Machine dates

From: Hans Pufal <hans1_at_filan00.grenoble.hp.com>
Date: Wed Aug 6 02:21:37 1997

Marvin <marvin_at_rain.org> wrote:

>> There are over 800 machines with unknown dates, would the list members

>> be upset if I do a weekly posting of, say 10 names in an attempt to
>> get
>> more info? If you do object send me Email and I will stop.

> This sounds like a good idea as well as one that is appropriate for this
> group! Are you looking for the date that the computers first shipped or
> perhaps rather advertised that they would ship :)?

Thanks for the encouragement!

Yes, the date of a machine is a problem, ideally, for mainframes I would
like the date of running the first significant program. I have taken to
using the date of publication of an announcemnt in for example IEEE
Computer. Any reasonable and hopefully verifiable date would be
welcomed.

I have been browsing the back issues of PCW magazine of which I have a
complete set of the first 8 years or so, and it is amusing to see the
adverts for the Sinclair MK14, they start out as rough drawings, then
more detailed ones and finally after 8 or so months we finally see a
photograph. It would be interesting to see a the sequence of these ads
juxtaposed, hmmm, yet another project ;-)

Regards,

Hans
Received on Wed Aug 06 1997 - 02:21:37 BST