EDSAC on your desk.

From: Huw Davies <H.Davies_at_latrobe.edu.au>
Date: Mon Sep 21 20:07:04 1998

At 06:55 PM 21-09-98 +0100, Tony Duell wrote:
>> Simulators are the single best way to preserve classic machines for
>> future generations. Of course, once the hosts the simulations run on are
>
>OK, I'll be polite. I strongly disagree with that statement! (I could be
>a lot stronger than that...)
>
>A simulator (in general) preserves one aspect of the machine - a platform
>on which to run the original programs. What it doesn't preserve is any
>feel of the hardware, any of the hardware techniques that were in use at
>that time, the construction methods, etc.

Well some machines only exist in small numbers (or not at all) so a
simulator is one way of preserving the environment. Another difficulty is
that some desirable machines are a little large to own personally. The sort
of machines I'm talking about are Atlas, DECsystem-10s, CDC6600s and so on.
A simulator is at least better than just reading about them...

 Huw Davies | e-mail: Huw.Davies_at_latrobe.edu.au
 Information Technology Services | Phone: +61 3 9479 1550 Fax: +61 3 9479
1999
 La Trobe University | "If God had wanted soccer played in the
 Melbourne Australia 3083 | air, the sky would be painted green"
Received on Mon Sep 21 1998 - 20:07:04 BST