Book Review: How to Build a Working Digital Computer

From: Doug <doug_at_blinkenlights.com>
Date: Tue Mar 2 21:42:10 1999

On Tue, 2 Mar 1999, Derek Peschel wrote:

> Yes, that was more or less what I was thinking. My point was that IF
> you could get the switches to switch automatically (and the drum to
> turn) you would have a truly useful, automatic computer. Maybe with
> enough extra knife switches you could pull it off? :)

Then it'd be a Simon clone :-)

The goal of this machine's design appears to be that it can be built with
stuff laying around the house (paperclips, tin can for the drum, etc.).
There were earlier machines, like the Minivac 601, which used motorized
rotary switches and relays to push the "automation" envelope.

I like the manual paperclip approach, but I agree that a fully automated
paperclip computer would be way cool. Maybe it could powered by a
pull-string gyroscope or a wind-up clock....

-- Doug
Received on Tue Mar 02 1999 - 21:42:10 GMT