Tony Duell wrote:
>
> > like this if they are made about people rather than, "The idea began
> > slowly to take shape that instead of using a two-stage adder it would be
> > easier to use a shift register. This was to come up later when..."
>
> And that's exactly why any book I'd write would sell about 2 copies. I'd
> _have_ to write about the machines and how they worked, rather than the
> people behind them. Things like 'The 16K WCS PERQ needed 14 address lines
> from the sequencer. It used a 2910 for the bottom 12, to maintain
> compatability with the 4K board. But, since that sequencer can't easily
> be cascaded, a custom sequnecer, built from TTL chips was used for the
> top 2 bits. This only implemented a subset of the 2910 instructions
> <Darn, where did I put the GGM notes...>...'
It's riveting for the right readers, but like the stuff I try to sell,
the public will go "Huh?". (Personally, your tidbit is fascinating to
_me_, but _I_ don't buy best-sellers [or obviously write them], though I
keep trying -- science fiction is more important than[though obviously
connected to] computers to me -- I was hooked on SF in 1963 or so, didn't
really deal with computers until 1978).
--
Ward Griffiths
They say that politics makes strange bedfellows.
Of course, the main reason they cuddle up is to screw somebody else.
Michael Flynn, _Rogue Star_
Received on Thu Jun 25 1998 - 22:48:43 BST