A while ago Doug wrote...
> Really, AFAICT, Andrew Davie is the king of mining a variety of sources.
I'll take that as a compliment. King? I doubt it; but I do go to a lot of
effort to find things. Case in point: the Mark-8 from 1974. No, I don't
have one. But I have been discussing this machine with Jon Titus, its
creator. I tracked down Jon and of course tried to convince him I was a
great home for some of his stuff. He replied with some interesting
information, and I requested that he consent to me posting to the list.
This he has done, and so without further ado...
---------- email from Jon Titus, creator of the Mark-8 minicomputer. Feb 9,
1999
Thanks for your note. I think there are a few sites that show a photo of
the Mark-8, but I can't recall any URLs. I know that by searching on
"Mark-8" or "Mark 8" usinf AltaVista I can usually come up with something.
Let me see what I can locate. I do have a 35 mm silde of the cover of the
July '74 issue of Radio-Electronics magazine and I could get that scanned
and converted to a TIF or GIF file. I'll look into it if you wish.
I may have the original schematic drawings in my "computer history" file at
home. Years ago I tossed out the PC-board layouts, which were on large
sheets on mylar that started to crack and deteriorate. The Mark-8 itself
went to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington quite a few years ago.
The prototype got pulled apart for bits and pieces over the years. It was
hand wired, point to point using Vero board, although I did etch a board
that held 1K bytes of memory. I doubt I have anything else related to the
Mark-8. Let me see if I can locate the schematics and easily make copies
for you.
No, I never made a fortune on the Mark-8, but that was not my intent. I had
been fooling with logic circuits since I was about 14 years old and used a
lot of relays, stepper switches, etc., to build some interesting projects.
When I went to graduate school, my work involved linking chemical
instruments to minicomputers. I found I liked the computers and electronics
more than the chemistry and headed in that direction. I used Digital
Equipment Corp. PDP-8/L minicomputers and wanted some sort of computer of my
own to fool with. So, when Intel announced the 8008, I got some info and
adapted one of Intel's circuits into what became the Mark-8. I got some
sample 8008 chips from Intel and get the unit running in late '73.
I thought, gee, other hobbyists and experimenters might like to have their
own computer, too, so I approached Radio-Electronics magazine about running
a construction article, which they did. I gave them a lot of materials, so
they published an extra booklet that people could purchase for $5. I got
paid by R-E for the article and I collected some royalties on the circuit
boards. That was a nice bit of money for a graduate student and I used some
of it to buy my own IBM Selectric III typewriter--one that had the
self-correcting tape and the typeball. I used that until a few years ago
when it died.
The Mark-8 did get a lot of people started with microprocessors and
microcomputers, and it launched me in a new direction. I still run into
people who remember the Mark-8 or who have used some of the books I wrote
and edited in the 70s and 80s. That makes me feel very proud, and it's a
feeling that money can't buy. So I didn't become rich in dollars from the
Mark-8, but it was a rich and rewarding experience. That's plenty.
Cheers,
Jon
---------- end of email
I would ask that you all refrain from chasing up things with Jon. I will
post any information/schematics that Jon provides to the 'net, without
charge. I think it's important that this interesting source of historical
information be "mined" carefully. He is receptive to the idea of answering
some questions for a page on the Mark-8 that I've been considering, so I'm
inviting you all to discuss on the list a group of questions that you'd like
to know about this machine and its design. I will submit them to him once
we've settled on some reasonable ones.
I'm interested in a project for a 1999 Mark-8. Anyone else want a replica?
Cheers
A
--
adavie_at_mad.scientist.com
visit the Museum of Soviet Calculators at
http://www.comcen.com.au/~adavie/slide/calculator/soviet.html
a Yahoo!, Netscape, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and New Scientist Cool
Site!?
?
> -----Original Message-----
> From: CLASSICCMP-owner_at_u.washington.edu
> [mailto:CLASSICCMP-owner_at_u.washington.edu]On Behalf Of SUPRDAVE_at_aol.com
> Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 1999 2:36 AM
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
> Subject: Re: RE[2]: [OT] Zero-point energy (was Re: 3-phase (was: Re:
> CDC 9766 Drive a...
>
>
> In a message dated 99-02-08 08:45:25 EST, you write:
>
> << > Back on the three phase issue, many shops use another
> > 3phase induction motor method to create needed three phases.
> > Some don't even use a starting capacitor. They simple
> > spin the motor with a pull rope and switch on the current.
> >>
>
> I've a small drill press with a (bad?) capacitor start motor that
> only seems
> to start up once out of every 300 presses of the on switch. does
> spinning the
> motor and then cycling the power really work??
>
Received on Mon Feb 08 1999 - 15:26:57 GMT