SEPTEMBER 2003 CORE 4.1

A PUBLICATION OF THE COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM WWW.COMPUTERHISTORY.ORG ANNOUNCING OUR ALPHA PHASE!

With the extraordinary efforts and Our new building has been drawing the Be sure to read the report on Museum support of so many people this year, we interest of corporations, attracting many activities. While we’ve been preparing to have reached another major milestone. new volunteers, and allowing trustees, open our great building, our public The Museum initiated its Alpha Phase staff, and volunteers to productively programs have been spectacular. The on June 2 at 1401 N Shoreline Blvd! work together in one environment. Since awesome lectures and events we plan This marks the official opening of a new June, we have moved most of our and support have truly brought to life Visible Storage display area, the collection from offsite storage into the meaning of preserving the stories of dedication of the Hahn Auditorium, and unused portions of the Museum the information age. the beginning of our public presence in building, and we may soon be offering our new home. Yet there’s much more special member tours to explore the The launch of our Alpha Phase is a giant ahead to realize our dream—plans are deep recesses of our great collection. step forward for the Museum. We now already underway for the Museum’s have an unparalleled public presence Beta Phase, and Releases 1.0 and 2.0 Although accomplishments have been that will be built in phases over time over the next several years. great, the economic climate has been along with great programs and access extremely challenging. We need your to the largest collection in the world. It’s exciting to see the opportunities our help in finding people and organizations Help us to grow and let us know how new home has given us. In the new to support us as we grow, and are you enjoy your Museum! Visible Storage, for example, you will looking for volunteers to help in many still find many favorite artifacts from the areas, including development. We also display at Moffett Field. However, we reorganized early this year in now have an entirely new look, labels anticipation of next year’s economic for all of the items, and about double situation, and have consolidated some the number of artifacts in a larger functions. The staff has been JOHN C TOOLE gallery for a more complete tremendous during this difficult time of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO representation of computing history. A change, and you will see some of their great online virtual visible storage can titles have changed. be found at www.computerhistory.org. I know you will be pleased to see how we With our new presence in Mountain are bringing that story to the world. View, you can tangibly see how we are able to grow into a great museum. Yet We also opened our new Hahn our programs take support and Auditorium and multi-purpose room, dedicated people. Please consider named in honor of the Hahn family, our increasing your annual campaign largest donor to date. Eric Hahn is also support and making a capital campaign a trustee who has helped us grow gift. In addition, we have just kicked off dramatically and who served as the first a great corporate membership program chair of the Development Committee in and have created recognition walls for California. This space will become a all to see. For information on the community gathering place for member programs and naming computing history enthusiasts, host opportunities please contact Karen everything from history lectures to Tucker. major events, and allow us to record important events for posterity.

COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM September 2003 COREA publication of the Computer History4.1 Museum IN THIS VISION ISSUE TO EXPLORE THE COMPUTING REVOLUTION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

MISSION INSIDE FRONT COVER TO PRESERVE AND PRESENT FOR POSTERITY THE ANNOUNCING OUR ALPHA PHASE! John C Toole ARTIFACTS AND STORIES OF THE INFORMATION AGE

2 COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM: ALPHA PHASE Kirsten Tashev EXECUTIVE STAFF INSERT John C Toole Karen (Mathews) Tucker GUIDE TO VISIBLE STORAGE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT, MARKETING, & PR Michael Falarski 6 VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS Michael R Williams 2 THE MCM/70 MICROCOMPUTER & FACILITIES HEAD CURATOR Zbigniew Stachniak Kirsten Tashev DIRECTOR OF COLLECTIONS & EXHIBITIONS 13 RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE COLLECTION

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 15 Leonard J Shustek, Chairman Peter Hirshberg PRESERVING HISTORY: THE SDS SIGMA 5 FINDS A NEW HOME VENCRAFT LLC GLOSS.COM 6 Lee Courtney Sally M Abel Charles H (Chuck) House FENWICK & WEST LLP INTEL CONVERGED 24 David L Anderson COMMUNICATIONS GROUP REPORT ON MUSEUM ACTIVITIES SENDMAIL DIALOGIC DIVISION Karen Tucker C Gordon Bell Dave House MICROSOFT CORPORATION Christine Hughes 28 Peggy Burke ACHIEVEMENT PLUS MEMBERS & DONORS 1185 DESIGN John Mashey 15 Lori Crawford CONSULTANT 29 INFINITY CAPITAL LLC UPCOMING EVENTS Ike R Nassi CONTACT INFORMATION Andrea Cunningham FIRETIDE CITIGATE CUNNINGHAM Suhas Patil ON THE BACK COVER William Davidow TUFAN MOHR, DAVIDOW VENTURES MYSTERY ITEMS FROM THE COLLECTION Bernard L Peuto Donna Dubinsky CONCORD CONSULTING HANDSPRING F Grant Saviers David Emerson PRIVATE INVESTOR 24 CLARENT CORPORATION John Shoch Eric Hahn ALLOY VENTURES INVENTURES GROUP Stephen L Squires Gardner C Hendrie HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY SIGMA PARTNERS Copyright ©2003, Computer History Museum. Pierluigi Zappacosta All rights reserved. The Museum is an independent 501(c)(3) organization, FID #77-0507525. Printed in BOARD OF ADVISORS BACK the USA. Gene Amdahl Burge Jamieson Computer History Museum SIGMA PARTNERS William Aspray 1401 N Shoreline Blvd INDIANA UNIVERSITY Randy Katz Mountain View, CA 94043-1311, USA UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA +1 650 810 1010 Robert Broderson BERKELEY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA +1 650 810 1055 (fax) BERKELEY Steve Kirsch PROPEL SOFTWARE CORPORATION Paul Ceruzzi WWW.COMPUTERHISTORY.ORG NATIONAL AIR & SPACE MUSEUM David Patterson SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Submission guidelines: www.computerhistory.org/core BERKELEY or write [email protected]. Federico Faggin SYNAPTICS James N Porter DISK/TREND Samuel Fuller ANALOG DEVICES Eric Schmidt James Gray GOOGLE MICROSOFT CORPORATION

PUBLICATION STAFF Cover: Celebrating the opening of the Alpha Phase of the Computer History Museum at 1401 N. Shoreline Boulevard in Mountain View, California! See Karyn Wolfe article on page 2. EDITOR

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Kirsten Tashev is Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Computer History Museum

COMPUTER HISTORY ALPHA PHASE MUSEUM: BY KIRSTEN TASHEV

The Museum’s entrance at 1401 N. Shoreline in Mountain View, Calif.

The Museum reached a key milestone THE HAHN AUDITORIUM with the opening of its Alpha Phase on The renovations also allowed the June 2, 2003. At an open house Museum to significantly improve its celebration held at the new building, the facilities for ongoing public programs. Museum unveiled a 400-person Hahn The Museum’s popular speaker series Auditorium and meeting space, donor will now be held in the new 400-seat acknowledgment walls, and a 9,000- auditorium. The Hahn Auditorium, square-foot Visible Storage exhibit area. named after major benefactors Elaine The opening was a great success and Hahn and Museum Trustee Eric Hahn, was attended by about 600 people, is equipped with a high quality sound including city officials, Museum and recording system that will allow members, trustees, staff, contractors, Photo by Earnest J. Ray The open house included tours of Visible and guests. The celebration began with Storage and a reception. a ribbon cutting ceremony and presentations by Executive Director & In October 2002, the Museum CEO John C. Toole and Museum purchased its landmark building at trustees, and was followed by tours of 1401 N. Shoreline Boulevard in the new Visible Storage exhibit area and Mountain View, Calif. Built in 1994, the a reception. building was state-of-the-art for its time and its open concept design lends itself

well to the Museum’s future plans. But, Photo by Earnest J. Ray several key upgrades were necessary to The new Hahn Auditorium was named after transform the building from office to Eric and Elaine Hahn, has a 400-seat capacity, and will serve as a multi-purpose space for museum in compliance with public banquets, receptions, and other events. assembly building codes. Renovations were begun shortly after purchasing the the Museum to produce well-engineered building and included such requirements events and to support its archival as fire walls, mechanical and safety efforts. The Hahn Auditorium also upgrades to accommodate a larger serves as a multi-purpose space, occupancy capacity, and structural allowing the Museum to hold any

Photo by Earnest J. Ray upgrades to support both the increased number of institutional and potential After a ribbon cutting ceremony, over 600 occupancy of potential visitors as well rental events, including banquets, guests celebrated the opening of the Museum’s Alpha Phase. as the significant weight of some of the receptions, meetings, etc. This year the Museum’s most historic artifacts. Museum plans to hold the annual Fellow Awards Celebration in the new facility on October 21, 2003.

