personally  don't like the new paper. Feels different and not as kind on the eyes gor me. I liked the white paper better. Just an observation. No deal breaker. 

Mike

michael spitrey

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[R H]

Andrew, I was slightly surprised at the different paper choice .. it looks a bit like a faded paperback (vintage like the PDP-1) and the contrast is less stark than the brilliant white which might be an issue if a reader has contrast sensitivity (cataracts etc).

My copy has a noticeable wavy look to the edge of the paper .. not sure if that is a one-off binding artefact or some result of the moisture content of the type of paper. Pressing the book has definitely helped with that.

In normal light I quite like the vintage look and it is a lot lighter (around 1/3rd less?) and for my eyes the softer contrast actually helps. It's odd, but to me, it looks less like a print-on-demand book than the others.

Either way, the content is great.

Cheers, Richard

[Whit Turner]

Ordered mine on 9/12. Amazon (as of today) is saying "delayed, not yet shipped". Wonder if they are having printing issues?

Whit

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[Adam Thornton]

Yeah, my PiDP-1 book was kind of wavy too.

I guess the obvious question for Andrew is: are you going to finish the series and do a PiDP-8 book?

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[Bill E]

Off topic, but you mean that computer with 8 instructions? :)

I remember way back having contests to see who could toggle in the most 'sophisticated' program, writing it in your head having memorized

the instruction set. To be fair, the 2 microcoded instructions do give you a bit more than 8, something like 20.

Bill

[R Clark]

Got mine a few minutes ago.  Not to impressed with the paper used in comparison to the other two books.   But I suppose that isn't as important as the information on the paper!  As long as the paper will hold up over time I'll be happy :) .  Can't wait to sit down and go through the book now... but <sigh> work is calling.

[Michael J. Kupec]

I too would be a for a PiDP-8 book to add to the current three! (-1, -10 & -11)

I have all four kits, but so far have only built the PiDP-8 (first kit) and the PiDP-11. The -1 & -10 are still in their boxes until I clear all the junk off my workbench to build this two as my computer desk isn’t big enough for the latter two during construction! 

Michael Kupec

Sent from my iPhone

Any typos and incorrectly corrected mis-spelled words are expected by a shoddy written IOS! 

On Sep 21, 2026, at 2:49 PM, R Clark <rbclar...@gmail.com> wrote:

Got mine a few minutes ago.  Not to impressed with the paper used in comparison to the other two books.   But I suppose that isn't as important as the information on the paper!  As long as the paper will hold up over time I'll be happy :) .  Can't wait to sit down and go through the book now... but <sigh> work is calling.

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[R Clark]

 I would go for the PiDP-8 book also :) .

Thumbing through the PiDP-1 book tonight, I find the text nice and clear.  So no problem reading the text.  But, but  it does feel like thumbing through a paperback novel instead of a nice computer manual. :) 

[Andrew Barron]

Thanks  rbclar...@gmail.com and michae...@gmail.com for the feedback about the quality of the paper. 

If it is possible I will try to change future copies back to white paper. I'm not sure if Amazon will let me do that. White paper costs more, but the price will not increase. 

Well..., I wont increase the margin that I charge anyway. Amazon sets the actual retail price dynamically according to their arcane sales algorithm. 

cheers

AndrewB

[Andrew Barron]

DONE! I managed to change the paper back to white. If you haven't ordered a copy, but plan to, leave it for a couple of days while they use up any old stock. My apologies to anyone who got a groundwood copy, but its a limited edition now :-)

[Andrew O'Neill]

Hello Andrew

On that basis, it looks like I have just received one of the last "limited" editions, here in the UK. The paper quality is not a deal breaker.

Thanks once again for your efforts,

Andrew

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[Andrew Barron]

@Spik, Andrew Here. I got my copy today. It takes longer to ship from the USA to New Zealand, but I have had shipping quality problems from Amazon Australia. 

I think the groundwood paper is OK, it is readable and not totally terrible, but I think it suits novels better than non-fiction technical books. So, I wont use it again. 

Anyway I hope you enjoy the kit and that the book is useful and fun to read.

[Andrew Barron]

Regarding a PiDP-8 book... UM! I don't know. I have a few other projects. At least two more radio books to write, and a magazine article I promised. I was not planning on a PiDP-8 book as the PDP-8 is not a computer that I bumped into when I was younger. I guess I never saw a PDP-1 either, so that's no excuse. 

The answer is probably not. Certainly not this year. 

Thanks everyone to everyone who bought any of the books. I really appreciate it. And if you could add some stars or write a short review on Amazon, that would really help to spread the work and fight the battle with AI slop.

AndrewB

[Kevin Murrell]

Mine has just arrived! All three now. Many thanks for this huge effort. Very much appreciated!

Kevin

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