What is the first computer?

From: Jeff Kaneko <jeff.kaneko_at_ifrsys.com>
Date: Wed Jun 17 21:12:27 1998

<Stuff about stripped gears and mechanical computing engines SNIPped>

>
> You've never had a marginal timing problem, or a pattern-related data
> problem? I am suprised.
>
> Put it this way. I had a 1793 that, when it was warm, would not gerenrate
> a data request bit if (I think) the last 2 bytes loaded were both FF.
> Something totally crazy like that. Took a long time (and a lot of
> corrupted disks) to track that one down.
>
> Ditto for marginal timing that fixes itself when the machine is cold, or
> hot, or when you wave your hands over the CPU board, or whatever.
                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Tony, Tony, Tony, don't you know? That's a free added option
that's built into many kinds of electronic equipment! It's called
the TPD (tm). A.k.a., the "Technician Proximity Detector".

There's a ton of them installed out there. Looks like one innovation
that goes back even to Babbage's time . . . .


Jeff


>
> -tony
>
>
>
>
Received on Wed Jun 17 1998 - 21:12:27 BST