History's lost and found - PDP 8/L

From: Lawrence LeMay <lemay_at_cs.umn.edu>
Date: Sat May 20 00:30:53 2000

> History's Lost and Found on the History Channel has a segment on the first
> apple tonight. I haven't seen it yet. It is on now, 8-9PM PDT and repeated at
> Midnight to 1:00am. As of 8:21 the segment has not aired.
> Paxton

I videotaped it, at SLP speed unfortunately. I say unfortunately, since
I noticed for a very brief instant while they were panning across Liza
Loop's basement, a PDP 8 or 11.

Going back and using single-frame advance, it looks to me like a
PDP 8/L in a desktop case. The front panel switches and indicators
match perfectly with a 8/L, and the color scheme is correct for
some sort of 8. The tape was too grainy for any further details ;)

Just thought I'd mention it, perhaps someone should volunteer to
take that machine off their hands, its certainly not being used in the
basement, with boxes of junk stacked on it, and sitting next to baskets
of old clothes. There is also a 'mystery box' that looks like it
should be DEC equipment as well, it is the same size as the 8/L, appears
to have a solid black front with a ACE switch in the lower left, has
the same milky white metal frame around the front panel, and there
is a large piece of old paper covering most of the rest of the front...
Expansion box for the 8/L perhaps?

-Lawrence LeMay
Received on Sat May 20 2000 - 00:30:53 BST