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UNVEILING OF DONOR WALLS outset, the design embraced the Having worked for a little over a year on Also at the opening, the Museum concept of a Visible Storage rather than the future 15,000 square-foot Timeline unveiled a series of donor walls, a full-fledged museum exhibit. Visible of Computing History exhibition including plaques that recognize the Storage—sometimes known in the scheduled to open in two to four years, early Boston and Silicon Valley founders, museum field as Open Storage—has the team had a solid outline of the as well as the current annual donors, become quite popular in the last decade major highlights of computing history corporate members, and capital as a legitimate display technique. Unlike fresh in their minds. Although restricted campaign donors. The new donor walls a Museum exhibit that attempts to to using the artifacts themselves and to are prominently displayed in the lobby explain more complex information limited explanatory techniques, the reception area and will continue to through extensive graphics, audio- team wanted to create a new and recognize the financial support of the visuals, and computer interactives, a improved Visible Storage that would many individuals and companies who Visible Storage relies mainly on artifacts attempt to touch on all aspects of enable the future growth of the or objects as the primary means of computing, including software, hardware Museum. communication along with a limited and underlying technology, graphics number of explanatory labels. Since the systems, networking, Internet, and majority of museums have limited space computing precursor systems. and can only exhibit between 10 and 20 percent of their collections at any one In developing the new Visible Storage, a time, the low-cost method of Open tension between presenting information Storage allows them to provide public chronologically versus thematically access to “back end” collections that presented itself. The end resulted in a they otherwise would not be able to compromise, so that the artifacts are display. In the case of the Computer laid out in a loose chronological order, History Museum, this approach allows yet the plan allows for diversion here us to make our collection available to and there to show developments by the public while we fundraise to build theme in a specific area such as more content- and multimedia-rich storage or peripheral devices, or

A series of new donor walls in the lobby reception exhibitions. supercomputers, etc. area acknowledge current annual donors, corporate members, capital campaign donors as well as early The experience is greatly enhanced by Boston and Silicon Valley founders. explanatory labels for each artifact. Expanded labels explain more complex A REVITALIZED VISIBLE STORAGE or less object-based information, such Key to the Alpha Phase opening was the as computing concepts or developments reincarnation of the Museum’s Visible in the field of software. Although the Storage exhibit area. Formerly housed in new Visible Storage is not a full-scale a World War II-era warehouse at Moffett exhibition, nor by any means a Field, the original Visible Storage comprehensive presentation of suffered from cramped quarters, poor computing history, with approximately lighting and climate control, and little to 600 artifacts, 150 historic photos, and no interpretation in the form of labels or Visible Storage has been moved from a a computer restoration workshop other self-guided explanatory warehouse at Moffett Field (above) to the new featuring the IBM Model 1620, it offers building (below). Many enhancements have information. Although docent-led tours been made, including improvements in look much greater access to the Museum’s greatly enhanced the Visible Storage at and feel, expanded labels, and an organized rich collection. Moffett Field, docents were often layout displaying 50% more artifacts. required to double back and point over FUTURE EXHIBITIONS and between objects in order to provide While the Alpha Phase opening is no adequate tours of the history of doubt a significant achievement for the computing. Museum, there still remains much to be done in order to preserve and present As soon as it was clear that the the amazing story of the computing Museum would likely purchase the revolution. The Museum is currently building at 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., the raising funds to expand its offerings Museum’s collections and exhibitions through world-class exhibitions in future staff, along with the exhibit design firm, phases or releases. The Museum plans Van Sickle & Rolleri Ltd., with the input to create exhibitions that are rich in of trustees and other subject contextual media and interpretive specialists, began the work of designing content, covering all aspects of the new Visible Storage. From the computing history. These will include a

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2

1

1) Enter our new Visible Storage exhibit area, displaying approximately 600 artifacts, 150 historic photos, and a computer restoration workshop featuring the IBM 1620.

2) An organized layout, expanded labels, and protective stanchions are helping to improve visitor experience.

3) An office area of the building was converted for Visible Storage. The carpeting was removed and the cement flooring was re-finished, blinds in the floor-to-ceiling windows are kept shut to protect the artifacts from light, and cubicle walls were re-purposed as dividers between sections. 3 4) Even though the new Visible Storage has more space and more artifacts, the displays are still fairly dense with a lot of items located closely together. To the interested, the experience can be one of great depth.

5) Just one of the new item labels found throughout Visible Storage.

5 4

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The Museum is planning additional building renovations for two upcoming phases, Release 1.0 and Release 2.0. In addition to the Timeline Exhibit and Theme Galleries, plans call for a reference library, gift shop, café, and multipurpose event and classroom spaces.

The Museum is developing a Timeline Exhibit that will be media-rich and highly interpretive. These artists renderings explore ideas for how this Timeline Exhibit could be configured.

Timeline of Computing History that will enable us to expand our community and Tours of the new Visible Storage are focus on headline stories in a will support the Museum’s educational now given on a regular basis, and a chronological format, five Theme Room programs, including a speaker series, Virtual Visible Storage is also now galleries that will explore specific topics seminars, workshops, artifact available. For more information, please in more detail and show developments restorations, and other volunteer-led visit the Museum’s Web site at in sub-fields of computing side by side, projects. www.computerhistory.org. and a large gallery for changing topical exhibits, the possibilities of which are As I hope you can see, the Museum has endless. a solid base upon which to achieve its objectives, with its deep collection, Plans also include a rich online enthusiastic supporters, promising CyberMuseum experience to include facility, and public mission. To reach our access to the Museum’s collections, goals, however, we need your help as a and a variety of interpreted Cyber supporter, donor, and volunteer. Please Exhibits. In addition, the Museum plans stop by, see our Alpha Phase, and help to offer a reference library, gift shop, us achieve our future plans through your café, and multipurpose event and support and participation. classroom spaces. These amenities will

CORE 4.1 PAGE 6 THE MCM/70 MICROCOMPUTER

BY ZBIGNIEW STACHNIAK

INTRODUCTION MCM/70 UNVEILED Mutual Life Insurance Company of New In early 1972, a small group of The MCM/70 computer, designed by York, Ontario Hydro-Electric Power computing professionals came together MCM between 1972 and 1973, is Commission, NASA Goddard Space in Kingston, Canada, to design a novel possibly the earliest example of a Flight Center, and the U.S. Army, to computer system based on emerging microcomputer manufactured name just a few MCM customers. microprocessor technology. The result of specifically for personal use. From the their work at Micro Computer Machines hardware and software engineering The official announcement of the Inc. (MCM) was the MCM/70 personal points of view it does not have much in MCM/70 came on September 25, computer. The following article details common with early hobby computers, 1973, in Toronto. Two days later, it was the early stages in the development of such as the MITS Altair 8800 or Apple I, unveiled in New York and the following the MCM/70 microcomputer. The article except that these computers were day in Boston. An early prototype had is based primarily on development notes microprocessor-based. By the time the been demonstrated to the APL authored by Mers Kutt, the first Altair 8800 kit was offered to hobbyists community in May of 1973 during the president of MCM. These notes, most in early 1975, with its 256 bytes of Fifth International APL Users’ likely written between February and May RAM memory and no high-level Conference in Toronto. Another of 1972, are among the oldest records programming language capability, the prototype was touring Europe in August chronicling the coming of the personal MCM microcomputers were providing in- and September of that year and was microcomputer. Quotations by Kutt, house APL (A Programming Language) showcased by the MCM team in Gordon Ramer, José Laraya, and support for applications ranging from Holland, Germany, Switzerland, France, Morgan Smyth were obtained through engineering design, modeling and Italy, and the U.K. Other prototypes of interviews by the author between simulation, to investment analysis and the machine included an early March, 2001, and December, 2002. education. By the time the Apple I board refinement of the Intel SIM8-01 Kutt’s notes and recordings of the was offered for sale in 1976, the MCM development board, a rack-based wire- interviews currently reside at the York machines were being used by Chevron wrapped system, a desktop bare-bones University Computer Museum in Toronto, Oil Research Company, Firestone, system, and even a cardboard mockup. Canada. Toronto Hospital for Sick Children,

Announcement of the MCM/70 during the press conference at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, September The MCM/70 desktop bare-bones system. 3D 25, 1973. From left: Mers Kutt, Gordon Ramer, Ted Edwards, and Reg Rea. Source: Canadian Datasystems, model created by André Arpin. October 1973, p. 49.

