<successful. The processors were used in a wide variety of machines. The
<VAX is DEC's first 32-bit machine. It used an OS called VMS, which some
<people like a lot for some reason, to the point of still using it. I heard
<that NT has a lot of VMS engineers behind it. An Altair is an early 8-bit
VMS is still used for one reason beyond preference, it's a 24x365 robust
operating system that even memory loss doesn't crash. VMS is still a
production operating system V7.2 or V7.3 I think is current. VAXen are
still sold by Compaq and VMS is also the OS for Alpha along with unix-64
and NT.
Nt has Cutler (only real name) who used to be of the DEC RSX-11 (foundation
for VMS) fame.
<as a kit and was poorly designed/unreliable. Although the Altair used some
<medieval methods of programming, in later machines like the IMSAI, one
<would generally use a dumb terminal and resort to the front panel for
<debugging purposes. OK, now you may correct everything I said :)
Right on target. Most people even then lusted and used some form of
terminal rather than wear out fingers on the front pannel. Even altair
users had terminals of some sort. the most common use for the front pannel
was for code that was not configured for the IO in use (no standards) so you
would single stp through the IO portion, write it all down by hand and then
hand patch it for what IO was in use.
Allison
Received on Sun Mar 14 1999 - 11:10:29 GMT