1 | <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" |
---|
2 | "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> |
---|
3 | <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en"> |
---|
4 | <head><!--#set var="title" value="Scientifical calculators and mini computers" |
---|
5 | --><!--#set var="location" value="fruehe-computer" |
---|
6 | --><!--#set var="part" value="computer" |
---|
7 | --><!--#set var="url_de" value="rechnertechnik/fruehe-computer.shtm" |
---|
8 | --><!--#set var="prev" value="commercial.shtm" |
---|
9 | --><!--#set var="prev_title" value="Early commercial computers" |
---|
10 | --><!--#set var="next" value="univac9400.shtm" |
---|
11 | --><!--#set var="next_title" value="Univac 9400 mainframe computer, data center" |
---|
12 | --><title>Technikum29 - <!--#echo var="title" --></title> |
---|
13 | |
---|
14 | <!--#include virtual="/en/inc/head.inc.shtm" --> |
---|
15 | <meta name="keywords" lang="en" content="technikum29, early computers, DEC PDP, WANG 2200" /> |
---|
16 | <meta name="DC.Title" content="Technikum29 - <!--#echo var="title" -->" /> |
---|
17 | <meta name="DC.Subject" content="<!--#echo var="title" -->" /> |
---|
18 | <meta name="t29.SVN" content="$Id: early-computers.shtm 56 2008-11-28 23:33:59Z sven $" /> |
---|
19 | <meta name="t29.germanoriginal" content="18.07.2007/v5.7FINAL" /> |
---|
20 | <meta name="t29.thistranslation" content="22.08.2008/v5.8FINAL" /> |
---|
21 | <meta name="t29.comments" content="Link to new DEC-HISTORY page" /> |
---|
22 | <!--changleog: 27.04.2006/v5.5.1 auf Basis 2005/v5.5.1 --> |
---|
23 | <!--changelog: 21.08.2007/v5.7.5 auf Bais 18.07.2007/v5.7FINAL --> |
---|
24 | <!--changelog: 28.07.2008/v5.8.0 auf Basis 18.07.2007/v5.7FINAL: details 2 paragraph formulierung --> |
---|
25 | </head> |
---|
26 | <body> |
---|
27 | <!--#echo encoding="none" var="heading" --> |
---|
28 | <div id="content"> |
---|
29 | <h2><!--#echo var="title" --></h2> |
---|
30 | |
---|
31 | <p>Today's kids think of the latest mobile devices when talking about "mini computers". In contrast, in the 1960s and the early 70s, a computer was always huge (like our <a href="univac9400.shtm">UNIVAC mainframe</a>), thus a 300kg computer was "mini". Early computers are well worth seeing due to their enormous size and the nice transparent auxillary devices. |
---|
32 | <br />There is a very important computer family that finally lead to today's (personal) computers: The development of the "Mini" computers from Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), series PDP 8. The museum owns a complete production run from that devices: From the PDP 8 (also called Classic 8), year of manufacture 1965 to the PDP 8a (1975, this one is less important so it is located in the archive). |
---|
33 | <br/>For further reading see the story about <a class="go" name="backlink-dec" href="/en/devices/dec-history.shtm">Rise and Fall of DIGITAL (Equipment Corporation)</a>. |
---|
34 | </p> |
---|
35 | |
---|
36 | <!--alter Text: The legendary Classic PDP 8 from the company DEC (year of manufacture 1965) can be admired among others. Furthermore you can see the PDP 8L or <a class="go" href="/en/devices/pdp_8I.shtm">PDP 8I</a> (year of manufacture 1967, a lot of periphery) and the laboratory computer <a class="go" href="/en/devices/lab_8e.shtm">LAB8e</a> (1971). |
---|
37 | Because of constantly growing claims for storage capacity, backing storage (19-zoll drawers for 4kB with a weight of 20kg) was offered. The PDP 8I could not administrate more than 32kB. |
---|
38 | <br />THe PDP 8L, a trimmed-down version of the PDP 8I, cannot hold more than 8 kB.</p> --> |
---|
39 | |
---|
40 | <div class="box center"> |
---|
41 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/dec/pdp_8.jpg" width="504" height="521" alt="PDP 8 Classic" /> |
---|
42 | <p class="bildtext"> |
---|
43 | One of the museal highlights: The complete PDP 8 system with processor, |
---|
44 | big tape deck TU 580 (originally belongs to the PDP 5, year of manufacture |
---|
45 | 1963), punch card reader/puncher PC 01, hard disc DF 32 with immovable heads |
---|
46 | and a teletype as printer. The Classic-8 is called the world's first mass-produced |
---|
47 | "minicomputer". Without ICs or their ancestor it is a seccond-generation apparature. |
---|
48 | <br />The CPU and paper tape reader are loans from the <a href="http://www.fitg.de/fitg_english/">FITG (Association for the promition of industrial and technological history)</a>. |
---|
49 | |
---|
50 | <!-- The <b>Classic PDP 8</b> from DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation, Massachusetts): |
---|
51 | He is considered to be the world's first mass-produced "minicomputer" (1965). "Mini" is relative: Only too very |