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MCM was aiming at a small, microprocessor- Photograph by Z. Stachniak based desktop computer that would be affordable, as easy to use as a hand-held calculator, and functionally as powerful as a Mers Kutt speaking at York University, Toronto, October 2001 mainframe KUTT SYSTEMS INC. In the fall of 1971, just after he left his dialect of Iverson’s APL language. His computer running first company, Consolidated Computer experience with space-efficient York APL Inc., Canadian inventor and was critical for the writing of the APL. Nothing entrepreneur Mers Kutt decided to MCM/APL interpreter, which Ramer develop a small desktop personal initiated even before the 8008 chip was similar had ever computer that could be programmed in available in quantity from Intel. APL. Kutt followed technological been built before. developments and market trends in the The small company was incorporated on semiconductor industry closely. He December 28, 1971, under the name At the time, in personally knew Bob Noyce, then the Kutt Systems Inc. On the same day, CEO of Intel Corporation, and was Hank Smith, who was in charge of December 1971, meeting with Intel marketing staff and Intel’s Micro Computer Systems Group, participating in Intel promotional signed a shipment invoice for a SIM4- the news of a seminars. He had a good knowledge of 01 development system, an MCS-4 chip the technical specifications and of the set, and an MP7-01 EPROM CPU on a single developmental progress of Intel’s first programmer, together valued at $1,231, 8-bit microprocessor—the 1201, later to be delivered to Kutt at no charge. chip was only renamed the 8008. For Kutt, the near The second shipment from Intel, on completion of the 8008 chip in late May 23, 1972, delivered a SIM8-01 about one month 1971 was a technological trigger point development board and an MP7-02 urging him to move ahead with his programmer. By that time, the company old. Furthermore, personal microcomputer project. had hired, among other people, a APL interpreters hardware engineer by the name of José In the beginning, there were just two: Laraya, APL programmers Don Genner were not even Mers Kutt and Gord Ramer, whom Kutt and Morgan Smyth, and software recruited to work on the software engineer André Arpin, whose main job available for aspect of the project. Before joining would be to develop the virtual memory forces with Kutt, Ramer was the director system for the MCM/70 computer. minicomputers. of the Computing Center at St. Lawrence College in Kingston. Before that Ramer had worked at York University, then on the outskirts of Toronto, and developed the York APL

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The Key-Cassette drawing. Source: M. Kutt’s notes

A fragment of the Key-Cassette’s keyboard. Source: M. Kutt’s notes

Page two of the MCM/70 User’s Guide introduces the keyboard layout.

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THE KEY-CASSETTE CONCEPT all the alphanumeric characters as software. He inquired about the The company was aiming at a small, well as the APL and special function possibility of Intel manufacturing custom microprocessor-based desktop computer symbols. To achieve such a degree of CPU boards for the MCM computer. In that would be affordable, as easy to compactness, each key was designed his notes, Kutt entered that standard use as a hand-held calculator, and to enter up to 5 symbols (using a 8008 prototyping boards, ones that functionally as powerful as a mainframe combination of key strokes). The could be used to prototype and test an computer running APL. Nothing similar symbols on the keys would be color MCS-8 based system without building had ever been built before. At the time, coded to distinguish between the his own board, would have a in December 1971, the news of a CPU symbols that can be entered directly “tremendous impact.” on a single chip was only about one (red symbols in the center of the keys) month old. Furthermore, APL and those that could be entered via a A month later, Kutt received the SIM8- interpreters were not even available combination of key strokes (black 01 board from Intel and gave it to José for minicomputers. symbols placed in the corners of Laraya for the evaluation and the the keys). estimation of its potential for growing The size, price, and usability targets set an APL machine out of it. Laraya recalls: by Kutt Systems for its microcomputer The one-line display of the Key-Cassette “Mers brought it [the SIM8-01] in and focused the attention of the company would allow the user to view a single said, ‘Here, see what it does.’ It was on the calculator market. “The world line of APL code, a computer output, or really computing, it really did things, was full of calculators,” recollects Kutt. an error message. Using the rotate keys one little chip.” The experimentation “They made a real Big Bang.” In his “” and “”, the displayed information with the SIM8 board concentrated on notes, Kutt entered, “Try and use could be scrolled left and right to fully interfacing with various devices (such existing calculator cover, display, modify reveal its contents. Using the roll keys as the teletype) and on the use of the power supply, and replace keyboard.” “” and “”, one would scroll through MP7-02 programmer for the purpose of Indeed, off-the-shelf calculator the lines of APL code. The sketch of the burning Ramer’s APL interpreter into components could save the company Key-Cassette is augmented with two the EPROM chips. money. For instance, to package the drawings of possible segmented display computer into a case that would match elements: one comprised of 13 display But this early attempt at building a the design elegance of a calculator segments and the other of 15 microcomputer, now called the M/C cover, the case would have to be segments. Finally, the tape cassette prototype in the notes, was a manufactured using the injection drives were to provide external storage. disappointment. Kutt wrote that the molding technique. But that was machine “is useless as is,” and has to expensive: a good quality mold with The production model of the MCM/70 be “drawn up, rewired, and debugged.” sharp corners would cost around would be equipped with a more “user- In the end, Laraya decided to abandon $25,000. friendly” APL keyboard (layout modeled the SIM8 approach and, instead, was after the keyboard of the IBM 2741 determined to build his own hardware Kutt’s notes provide an early glimpse of terminal), with a one-line plasma display from the ground up. He remembers the “computer of the future.” His and up to two digital cassette drives thinking, “OK, this [SIM8-01] is fine, drawing, entitled Key-Cassette, is providing over 100KB of storage each. great, interesting, works with among the oldest preserved sketches of Only the sides of the case would be teletype…But now, let’s build something a microcomputer to be manufactured for injection molded, while the rest of the serious.’’ Laraya adds, “Mers got the the consumer market. The name “Key- case would be made of cheaper chips and on the basis of that I Cassette” most likely derives from “Key- aluminum. developed the rack version….It was very Edit,” the name of the data entry fast from the time we had the [SIM8-01] system manufactured by Kutt’s former FROM THE KEY-CASSETTE TO THE development board.” company, Consolidated Computer Inc. M/C PROTOTYPE The drawing depicts a case in the style Kutt’s notes contain a detailed analysis Laraya modularized the design of the of a typical desktop calculator of that of Intel’s MCS-4 chip set, the 8008 M/C prototype. One card included the time. The lower part of the front panel processor, the SIM8-01 development 8008-based CPU as well as the display hosts a built-in keyboard and the top system, and the MP7-02 programmer. and the keyboard interfaces. Another part depicts a single cassette drive on Kutt looks at the technical card contained memory. There was a the right and either an acoustic coupler specifications, pricing, and second specially designed APL keyboard, with or the second cassette drive on the left. sourcing for electronic components. the soft character generator, and a A small display and some switches are He looks at Intel itself, its marketing small plasma display (Burroughs Self- placed in the middle of the panel. activities. Scan 32-character display). The production model would have one more The annotated drawing provides enough In April of 1972, Kutt paid Intel a visit board with the cassette controller and information to grasp the basic and learned from Bob Noyce and Hank the Omniport interface on it (to connect operations of the Key-Cassette. The Smith about the status of the 8008 a variety of peripherals via the Omniport small 32-key keyboard of the Key- chip, the availability of the SIM8-01 connector at the back of the machine). Cassette would allow the user to enter development board, and its supporting

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The rack prototype of the microcomputer The work on the interpreter started in was good enough for Ramer and Genner early 1972 even before MCM built any Programming to start porting their APL interpreter into hardware that could be used by the “was really slow it. On November 11, 1972, the software engineering group. Having only prototype was demonstrated to the specifications of the 8008 chip, and….every time shareholders during the Special General Ramer and Genner used the IBM Meeting of the Shareholders of Kutt System/360 assembler to emulate the we programmed, Systems in Kingston, Ontario. During 8008. “The 360 assembler was written that meeting a motion was passed to in such a way that you could use Don [Genner] change the name of the company to macros to generate code for any Micro Computer Machines. hardware,” says Ramer. “Thus [we] used to smoke generated macros for each 8008 THE MCM/APL instruction and voila!” A similar one cigarette and In the early 1970s, APL was only emulator, the INTERP/8 (written in available on mainframe computers. The Fortran IV), was later available from say, ‘That’s how development of an APL interpreter and Intel. It provided a software emulation of the memory management system for an the 8008 chip along with some long it takes to 8008-platform characterized by low execution monitoring commands. speed, restricted instruction set, and program a chip.’ small memory addressing space was When the rack prototype of the the most challenging aspect of the microcomputer was finally working at He smoked one personal computer project at MCM. MCM’s manufacturing facility in Kingston, the development of the APL cigarette, and interpreter could be done directly on the when he finished, 8008-based hardware and the interpreter’s code could be burned into [the chip] was EPROMs using the Intel MP7-02 programmer. Programming “was really

Photograph by Z. Stachniak programmed.” slow,” says Laraya, “and you had to program it by hand using switches….We had to put the code and set the switches and the addresses and hit —José Laraya, ‘program’ [the EPROM]. Every time we programmed, Don [Genner] used to MCM Engineer smoke one cigarette and say, ‘That’s Morgan Smyth (left), Don Genner, and Gord Ramer how long it takes to program a chip.’ He (right) at York University, Toronto, October 2001 smoked one cigarette, and when he The team that developed the interpreter finished, [the chip] was programmed.” had worked together before. In late 1960s, Gord Ramer designed a dialect In his notes, Kutt sketches the The full description of the MCM/APL of the APL/360 language that he named directions for the development of the interpreter for the MCM/70 computer York APL. He implemented the language APL interpreter for the microcomputer. appeared in the MCM/70 User’s Guide. with the assistance of Don Genner while First, the basic, stripped-down version of both Ramer and Genner held positions APL/360 would be implemented. The SELLING THE FUTURE in the Computing Center at York description of an APL fragment that The notes disclose some urgency to University. J. Morgan Smyth was among comprises single dimension vectors, prepare a viable demonstration of the the first users of the York APL and he some defined and some system M/C computer. Early demonstrations was frequently commuting between his functions, spans two pages in the were vital to attract venture capital and work place—Ryerson Polytechnic notes. Then the interpreter would be finance the operations of the young Institute in Toronto—and York University extended in two directions to support company. Kutt sketches a “short-cut to to discuss the implementation issues of the scientific and business utilization of demo” in his notes and estimates its York APL with Ramer and Genner. At APL. “When we came up with the APL completion at the early June of 1972. MCM, the trio would develop one of the [interpreter] for our PC,” says Kutt, “our first high-level language interpreters for prime target was to make it simple to The M/C demonstrator was to consist a microprocessor: Ramer would design use…so [the user] wouldn’t have to of a single CPU and memory board and the language, Genner would implement become embroiled in the little nitty-gritty a power supply packed into a desktop it, and Smyth would document it in an things you have to look after in APL.” calculator-like case that featured a built- excellent MCM/70 User’s Guide in keyboard and a small display. It was published by MCM in 1974. to be basic hardware with just enough

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microprocessor and its ROM chips contained the MCM/APL interpreter.

