Another ~1960 computer kit - Philips?

From: D. Peschel <dpeschel_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Thu Dec 17 18:32:06 1998

> > > The first kit was called SIMON (in honor of Simple Simon). I don't have
> >
> > It is a very nice machine, though I wouldn't call it a computer in the
> > strict sense. Berkeley wrote some books (and there may have been some
> > Scientific American articles) too.
>
> I forgot about you, Mr. InterLibraryLoan. I haven't yet picked up all of
> the relevant articles, so if you have copies, let me know by private
> email.

What titles are you looking for? We have some of his books (though not
necessarily all) and probably Scientific American -- possibly on paper,
maybe microfiche. Let me know and then I'll get in touch with you
personally.

> > Of course, I could be underestimating the power of Berkeley's machines.
>
> I assume so. Otherwise you'll have to define "computer" for me.

Well, from what I've read about SIMON, it has about two bits of RAM and a
few instructions. (There are actually TWO paper tapes -- one for data, the
other for instructions.) So you can program it and maybe use conditions,
but I don't think you can store a program anywhere in the machine.

The other kits may have been more powerful.

> > Berkeley also wrote a nice book about LISP (which may be the only reason why
> > you can run PDP-1 LISP on your PDP-1 emulator -- the source is published in
> > the book and it would be VERY hard to find otherwise). But I digress.
>
> Yes, he was a mathematician, so "symbolic programming" was an interesting
> paradigm to him. But PDP-1 LISP is available via FTP from Supnik's
> archive.

But Supnik says he got the sources from Berkeley's book! I just checked.

> Speaking of programming paradigms, one of the reasons I've always been so
> found of the E&S PS-300 was that it used a dataflow language. I found
> that a very compelling and completely different way to program. What a
> guy that Sutherland was, eh?

Yeah, he doesn't get much press. (Also, when your work exists to make money
for your company, you're wise not to say too much about it.) I really want
Sketchpad or a clone on MY machine. I don't know anything about dataflow
languages.

-- Derek
Received on Thu Dec 17 1998 - 18:32:06 GMT