A "Lisp Machine" is a specialized computer, mostly made in the 80's, that
ran, er, LISP. LISP didn't run well on the hardware of the time because of
the relatively odd way it worked, especially with memory mangement and
garbage collection. They ran a special OS that was written in and ran LISP,
and was pervasive in that every module/subroutine you wrote was from then on
available to all the programs you wrote, it (sort of) became part of the OS.
Once you wrote a preferences routine, you wouldn't have to write it again,
all your apps could use it.
The two big names were Texas Instruments and Symbolics, which produced very
high-tech, VERY expensive machines at the time. Later, when Moore's law
caught up with them, they started making plug-in boards for the Mac, the
MacIvory from Symbolics and the Explorer from TI.
My friend at work used to work for a company that made mechanical modelling
software for Symbolics. When you sold the app, the customer bought the
Symbolics with the image of the whole software suite already installed.
The closest thing I know of to running a Symbolics machine that you could
try for free is Squeak (
http://www.squeak.org/)
which is a Smalltalk operating environment. True object-orientated OSes are
fun!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred N. van Kempen" <waltje_at_pdp11.nl>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 12:13 PM
Subject: Symbolics / LISP machines
> Hi,
>
> > > * Symbolics 3650 (heavy)
> > > * 2 extra color memory boards
> > > * extra 2MW memeory board
> > > * Monitor & keyboard
> >
> > I'd love to get a Lisp Machine, but I really can't justify to myself
> > either the shipping costs or the space it would take up. Fortunately
> > it appears it won't get tossed, which is my other worry.
>
> OK.. so how do I see such a machine... I can't figure out how a LISP
> machine "works" , or gets programmed. Guess they're from before my
> time... heeeelp !?
>
> --f
>
>
Received on Thu May 20 2004 - 11:41:00 BST