But other features, not discussed in Kutt’s notes, also make the MCM/70 a truly unique piece of microcomputer engineering. The MCM/70’s 14KB of ROM contained not only the MCM/APL interpreter but also the cassette and virtual memory operating systems The Short-cut to demo drawing. Source: M. Kutt’s notes (called EASY and AVS, respectively). AVS, designed by André Arpin, used one software stored in ROM to demonstrate came in with a can of candies….to perk of the cassette drives to provide virtual the way the 8008 could handle a subset ‘em up. And I thought, ‘man, we are memory by swapping programs and data of APL. It is unclear whether such a wasting our time here.’” between the cassette and RAM. With machine was ever constructed. virtual memory, the MCM/70 offered an However, a more refined portable Smyth continues, “And near the tail of excess of 100KB of memory. A power prototype of the MCM/70 was built our presentation, which went on for over failure protection system built into the and shown during the Fifth International two hours, …one of these guys said, power supply of the computer allowed APL Users’ Conference in Toronto, in ‘Now, just a minute. This contradicts continuous operation by battery in the May of 1973. “I remember we had the what you said at the very beginning.’ event of power failure. For extended fiberglass model there,” says Laraya. I’m thinking, ‘What?’ They were paying power loss, the computer initiated an “It was heating up.” Ramer, too, attention and I was very impressed… orderly shutdown: it automatically remembers the event vividly: “The We walked out of there with half a provided system back-up by copying the demo had to be interspersed with short million dollars….It was…just content of RAM to a cassette before talks to allow José [Laraya] to exchange cardboard….He [Kutt] is waving this shutdown. The system was the heat-sensitive parts and then around: ‘This is what it’s going to look automatically reinstated when power restart the system for the next segment like!’ You are talking about selling the was restored and batteries were of the demo.” future!” recharged.

With limited RAM and no external GOOD LUCK, AND WELCOME TO THE Kutt made some market analysis notes storage, that prototype was nothing but COMPUTER AGE! looking primarily at the IBM an advanced APL-based scientific The production model of the MCM/70 System/360 users who might benefit calculator. However rudimentary, it did shared many technical features with the from a smaller and much less expensive attract attention of the APL community Key-Cassette and the M/C concepts. system. He calculated APL university and made it evident that in the near From its prototypes, the MCM/70 prospects at around 15 in Canada and future high-level programming inherited a desktop design with built-in 75 in the U.S. And indeed, following the languages, such as APL, would be APL keyboard, a one-line plasma announcement of the MCM/70, many readily available on small desk-top display, and cassette drives mounted on academics expressed interest in the machines. Other prototypes of the the front panel. The computer was MCM hardware: “APL is currently used MCM/70, including one mounted in an powered by the Intel 8008 in all of our introductory courses so that attaché case and powered by batteries, were showcased throughout Europe and North America in the second half of 1973, attracting the attention of daily and technical press. Photograph by Z. Stachniak One of the most successful demonstrators that the company put together had, in fact, no hardware at all. “We had a cardboard mockup of the computer,” says Smyth. “It…was a small, slick little box...it was just cardboard. And we went around to a law firm in downtown Toronto and met with the bunch of senior lawyers there….Mers was gonna try to get some venture capital.…These guys were quite old and, at one point [during Kutt’s presentation], actually the secretary The MCM/70. Courtesy of Harley Courtney

CORE 4.1 PAGE 12

the potential for systems like yours at Zbigniew Stachniak is an associate professor of “The complexity Yale is very high,” wrote Martin H. computer science at York University in Toronto, Canada. His research concentrates on formal of the large Schultz, Professor of Computer Science methods in artificial intelligence (automated at Yale University, to MCM in November reasoning, knowledge representation), on symbolic computer 1973. By 1976, an estimated 27.5% of logic in computer science, history of computing, the MCM systems sold in North America and history of logic. machines and the went to educational institutions. The author extends his gratitude to the National Science and Engineering Research Council of complexity The notes, however, do not make any Canada for supporting his research on MCM. reference to “personal computing” nor of the special to possible marketing strategies aimed FURTHER READING at promoting the personal utilization of computer MCM’s microcomputers. This is hardly a Chevreau, J. “The Third Coming of Mers Kutt.” surprise as the notes were made in the Report on Business Magazine, November 1985, pp. 110-115. languages…has very early stages of the development of the MCM/70. That situation would Stachniak, Z. “The Making of the MCM/70 till now prevented change with the publication of the first Microcomputer.” IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, May/June, 2003. promotional documents by MCM in the general public 1973. “It has been a combination of The MCM Collection at York University the complexity of the large computer Computer Museum: from using machines and the complexity of the http://www.cs.yorku.ca/~zbigniew/MCM_col.html special computer languages,” reads the computers MCM/70 Introductory Manual published directly by MCM in 1973, “that has till now prevented the general public from using themselves. But computers directly themselves. But the simplicity of the MCM/70 and its the simplicity of associated computer language (known as APL) make personal computer use the MCM/70 and and ownership a reality….Enjoy the privilege of having your own personal its associated computer—It’s a privilege no computer user has ever had before the computer MCM/70….Good luck, and welcome language…make to the computer age!” It is difficult to explain unequivocally personal why the MCM/70 was not the commercial breakthrough to launch computer use the personal computing industry. It is also difficult to estimate the number and ownership a of MCM/70 computers sold worldwide or the scope of impact it had on the reality….Enjoy APL community and on the rise of personal computing. Even so, it was the privilege of MCM’s historical role to show that with having your own the advent of microprocessor technology, affordable personal personal computing was at our fingertips. It was not too farfetched to imagine that, “in computer.” the coming years the computer field is going to be made of millions of small computers and a limited number of —The MCM/70 Introductory large computers” (Mers Kutt, Boston, Manual, 1973 September 28, 1973).

COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM PAGE 13 RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM COLLECTION