---|
52 | strong men can lift the computer. It is better to have four people to carry it!. |
---|
53 | Without ICs or their ancestors the device is counted among the seccond-generation calculators. |
---|
54 | <br/>You can also get a view from the "Flip-Chip"-card from the <a class="go" href="/en/devices/pdp-8-left-flank.shtm">left flank</a> |
---|
55 | (<u>flank</u>). The core memory is set above (storage capacity 4kB).--> |
---|
56 | </p> |
---|
57 | </div> |
---|
58 | |
---|
59 | <div class="box left"> |
---|
60 | <img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/dec/pdp_8i.jpg" alt="DEC PDP 8I" width="317" height="441" /> |
---|
61 | <div class="bildtext"> |
---|
62 | <h3>PDP 8I</h3> |
---|
63 | <p>DEC's first calculator with integrated circuits was not cheap. The CPU on |
---|
64 | its own (in the middle of the picture) without periphery costed 27000$ at that time.<br/> |
---|
65 | The main memory had a capacity of 8kB. While calculating a "bigger" problem, possibly some files |
---|
66 | (programs, data) had to be swapped on a (magnetic) tape and read in afterwards. DEC developed |
---|
67 | a very intelligent operating system (OS/8) which could work very efficiently with such few memory. |
---|
68 | It is very interesting to watch this computer working.</p> |
---|
69 | <p>If you have not yet seen such a computer, you should know that it is more than 2m high (with |
---|
70 | plotter) and has a weight of more than 300 kg.</p> |
---|
71 | <p>The periphery constists of 2 x TU 55 (tape drives), PC 04 (high speed paper tape reader), |
---|
72 | Calcomp 563 plotter (at the top) and of course a teletype (not in the picture).</p> |
---|
73 | </div> |
---|
74 | <div class="clear"> </div> |
---|
75 | </div> |
---|
76 | |
---|
77 | <div class="box right"> |
---|
78 | <a href="/en/devices/lab_8e.shtm" name="lab8e"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/dec/lab_8e.jpg" width="317" height="486" alt="LAB 8e" class="nomargin-bottom" /></a> |
---|
79 | <!-- other picture --> |
---|
80 | <div class="bildtext"> |
---|
81 | <h3>Lab 8e</h3> |
---|
82 | <p>Successor of the PDP8i was the PDP8e (1970). This computer had already an |
---|
83 | internal bus system. So you could easily attach any periphery with interface cards. This |
---|
84 | feature made the "Mini"computer all-purpose. This Computer type was offered with diverse |
---|
85 | A/D- and D/A-converters and connection facilities as laboratory computer for analogue |
---|
86 | devices (shown in the picture). The periphery is:</p> |
---|
87 | <ul> |
---|
88 | <li>VR 12 (oscilloscope display)</li> |
---|
89 | <li>PC 04 (High speed paper tape reader/puncher)</li> |
---|
90 | <li>2 x TU 56 (double tape drive)</li> |
---|
91 | <li>RK 05 (removable disk drive)</li> |
---|
92 | <li>A/D- and D/A-converter</li> |
---|
93 | </ul> |
---|
94 | </div> |
---|
95 | <div class="clear"> </div> |
---|
96 | </div> |
---|
97 | |
---|
98 | |
---|
99 | <p>Furthermore the first system that looks like a today's computer is connected: <a class="go" href="/en/devices/wang2200.shtm">WANG 2200</a>, year of manufacture 1973. The computer with so much peripheral devices is propably unique in Germany. The periphery: paper tape reader, reader for stacked cards, 8-inch triple disc drive, disc system with 38cm big disks (the device has a weight of 100kg and costed 24.000,- DM whereas it only saved 5MB), special basic-keyboard, etc.</p> |
---|
100 | <p>WANG quickly recognized that the future of computers needed screens. However the concurrent HP built his |
---|
101 | computers only with a single LED display until 1975.</p> |
---|
102 | |
---|
103 | <div class="box center"> |
---|
104 | <a href="/en/devices/wang2200.shtm" name="backlink-wang2200"><img src="/shared/photos/rechnertechnik/wang2200_komplettanlage.jpg" width="474" height="325" alt="Wang 2200" /></a> |
---|
105 | </div> |
---|
106 | |
---|
107 | <p>The first personal computer was also build by WANG: PCS II (1975). The first PC that was affordable for everybody was the PET 2001 from Commodore. It came on the market in 1977 and was as cheap as a today's PC but saved 8kB and had decent applications. Many more Homepcomputer followed, the market got out of hand and therewith the collection of computers ends.</p> |
---|
108 | |
---|
109 | <p>See further details at <a class="go" href="/en/details2.shtm" title="Details 2">the tabular overview of |
---|
110 | mid range data processing equipment and proffessional early computers</a>.</p> |
---|
111 | </div> |
---|
112 | |
---|
113 | |
---|
114 | <!-- end of content --> |
---|
115 | <!--#include virtual="/en/inc/menu.inc.shtm" --> |
---|
116 | </body> |
---|
117 | </html> |
---|