Computer collecting humor.

From: Paul Pierce <prp_at_hf.intel.com>
Date: Wed Nov 5 11:22:15 1997

Strange word sizes were used in very early machines and special purpose
machines, especially early military computers. If you look hard enough
you can probably find any size, especially in the range 8-40. Here are
some examples off the top of my head, but I probably have some of them
wrong:

> 4 (Intel 4004, etc)
> 8 (Far too many to list)
> 12 (PDP8, PDP12, etc)
> 16 (Again far too many to list)
> 18 (PDP1, etc)

  19 Bendix G15, depending how you count

> 20 (PERQ 1, PERQ 2)

  22 Packard Bell 250, depending how you count (otherwise 23-24)

> 24 (PERQ 4) <- Also Datacraft/Harris
> 32 (Yep, a lot of those)
> 36 (PDP10, etc) <- including IBM 701 series, Univac 1100 series

  40 IAS, SWAC <- Here's the justification for the joke!
  48 Burroughs 5500 etc.
  60 CDC 6600, Cyber series
  64, 128 IBM Stretch

You get even more if you include decimal machines. (Is it fair to list
the 4004 above?)

> -tony

Paul
Received on Wed Nov 05 1997 - 11:22:15 GMT