Two (2) Core Memory Plane Assemblies (1973), Collection of Apple Developer Group CD Series Collection of the first one hundred Sun X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters compact discs (c. 1988-1993), X2531.2003, gift of Microsystems Laboratories technical reports (1991- Lars Borresen 2002), X2544.2003, gift of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Two (2) microchip portfolio sets (1976 – 1989), X2497.2003, gift of Hewlett-Packard Company Collection of Apple marketing materials on compact Collection of UNIVAC materials (various dates), disc (1990-1993), X2546.2003, gift of Terry L X2562.2003, gift of Carol Canzano-Zito Three (3) publications relating to early computers Kristensen (c. 1950-1955), X2529.2003, gift of Gordon Uber Collection of various materials relating to the Collection of artifacts, documents and media industrial design of the Xerox Alto (1973), Four (4) original photographs of Steve Wozniak and related to the WEIZAC and GOLEM computers X2536.2002, gift of Terry West Steve Jobs (1976), X2554.2003, gift of Joe Melena (various dates), X2556.2003, gift of Gerald Estrin Commodore “SuperPET” SP9000 personal Amdahl 470/V6 MCC (Multi Chip Carrier) (c. 1985), Collection of computer industry business cards computers (two), dual disk drive, hard drive, X2576.2003, gift of Mr Naoya Ukai (1982-2003), X2561.2003, gift of Tom Halfhill software and documentation (c. 1981), Ampro Computers, Inc., Series 100 “Bookshelf” X2494.2003, gift of Vladimir Steffel Collection of Cray software documentation (various CP/M Computer, operating software, and dates), X2514.2003, gift of Warren Yogi “Computer Music from the University of Illinois” documentation, (c. 1982), X2535.2003, gift of record album (c. 1963), X2552.2003, gift of Steve Brugler Collection of Digital Equipment Corporation Richard Ellis ephemera (various dates), X2524.2003, gift of Anderson Jacobson Model ADC 260 Acoustic Judith Burgess Computers (Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Coupler (c. 1975), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Series) (1968), X2493.2003, gift of Dag Spicer Walters Collection of documents, photographs and slides related to the history of supercomputing, mass Computran Model AN 7 Computer Trainer (c. 1965), Anderson Jacobson Model ADC 300 Acoustic storage systems and networking at the National X2514.2003, gift of Warren Yogi Coupler (c. 1975), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Center for Atmospheric Research (c. 1979-2000), Walters Control Data Corporation Removable Disk Pack X2548.2003, gift of Basil L Irwin (c. 1970), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters Apollo Computer, Inc., “Network Outlet” connection Collection of early timesharing manuals by (1983), X2573.2003, gift of Jonathan Gross Core Memory Plane Assembly (1960), Tymshare, Inc., (1974-1984), X2547.2003, gift of X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters Apple Macintosh (1984), X2523.2003, gift of Joe Smith Richard Walters “CRAM-80” homebrew computer (c. 1975), Collection of early Xerox Corporation computer X2566.2003, gift of Steven E Young Apple Macintosh Laptop with Duo Dock (c. 1994), manuals, newsletters and reports (various dates), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters X2542.2003, gift of Mike Rutenberg DEC software and manual collection (various dates), X2571.2003, gift of Kenneth L Voss Bell Laboratories Picturephone (1964), Collection of ephemera related to the development X2560.2003, gift of Les Earnest of computer memory (various dates), X2537.2003, Designing with FPGAs & CPLDs (2002) and Verilog gift of William F Jordan Designer’s Library (1999), X2506.2003, gift of Bob “The Binary Slide Rule” (c. 1940), X2551.2003, Zeidman gift of Wolfgang Schaechter Collection of ephemera, documents and slides related to the history of microelectronics (various Digital Equipment Corporation “Computer Lab” Bowmar Instrument Company, MX55 Personal dates), X2549.2003, gift of Olive Thompson Digital Logic Trainer (c. 1962), X2518.2003, gift of Calculator (“Bowmar Brain”) (1970), X2510.2003, Rob Keeney gift of Michael Percy Collection of fourteen (14) advertisements for Honeywell computers (c. 1965), X2539.2003, gift DOS 3.30 for the Dynabyte 5200 Computer Unit Bowmar Model 901B Calculator (c. 1973), of Mark Barnett (1982), X2535.2003, gift of Steve Brugler X2577.2003, gift of Mary M Mourkas Collection of IBM ephemera, documents and media Dynabyte Business Computers, Technical Manual Burroughs Adding Machines (two) (c. 1935 and (c. 1955-1967), X2558.2003, gift of Neil Lewis for the Dynabyte 5200 Computer Unit (c.1982), c. 1945), X2525.2003, gift of Chuck Kaekel X2535.2003, gift of Steve Brugler Collection of machine and program manuals and Burroughs B1900 Mainframe Computer System brochures (c. 1950-1969), X2564.2003, gift of DYSEAC components and documents (1954), (including peripherals) (c. 1985), X2550.2003, gift Chuck Baker X2489.2003, gift of David E Hartsig of the Pennyroyal Center Collection of photographs and ephemera related to E & L Instruments Mini-Micro Designer (MMD) 1 Canon Cat V777 Work Processor, associated the IBM Model 1360 “Cypress” Photo-Digital 8080 trainer board (c. 1976), X2534.2003, gift of software and documentation (1987), X2538.2003, Storage Systems (c. 1967), X2509.2003, gift of Phil Keller gift of Paul Cubbage Jack Harker Electronics Australia EDUC-8 microcomputer (1975), Canon Cat180 Daisy Wheel Printer with Canon Collection of photographs of the UNIVAC X2520.2003, gift of John Whitehouse Cat40 Cut Sheet Feeder Option (c. 1987), Incremental Computer (1956), X2529.2003, gift of X2538.2003, gift of Paul Cubbage Franklin ACE 1000 with documentation and Gordon Uber software (c. 1983), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Check Point Software Technologies, Inc., FireWall-1 Collection of reference manuals, flowcharting Walters Ver. 2.0 Media Pack (1994), X2513.2003, gift of template, pocket guides, and programmer reference Check Point Software Technologies, Inc. Friden Flexowriter (c. 1961), X2515.2003, gift of cards (1964-1985), X2553.2003, gift of Ken North Richard Leamer Check Point Software Technologies, Inc., SofaWare Collection of selected materials from the Tandem S-box Internet Security Appliance (2002), Fujitsu Stylistic ST4100 (2003), X2575.2003, gift Archival Collection (various dates), X2528.2003, X2513.2003, gift of Check Point Software of Mr Toshio Morohoshi gift of Hewlett-Packard Company Technologies, Inc. Gavilan Mobile Computer, software, and Collection of seven (7) boxes of assorted software Check Point Software Technologies, Inc., VPN-1 & documentation (1984), X2505.2003, gift of and related documentation (1980-1990), FireWall-1 Media Pack (2002), X2513.2003, gift of Angelina M Jimenez X2502.2003, gift of Arel Lucas Check Point Software Technologies, Inc. Gear and arm from Science Museum, London, Collection of software and documentation related to Collection of early IBM ephemera, software, and Babbage Engine construction (2003), X2563.2003, personal computing (c. 1980-1995), X2557.2003, documentation (c. 1950-1970), X2517.2003, gift of gift Dr Thomas Bergin gift of George Glaser Bob Brubaker

CORE 4.1 PAGE 14

RECENT ADDITIONS, CONT’D

Handspring, Inc., Treo 180 Communicator (2002), Mechanical Analog Computer (c. 1965), Signed promotional poster: “Intel Delivers X2503.2003, gift of Donna Dubinsky X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters Solutions” (c. 1982), X2533.2003, gift of Stephen Casner Hewlett-Packard HP-85 Personal Computer Monroe Epic 2000 Electronic Printing Calculator (c. 1983), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters (c. 1955), X2530.2003, gift of Dorothy Burkhart Silicon wafer collection (c. 1965-1995), X2495.2003, gift of Mark Noreng Hewlett-Packard HP-97 Programmable Calculator Netronics Research and Development, Ltd., (c. 1979), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters COSMAC ELF microcomputer (1976), X2532.2003, Smithsonian Institution Annual Report 1874, gift of Bill Buzbee X2563.2003, gift of Dr Thomas Bergin Hewlett-Packard Model 200C Oscillator (c. 1940), X2526.2003, gift of George Durfey Okimate 10 Personal Color Printer (c. 1984), Tadpole Technology SPARC-book 2 (1993), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters X2500.2003, gift of Bill McKie Hewlett-Packard Model 200C Oscillator (c. 1940), X2565.2003, gift of SRI International Olympia magnetic dictation machine (c. 1970), Tandy 1400 FD Personal Computer with associated X2521.2003, gift of Bob Feretich cables, manuals and software (c. 1989), Hewlett-Packard production prototype DDS-1 tape X2540.2003, gift of Mark Gilkey drive and data cartridge (c. 1987), X2512.2003, Original Homebrew Computer Club T-shirt (c. 1986), gift of Dominic McCarthy X2579.2004, gift of Carrie Karnos Tandy Acoustic Coupler 2 (c. 1989), X2540.2003, gift of Mark Gilkey IBM “Reflexione” ("THINK") Sign (c. 1970), “The Orm” robotic arm (1965), X2574.2003, gift of X2545.2003, gift of Tom Reif Stanford University Tandy Corporation TRS-80 III (1981), X2501.2003, gift of Bob Zeidman IBM 360/30 CCROS card (c. 1965), X2578.2004, Packard Bell PB 250 minicomputer and collection of gift of Brian Knittel associated software and documentation (1961), Tandy Radio Shack Model 200 Portable Computer X2515.2003, gift of Richard Leamer (1985), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters IBM 5110 minicomputer system, with original CPU, monitor, disk drive, tape unit, printer, PCD Maltron Ergonomic Keyboard (c. 1990), Technical Design Labs Xitan microcomputer documentation, and software library (c. 1978), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters (c. 1977), X2516.2003, gift of Cappy Jack X2511.2003, gift of Jan Engel Philips Nino 300 Personal Data Assistant (c. 1998) TeleSensory Systems, Inc., Speech+ Calculator IBM 700-series pluggable unit (1952), and Nino T-Shirt, X2555.2003, gift of Kevin Turner (English language model) (1975), X2535.2003, X2491.2003, gift of Gwen Bell gift of Steve Brugler Processor Technology Corporation SOL Terminal IBM AN/FSQ-7 (SAGE) Theory of Programming Computers (two) (c. 1978), X2523.2003, gift of TeleSensory Systems, Inc., Speech+ Calculator Manual (1957), X2527.2003, gift of Robert Richard Walters (German language model) (1976), X2535.2003, F Martina gift of Steve Brugler Programming Systems & Languages (1967), IBM core plane (c. 1960), X2499.2003, gift of Art A SNOBOL4 Primer (1973), and Computers and Unisys historic videotape collection (various dates), Siegel Society (1972), X2567.2003, gift of Jim Gross X2492.2003, gift of Unisys Corporation IBM Hard Drive Assembly (c. 1970), X2523.2003, Punch card carrying case (c. 1960), X2504.2003, UNIVAC Products Handbook (copy) (1959), gift of Richard Walters gift of Herman Griffin X2570.2003, gift of Unisys Corporation IBM Hexadecimal Adder (1957), X2545.2003, gift Quantum Computer Services, Inc., America Online Vacuum Tube Flip Flop Module (c. 1975), of Tom Reif Ver. 1.0 (1989), X2508.2003, gift of Adam Gross X2523.2003, gift of IBM Manual of Instruction Customer Engineering Radio Shack (TRS-80) 64K Color Computer 2 VISICALC 1.0 software (1982), X2490.2003, gift of (1946), X2568.2003, gift of Warren Yogi (c. 1985), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters Mary Cooper IBM Model 10 Card Punch (c. 1940), X2523.2003, Radio Shack (TRS-80) Model 4 Micro Computer Wozniak “Blue Box” (c. 1972), X2541.2003, gift of gift of Richard Walters (c. 1985), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters Allen Baum IBM Model 5151 Personal Computer Display “Rancho Arm” robotic arm (1963), X2574.2003, Wyse Technology, Inc., Series 7000i Model 760 MP (c. 1981), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters gift of Stanford University computer (c. 1994), X2498.2003, gift of Barbara Gasman IBM Time Clock (c. 1913), X2569.2003, gift of Len Remington Rand Corporation magnetic tape Shustek (c. 1966), X2573.2003, gift of Jonathan Gross Xerox 860 information processing system (1980), X2496.2003, gift of Ken Lehmann IMSAI 8080 Microcomputers with documentation Rockwell International R6500 Advanced Interactive libraries (two) (c. 1976), X2523.2003, gift of Microcomputer (c. 1979), X2522.2003, gift of Bob Richard Walters Bynum (Dates represent dates of introduction and not IMSAI Dual 8” Floppy Disk Drive (c. 1976), Russian “Microcalculator Electronica B3-36” necessarily dates of manufacture.) X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters calculator (1983), X2514.2003, gift of Warren Yogi International Correspondence Schools Computer Russian “Olimpik-C” personal computer (c. 1993), Code Translator Slide-Chart (1983), X2519.2003, X2514.2003, gift of Warren Yogi gift of Bill Kochanczyk Russian abacus (stchoty) (c. 1963), X2514.2003, Kaypro 2000 Personal Computer and Docking Port gift of Warren Yogi (c. 1987), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters Sama & Etami, Inc., “The Concise Conversion Keuffel & Esser Company, Beginner Slide Rule Tables and Circular Slide Rule” (c. 1960), (c. 1954), X2553.2003, gift of Ken North X2551.2003, gift of Wolfgang Schaechter Let ERMA Do It (1956), X2507.2003, gift of George Seagate ST-225 hard disk drive (1984), Durfey X2572.2003, gift of Henry Plummer and Robert Lewis Livermore Data Systems Model B Acoustic Coupler (c. 1965), X2523.2003, gift of Richard Walters Sharp Corporation Model OZ-7000 “Wizard” Electronic Organizer and Interface Software (date M & R Enterprises Pennywhistle 103 modem, unknown), X2543.2003, gift of Eugene Miya X2559.2003, gift of Bill Hill

COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM PAGE 15

One never knows where one will find hidden treasure. In this case, a photo posted on Usenet contained a serendipitous glimpse of hidden treasure, and this is the story of how an operational 35-year-old mainframe computer system was discovered, donated, and moved to the Computer History Museum.

FINDING A PIECE OF MAINFRAME HISTORY In August 2000, while perusing the PDP-8 newsgroup, I ran across a query about an old computer (see www.computerhistory.org/projects/ pdp8_restoration/). Pittsburgh graduate student Raymond Jensen was asking for information on an old system—the PDP-8 made by the now-defunct Digital Equipment Corporation—he had discovered in a basement laboratory along with several other large unknown computers. He subsequently provided a Web page with photos of the equipment, which indeed depicted a PDP-8 minicomputer. However, one picture also showed a portion of a large tape drive, which I immediately PRESERVING HISTORY: recognized as a Scientific Data Systems (SDS) reel-to-reel tape drive like the one I had used on an SDS Sigma 7 mainframe computer in the early 1970s. Was it possible that a Sigma- THE SDS series mainframe was attached to that tape drive? By chance had I stumbled across what was perhaps a 1960s-era mainframe still persisting “in the wild?” SIGMA 5 I immediately contacted Jensen and told him the machine just outside the picture could be an older SDS mainframe, and might be of interest to the Computer History Museum. A few FINDS days later I received an email from him indicating that it was indeed a Sigma 5 mainframe and that it was located at Carnegie-Mellon University (CMU) in the chemistry department’s NMR (Nuclear A NEW Magnetic Resonance) Facility for Biomedical Studies. Jensen knew nothing more about the system, its origin, or even its manufacturer, except that it was really big and was comprised of several cabinets. He provided the HOME CMU email addresses of Dr. Aksel Bothner-By and Dr. Joseph Dadok, both of whom were retired from the chemistry department. BY LEE COURTNEY

CPU and tape drive cabinets CORE 4.1 PAGE 16

Lee Courney inventories the Sigma 5 shipment after arrival at the Console teletype. Through the mid-1970s, most mainframe computer Museum. systems used hardcopy terminal as consoles to aid in resource accounting, operator tasks, and general system debugging. The Sigma 5 was unusual in that it employed a TTY utilizing EBCDIC rather than the more common ASCII character encoding.

My immediate thought was that this Institute. The Sigma 5 resided in a the other walls. We had to talk loudly would make an excellent addition to the sub-basement laboratory in part of the over the low rumble of a large air- collection at the Computer History building that has not been renovated conditioning unit. Museum. I wrote both Bothner-By and since original construction in the Dadok, along with the current Chemistry 1940s. The atmosphere took me vividly back Department Chairman Richard to the early 1970s when I used an SDS McCullough, asking for more information We went downstairs through the Sigma 7 in high school and later worked on the Sigma 5, its current status, and basement to the sub-basement, with as the console operator for my their interest in donating the system to pipes overhead and long corridors university’s IBM mainframe. That one the Computer History Museum. stretching into the distance. We passed moment standing in the computer many offices and labs as we descended room with the Sigma 5 made the trip Bothner-By and Dadok relayed that the deeper and deeper into the building. worthwhile. system was indeed an SDS Sigma 5 I felt like I was walking into an episode mainframe first installed at CMU around of the X-Files. Bothner-By explained that We talked briefly about the current 1968 and was still operational although the Sigma 5 resided in a part of the state of the Sigma 5. One important no longer used. And the chemistry building that had housed a small-scale task I wanted to accomplish on that department was interested in seeing prototype chemical plant during World visit was to capture Bothner-By and the system preserved at the Computer War II. At the end of one long corridor, Dadok’s experiences with the system History Museum. Since the system was we reached the NMR Lab with the and stories of its use. I videotaped still operational, it would be important magnet and control rooms on the right Bothner-By discussing the work done to make sure it arrived at the Museum side of the hallway and a computer in his lab and Dadok discussing his in the same condition. This would room with the Sigma 5 on the left. careful maintenance of the machine require careful de-installation, Dadok, who had emigrated from and associated instrumentation during documentation, and packing of the Czechoslovakia in 1968, soon joined us all the years of use. We spent several system. Unfortunately, CMU would not after an event honoring a visit by the hours videotaping the machine in be able to provide resources to perform new president of that country. operation, with Dadok powering on these tasks. the system and going through the Entering the Sigma 5 computer room different components, how the DONATION RECONNAISSANCE AND was a step back in time to the days machine operated, and quirks of the AGREEMENT when mammoth computers were Sigma 5. Unfortunately, a hardware It turned out I was taking a business isolated in large rooms with raised error prevented us from booting up trip to the east coast in November 2001 floors for snaking cables between the system. and was able to make a side trip to cabinets and for hiding large power meet with both Dadok and Bothner-By. conduits, while air-conditioning units In addition to videotaping the Sigma 5, The purpose of the trip was to examine constantly blew cold air to cool the we also discussed the instrumentation the system in person, determine a systems. The Sigma 5 sat in the center attached to the Sigma 5 and its function rough inventory of what items would be of the room, as it had for the last 33 and contributions to science over the part of the donation, assess the scope years. At opposite ends of the computer years. The attached equipment included of the necessary shipping preparation, room were a 1960s-era PDP-8 system, the original NMR spectrometer, more and learn more about the machine’s a 1970s-era Harris minicomputer, and a recent NMR instrumentation, and a history and possibilities it might have late-1980s VAX. Racks holding 1/2-inch custom-built system for controlling the for future use. magnetic tapes used with the Sigma 5 instrument that interfaced to the stood along one wall. Various storage Sigma 5. The control system was I anxiously arrived at CMU and met cabinets and bookshelves with printouts composed of two 19-inch racks Bothner-By in his office at the Mellon and systems’ documentation covered containing various consoles and

COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM PAGE 17

The card reader, the primary input device for Button detail programming the Sigma 5

electronic equipment including an SDS sensors that collected data that was the Museum for acquiring it. It was A-D (Analog-to-Digital) converter, which recorded on a reel-to-reel magnetic tape apparent that this could be a significant converted signals from the instrument or a high-speed fixed-head single-platter addition to the Museum’s collection and and sensors to digital form that could disc called a RAD. Once collected, the could help to document computing then be stored and processed by the Sigma 5 could reduce, analyze, or history, especially 1960s-era mainframe Sigma 5. display the data. Originally the system technology. was outfitted with a plotter and could Bothner-By and Dadok provided a wealth produce graphical representations of APPROVING THE DONATION of information on how the Sigma 5 was data. A FORTRAN compiler was also Once back in California, it was time to used at CMU. Originally the Sigma 5 available for creation of programs to work on the Museum end of things. was purchased by the NIH (National perform analysis. However, many Each week the Museum receives Institute of Health) and installed at the scientists using the instrument wrote multiple inquiries about potential University of Indiana. After a year it their data to magnetic tape for later donations. Unfortunately, it cannot became available and Bothner-By wrote analysis at their home institution. automatically accept all of them. a proposal for its installation in his Currently, the collection occupies over lab at CMU. In 1968 the system was An artifact of 1960s computing that 35,000-square-feet of horizontal storage moved to CMU and installed as part of benefited the lab was that complete space, so obvious practical constraints the NIH-sponsored National NMR Facility hardware documentation and system affect the acceptance of new items. for Biomedical Studies in the chemistry software source code were provided Because the Museum must carefully department. This facility provided with the Sigma 5. In addition to I/O consider the historical value of an access to an extremely powerful nuclear designed to facilitate “custom” artifact before accepting it, a magnetic resonance spectrometer that hardware and interfaces, the complete Collections Committee—a group of staff allowed biologists, biochemists, and documentation allowed Dadok to design and volunteers chaired by Museum other scientists to analyze the chemical and interface scientific instruments Trustee John Mashey—meets regularly makeup and structure of organic unanticipated by the original designers to consider, accept, and decline compounds. and to apply the system to new donations. problems. When introduced, the Sigma 5 was Using collective experience as well as marketed as a real-time and process- Today we would refer to these attributes formal evaluative criteria, the control system, as well as a small as open standards, design, and source. Collections Committee looks for mainframe for business or scientific By studying the Sigma 5 and its donations that are relevant to the computing. True to its real-time nature, contemporaries, we can see mission of the Museum—to preserve the Sigma 5 was the primary control, that the concept of “open source” was and present for posterity the artifacts data collection, and analysis tool used already a well-established practice even and stories of the information age—and for the spectrometer. Since the Lab was by the time the Sigma 5 came into that add to our understanding of a national facility sponsored by the NIH, being in the mid-1960s. computing history. users came from all over the United States as well as other countries. For After capturing about four hours of video These items generally fall into one of many years, the magnet used in the of the system along with Bothner-By and five categories: hardware, software, NMR spectrometer controlled by the Dadok describing the lab, instruments, documentation and printed matter, Sigma 5 was one of the most powerful Sigma 5 system, and how all were used films/video/photos, and ephemera. of its type. in the scientific community, it was time Items currently in the collection range to head to the airport. I had taken this from individual hardware components When a sample was being analyzed, the trip to learn what I could about the such as vacuum tubes from early Sigma 5 was connected to various system in order to prepare a proposal to computers to software such as Bill

CORE 4.1 PAGE 18

The cables were hard-wired into the cabinets and had circuit boards The weave of cables from cabinet to cabinet to power source were like a attached at various points. Gordian knot—almost impossible to untangle without a sword.

Gates and Paul Allen’s original BASIC experienced. In this instance, CMU was This put the transportation planning paper tape, to complete mainframe/ offering to donate all hardware, spare process into hyper-drive. Two significant supercomputer systems such as the parts, software, and documentation for challenges had to be faced: Cray-1, and include films and videos of a system that was in running condition.1 transportation costs and preparing the important lectures given by pioneers in The Sigma 5 could perfectly meet the system for pickup. Based on our history the field of computing. Museum’s desire to collect and of transporting similar systems, we preserve artifacts that would provide an estimated that it would cost about In preparing a proposal for the accurate and complete picture of $7,500 to prepare and ship the Sigma Collections Committee, I considered computing technology. 5. Unfortunately, the Museum budget how the Sigma 5 would contribute to the did not have an allocation for this. collection, its value in establishing an I proposed to the Collections Committee However, I knew that Max Palevsky, one historical record for its era, and how it that we accept the donation of the of the founders of Scientific Data could provide insight into the evolution Sigma 5 and all related pieces that Systems, had generously contributed to of computing. The donation met the would provide a complete picture of the the initial founding of the Museum. I Museum’s desire to collect items Sigma 5 system and 1960s mainframe wrote asking if he would sponsor the greater than 10 years old, having been computing, including items such as the move and soon received a phone call installed at CMU in 1968. In addition, I metal file cabinet used to store indicating he would be happy to. With considered the role SDS played as a punched cards. The committee saw the funds in hand, we began the task of company in the mid-1960s, the Sigma 5 as a valuable addition to the planning the actual move. Museum’s need for a representative collection and agreed that we should sample of 1960s-era mainframe accept the system as a whole. Now all For transportation of high-value artifacts computing technology, and how a well- that was left was to arrange de- that are fragile, heavy, and bulky, the documented and operational mid-1960s installation of the system and shipment Museum uses a carrier with experience mainframe would contribute to the to the Museum in California. in transporting computers, electronics, understanding of computing. While the and similar equipment. Usually the SDS Sigma series was not the most TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS Museum receives donations of large prevalent system of its time, it was an Initial conversations with Bothner-By and systems that have been de-installed excellent touchstone and example of Dadok indicated there was no rush to without planning for future use or study. 1960s computing. move the system. CMU would wait until Cables are often cut instead of being adequate space became available at unplugged and carefully packed; This donation would provide the the Museum. I began researching the software and documentation are Museum with a rare and very desirable logistics of actually getting the donation missing; and integral pieces of the opportunity: to approach an artifact to California. system have been abandoned or acquisition from a systems perspective. disposed. Even when an item is Often items, especially larger ones such Then one day I received an urgent email donated “intact,” it is often removed or as the Sigma 5, arrive at the Museum from Bothner-By: the system must be packed with an eye towards expediency in partial condition, lacking essential moved as soon as possible. The rather than preservation. For example, peripherals, software, and/or machine room housing the Sigma 5 had packing tape may be directly applied to documentation, or they are too fragile or been transferred from the chemistry to surfaces, leaving damaging residue or damaged to be handled or used. a different department and was pulling off paint and surface material Collecting a piece of a system such as scheduled to be demolished and when removed. part of a CPU or even a set of individual remodeled. The Sigma 5, along with all components does not allow the entire other contents of the NMR Lab, needed Given the excellent condition and system to be studied, understood, or to be removed immediately! completeness of the Sigma 5, avoiding

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these mistakes was a very high priority. the same condition as the year before. the hard-wired cables. Although the Having facilitated several system The NMR Spectrometer had already power was hard-wired into the main CPU moves, I knew that a Museum been disassembled, so the control room cabinet, it fed power to other cabinets representative needed to do the actual equipment and Sigma 5 were left. in the system, which simplified that part preparation of the system for shipping The plan called to first map the system of the disassembly. to California. We worked out a date and in situ, take photographs, and inventory logistics for pick-up and began to plan all the cabinets, spare parts, software, Fortunately, the breaker box was located the de-installation process. documentation, and other donated in the computer room. Before items. I inventoried the major pieces disconnecting power, I double-checked THE DE-INSTALLATION that would need to be handled by that the three-phase 408V power to the Again my travel plans coincided with movers: hardware cabinets, peripherals, system was turned off at the breaker Museum needs and I made a trip to and several cabinets holding punched box. Then I checked again. Pittsburgh in June 2002. To help the de- cards and spare parts. We also did a install of the Sigma 5 proceed smoothly, quick inventory of software stored on Separating the cabinets from each other a preliminary written plan was created magnetic tape. Tools for disassembly was even more complicated. Unlike to document the process with both were located in a helium generation modern systems where elements such photographs and a log kept in my room down the hall, along with some as disc, memory, tape, and CPU are notebook computer. system documentation. physically present in a single cabinet, the Sigma 5 CPU was composed of I planned to spend the day documenting The next step was to pull floor tiles and three large interconnected cabinets the system configuration, uncabling, do a quick assessment of which housing the CPU, floating point unit, and packing, and staging the donation for cabinets to uncable first. Yikes! core memory. Tens of cables were laced pick-up. Consulting with staff at the Removing more and more floor tiles between, through, and under these Museum and others who had direct revealed an ever-more complicated cabinets. In addition, cables connected experience with SDS and XDS—Xerox Gordian Knot2 of data and power cables the CPU and peripherals, some of which purchased SDS in 1969 and named the snaking all over the machine room. were physically next to the CPU, and company XDS, or Xerox Data Systems— Usually when de-installing, one would some of which were located at a machines, I learned how to best prepare take Alexander the Great’s approach to distance across the room. the system, i.e., what to do or not, what loosen the original Gordian Knot, but was important, and what could be left because we wanted to preserve the Today’s cables have connectors on each behind. For example, a former SDS Sigma 5 intact, that approach was end that allow them to be disconnected hardware engineer told me that avoided. I had an inkling this might take quickly and easily. On the Sigma 5, in connectors on peripheral cables were a little longer than I initially thought. addition to the mass of tangled cables very fragile and would often break when snaking between cabinets, each cable being removed. He provided advice on Uncabling the CPU presented several had a 4x4-inch printed circuit board how to remove a cable and avoid strain problems. I had hoped to just unplug hardwired to each end. I soon that could damage it. This advice proved the power cables and keep them with discovered it got worse. Some cables to be invaluable and insured that many the system. However, after tracing the had not just two, but up to five cards fragile items were handled correctly and paths of the primary and peripheral hardwired at various points in-between without damage. power cables, I found them running the ends and were 20 or more feet through a hole in the wall into the next long. These cards enabled the cables to I met Bothner-By in Pittsburgh on room that was (of course) locked and plug into backplanes or card cages in Thursday morning, May 17, about inaccessible. If I couldn’t unplug from one or more cabinets. 8:30am. I found the computer room in the building power, I’d just disconnect

