Computers in cars (PDP11/34a in NZ)

From: JP Hindin <jplist_at_globe.net.nz>
Date: Tue Jun 18 11:13:47 2002

On Tue, 18 Jun 2002, Lawrence LeMay wrote:
> > > The really amazing part to all this is that they apparently haven't had
> > > a power failure in 18 years...
> > Ever heard of a UPS?

> Yes, I hear UPS's all the time, down in the machine room. They're the boxes
> that are always beeping to tell us their very few years old batteries arent
> working anymore. We connect them to our uninterruptable power, which is fed
> by two separate power stations and some device switches power immediately
> if one feed loses power. That device hasnt worked properly in the 12 years
> its been installed...

Heh. The big APC UPS at the ISP I worked at we had running bets that in a
power outage it'd last maybe 12 seconds.
When the power outage came, who'd a thought? 15 minutes! A record.

The last I heard, the longest uptime for any machine was a Digital Tandem
in a mine complex in Arizona, 22 years, and that was back in 2000.
Not surprisingly it was Compaq dudes trying to sell me an AlphaServer at
the time, but I believe him.

JP
Received on Tue Jun 18 2002 - 11:13:47 BST