Symbolics / LISP machines

From: Al Kossow <aek_at_spies.com>
Date: Thu May 20 11:48:29 2004

> 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 !?

===

The short answer is Lisp Machines were microcoded computers optimized
for executing Lisp. There were several variants, the 'east coast' ones
developed from the MIT CADR, and the 'west coast' ones based on Xerox
D Machine. There is a lot of information on the web about them

MIT CADR

LMI Lisp Machine Symbolics LM-1 TI Explorer

LMI Lambda Symbolics 36xx TI Explorer II / MicroExplorer


Interlisp on PDP10s

Interlisp-D on Xerox 1100,1132,1108/9,1186

Xerox Lisp (Common Lisp from Lyric release through various Medley releases)

Envos (spinoff from Xerox)

Venue
Received on Thu May 20 2004 - 11:48:29 BST