Preserving a Multics System

From: Mike Cheponis <mac_at_Wireless.Com>
Date: Fri Oct 20 16:16:10 2000

Hey, c'mon, that's CHEAP! Like $50 US per day.

Lemme tell you, if you all don't already know this: there ain't -NOTHING- like
actually running the old stuff, compared with an emulator.

There's nothing like the whirring fans, the smells (hopefully not from smoke
escaping from componets), the physical switches and knobs, and, of course,
the blinkenlights.

It even seems more satisfying running programs on The Real Thing. And it's
especially cool if you have the peripherals of the day working, too.

(As for Multics, I sure hope it remains rescued, since Multics is better in
 every way than unix except for pipes, which unix added.)

-mac


On Fri, 20 Oct 2000, Douglas Quebbeman wrote:

> Here's an interesting datapoint about the cost of running
> a preserved/rescued Multics:

>> The 1 CPU DPS-8/70M with 4 MW, 1 IMU, 1 18x FNP, 2 FIPS tapes, 3 FIPS D and
>> 1 FIPS E disk that we ran at CGI/Perigon/ACTC consumed around 1.1 MWhr of
>> electricity a day running mostly the idle program. Based on current utility
>> rates in Calgary, that translates to about $2,000 CDN per month. This
>> included the AC load added to the room. The configuration cited is not the
>> minimal.


> This is why emulators are needed for the really old stuff, even if
> it does still run.
 
> regards,
> -dq
Received on Fri Oct 20 2000 - 16:16:10 BST