{"id":4904,"date":"2012-10-11T04:31:14","date_gmt":"2012-10-11T08:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/?p=4904"},"modified":"2012-10-11T04:31:14","modified_gmt":"2012-10-11T08:31:14","slug":"thursday-morning-history-of-computing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/2012\/10\/11\/thursday-morning-history-of-computing\/","title":{"rendered":"Thursday morning &#8211; History of computing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Grabbing a few secs between meetings to put up soem pictures from yestradys visit to Riga.. I&#8217;m pretty swamped to day between the IBM Forum I&#8217;m doing here with clients&#8230; and media stuff (eg. 6AM TV show , 8:30 talk.. , university talk, another talk, two interviews).. All good stuff. .but keeping me very busy on top of a big project for my day job.. I&#8217;m pretty beat..<\/p>\n<p>Anyway.. back to yesterdays trip to Riga<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b001.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b002.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b082.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b083.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Fish for breakfast.. i know I&#8217;m in the north of europe !<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b003.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>After my IBM talks and Media stuff, I went to the Latvian Technical University for a talk.. I think there were about 300 folks there. it was really great meeting these students. I was the kick off ot heir engineering week.. I wish I could have hung out to talk to them more..<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b006.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>one of the high points of my trip so far was a special short tour that my friend Ugis arraigned for me to visit the Technic Museum in Riga.. There Andre, the museums 80 year old wonderfully warm and knowledgeable curator took me on a tour of his collection crammed in the 5th floor attic of the Technical institute. In there was a beautifully layed out history of computing in eastern Europe.. He had everything from 1950&#8217;s vintage vacuum tube flip flops to modern computing elements. The high points ere the Russian copies of early IBM 360 and 370 machines and Bulgarian versions of DEC PDP11&#8217;s. it was amazing to see. The collection is a treasure.. that I suspect few get a chance to see .<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b012.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Andres display of calculators. and mice.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b011.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b014.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b015.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b016.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A russian version of the Apple II<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b017.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>an early russian printer<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b020.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Collection of early PCs<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b021.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Old component test station<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b022.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Card reader frame<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>old switching components<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b025.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>hand calculators<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b026.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Model of first electronic calculator in russian total memory was 150K bytes !<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b028.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>the brains behind it.. don&#8217;t you love this pic !?<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b029.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>picture of the real thing<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b030.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>early print outs<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b031.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b032.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>danger.. high voltage (fist computer had 800 volt supply) looks like Fearless leader from Rocky and Bullwinkle.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b033.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Core memory planes<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b034.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b035.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>acustic digital delay for printer<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b036.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b037.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b038.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Logic board for tube computer. (with germanium diodes !)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b040.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b041.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>paper tape (cut by hand)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b043.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>early drum memory<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b044.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>audio tape recorder retrofit for data .<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b046.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>crazy Swedish tape machine<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b047.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>front panel of ECIM IBM clone\u00a0 russian duplicate 370 processor.. the hilight of the show for me !<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b048.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b049.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>the crew who built it<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b051.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>early computer art<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b052.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b061.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>psuedoselectric<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b053.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>removable disk drives<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b054.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b060.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Another surviving IBM clone console.. so cool !<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b056.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b057.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>the guts.. !\u00a0 Discrete ECL logic !!!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b058.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>some sort of test console..<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b062.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Bulgarian DEC clones<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b067.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b074.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b077.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b079.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>oops a lightning strike !<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b063.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b070.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b072.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b073.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>An old ASR 33 (I used ot have one of these !!!!)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b080.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b081.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>great tour !.. I was so pleased to have spent the time with Andre !!!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/i147.photobucket.com\/albums\/r319\/johncohn\/oct1112\/oct1012b065.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>OK.. now I&#8217;m in Vilnus .. about to head to the University for a talk.. More tomorrow.. with pictures from here..<\/p>\n<p>Nite all, nite sam<\/p>\n<p>-me<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Grabbing a few secs between meetings to put up soem pictures from yestradys visit to Riga.. I&#8217;m pretty swamped to day between the IBM Forum I&#8217;m doing here with clients&#8230; and media stuff (eg. 6AM TV show , 8:30 talk.. , university talk, another talk, two interviews).. All good stuff. .but keeping me very busy &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/2012\/10\/11\/thursday-morning-history-of-computing\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Thursday morning &#8211; History of computing<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[602],"class_list":["post-4904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-history-of-computing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4904"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4906,"href":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4904\/revisions\/4906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}