Now *this* is cool

From: Douglas Quebbeman <dhquebbeman_at_theestopinalgroup.com>
Date: Tue Aug 7 06:51:57 2001

> On Mon, 6 Aug 2001, Gunther Schadow wrote:
> >
> > Re-implementations of PDPs, VAXen or other computers are one thing,
> > also new IO modules for old computers are another
> interesting use are
> > conceivable.
>
> That's right. For each part, there will come a time when there are no
> more original, functioning instances. Our ability to continue the
> tradition will then lie in our ability to put something else in their
> place.

Right, Jeff.

And this was a conversation I meant to finish with Tony Duell. I made
a remark about the speed I was seeing in a particular simulator of old
iron as run on a 233MHz Pentium-1 PC. Tony remarked that he didn't have
a machine of the host class (the Pentium-1 PC), so the simulator was
therefore not available to him, but that it didn't matter much to him
because he prefers the *real* original iron anyway.

And that's fine... I too, would love to own a Cyber 172, but even if I
ever find one (doubtfull), I wouldn't be able to afford to turn it on
even one time. So I wouldn't be able to enjoy it as a *computer*, but
rather as an *object* (d'art or whatever).

I suppose for someone who didn't have a history with a particular
machine, that is, an old beast like a CDC 6600 or similar, that being
able to recreate the *software* environment by having a simulator just
doesn't mean much. But for mean, it means everything. The operating
system and the language translators and utilities were my points of
familiarity as a programmer; again, had I been an engineer on one of
these systems, having something I could bootstrap might be less important.

Now, the FPGA route is even better than a simulator, of course, because
it's faster. Also, getting real old peripherals to work with a re-
implemented CPU is also promising- in many cases, the FPGA board could
be set in open space in old iron and the system be made to appear
operational even if not!

Oops, time for more coffee...

-dq
Received on Tue Aug 07 2001 - 06:51:57 BST