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I saw why most systems of this type are process of separating the system in an It looked like there would be some removed from service by cutting the orderly fashion became easier and unused room in the shipment. In cables. Finding, untangling, and easier with each cable. The core addition to the Sigma 5, the machine removing what looked to be several memory cabinet was the first to be room contained a PDP-8 with two seven- hundred cables seemed an impossible completely decabled. Once several bolts track 1/2-inch tape drives. While the task. It made sense to start where the holding the cabinets together were Museum has several PDP-8 systems, I peripherals attached to the CPU. With a removed, it was moved aside for the knew of no operational 7-track tape lot of patience and gently working with first time in 30 years. I made a mental drives. Since these are extremely rare, cables that had not been moved in over note that rubber wheels sitting in one they would be very useful for reading 30 years, I was provided a detailed position for that period of time also tend and converting the Museum’s collection lesson in 1960s-era mainframe to flatten, so it was as much pushed as of 7-track tape media. Bothner-By and I packaging and interconnect technology. it was rolled. tracked down Professor Mort Kaplan who owned the PDP-8. He confirmed it In addition to untangling the cables While I concentrated on physically was no longer being used and agreed to between the cabinets, it was important separating the cabinets, Bothner-By was donate it to the Museum. After a phone to record exactly where each cable was packing away documentation and spare check with the Collections Staff to plugged, in order to facilitate the parts. Since the lab closure called for confirm we would accept donation of the eventual reconstruction of the Sigma 5. removing all furniture and systems, he PDP-8, it was quickly prepped and I defined a labeling protocol based on just packed all the spares in place in moved into place to piggy-back on the designations present in each hardware their storage cabinets to be shipped to shipment. cabinet. Each card plugged into a California. Cabinets of punched cards socket and was tagged with a code that were likewise secured and locked. The At 9pm Friday, I left the Mellon Institute indicated 1) cabinet, 2) frame, 3) row, system documentation was packed into at CMU, my original eight-hour de-install and 4) slot. six large boxes. I looked through a tape task completed after almost 31 hours of library of about 200 half-inch magnetic work in a 48-hour time period. I was By the end of the day on Thursday, I had tapes, picked those that appeared to exhausted as I drove to the Pittsburgh removed only about a third of the contain system software, and packed airport, but still very excited thinking cables, no software or spare parts had them into another four or five boxes. that soon the Museum would be in been packed, and I was beginning to In the late afternoon, all cables were possession of an almost mint-condition worry about completing the task by the disconnected except those in the CPU artifact for the collection. end of Friday. By working until 3am, I cabinet with the operator front panel. In finally disconnected and packed most the interest of time, these were simply LESSONS LEARNED data cables. The next day, Bothner-By rolled up and packed in a large box on What was learned from this de-install? and I started working at 9am with a top of the cabinet, leaving one end still In addition to learning about goal to finish preparing the system by connected. This was OK for transport, interconnect technology on the Sigma 5 1pm so I could catch my plane that and the cables would be removed on and navigating the inner sub-basement afternoon. Hope springs eternal. About arrival at the Museum. When this was sanctum of the Mellon Institute, I also 3pm, it was obvious that there were completed, all cabinets had been learned that assumptions based on several more hours of work and I separated, positioned, and labeled for experience with a contemporary system changed my departure to Saturday pick-up the following week. An inventory are not always applicable to older morning. was created for the shippers. The de- mainframe technology. I was reminded installation and preparation of the how important it is to plan your work The Computer History Gods must have Sigma 5 was complete by about 5pm and work your plan. A standard set of been smiling on us because the on Friday. tools can make the job go much faster.

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Sigma advertisements promoted the machine’s ability to handle real-time applications while running background processes (far left) and their ability to handle more input and output than existing technologies required. “Anything you deliver we can handle,” the ad concludes (immediate left).

Talking with subject matter experts for WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE SIGMA 5, AND Sigma 5, or other facet of the Museum, the Sigma hardware, scoping out the HOW CAN YOU HELP? as the volunteer coordinator, I will be donation and logistics ahead of time, With the Sigma 5 acquisition safely in very happy to hear from you. Please feel and lots of patience paid off in spades California, many possible projects are free to send me an email at when it came time to actually de-install, envisioned for it. Immediate projects [email protected]. prepare, and move the system. Taking include photographing and making a notes in real-time on a laptop and more detailed catalog of the Sigma 5 And as always, the Collections annotating with photos from a digital artifacts. This will allow the Sigma 5 Committee is interested in considering camera was a big help in gauging my to be displayed via the CyberMuseum additional SDS and XDS artifact progress and should greatly facilitate at the component and system level. donations that complement the Sigma reconstruction of the system in the A more detailed catalog needs to be 5, from components to software to future and with other SDS/XDS completed of the Sigma 5 ephemera to other SDS/XDS systems. hardware donated to the Museum. documentation, software, and I also learned a lot of dust and debris spare parts. The Computer History Museum is can accumulate under a computer entering a new and exciting phase of its room false floor over a 30-year period. Longer term projects might include life. Many pieces are coming together to reconstituting the Sigma 5 as a running allow the Museum to build a world-class THE SIGMA 5 AT THE COMPUTER system, incorporating the system as institution documenting the history of HISTORY MUSEUM part of a larger exhibit, scanning the the information age. Now the Sigma 5, The Sigma 5 was delivered to the SDS/XDS documentation and ephemera and other artifacts like it, can be Museum in California about a month and making them available via the Web, properly preserved for study and after I completed the de-installation. It or creating a working Sigma simulator enjoyment for past, present, and future was initially stored in the Museum’s which could run the software donated generations. warehouse at Moffett Field. Upon with the Sigma 5. Completing an oral arrival, the different pieces in the history project of Scientific Data AFTERWARD shipment were entered into the Systems would provide significant Many expectations and goals for this Museum’s collection database. This insight into the state of the computer acquisition were exceeded because of process records a description of each industry in the 1960s when many advanced planning, foresight of donors, artifact, physical characteristics, and business and technology innovations generous contributions, and hard work assigns it a permanent, unique were realized. on the part of volunteers and others accession number for future reference. interested in seeing computing history A more formal set of de-installation recognized and preserved. This On April 4, 2003, the CPU cabinet with guidelines for artifacts based on the acquisition was the result of the efforts operator panel, card reader, teletype notes and log from the Sigma 5 and of many people. console, and tape drive were moved to other artifact donations need to be the Museum’s new building in Mountain created and adopted for future Thanks go to: Drs. Aksel Bothner-By and View California. A display area was acquisitions. Joseph Dadok of the CMU Chemistry prepared for the Sigma 5 describing the Department for their time and effort to system and its capabilities. The Sigma As with other Museum projects, the keep the system running, recognizing 5 is on display for visitors in the new likelihood of these projects being the value of the system to documenting Visible Storage eshibit area along with implemented relies on knowledgeable, the history of computing, and working to the CDC 6600, IBM System 360, SAGE, reliable, and motivated volunteers. If facilitate its contribution to the and 600 other artifacts from the you have an idea for or would like to Museum; numerous volunteers on the collection. participate in a project involving the Web who provided invaluable

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information allowing me to successfully SIGMA 5 SPECIFICATIONS complete this project—in particular Keith Calkins, George Plue, and Ed Bryan; and Max Palevsky for his Instruction set: 90 instructions generous support of this project and the Museum in general. Special thanks Word length: 32 bits plus parity, EBCDIC character to the staff in the Collections encoding Department and Collections Committee who approved the donation and helped Memory: Up to 512K bytes multiport core with arrangements for its safe transport memory with 2- or 4-way interleaving to California. and 950 nsec cycle time

When not serving as the Chair of the Museum's I/O: Multiplexed IO processor: 8 to 24 Volunteer Steering Committee, participating in channels each with bandwidth of 450 numerous Museum initiatives and projects, and pestering the staff about SDS/XDS items, Lee or 900KB/sec and supporting up to Courtney is an Engineering Manager at MontaVista 32 standard speed devices each Software and harried father of a very energetic three-year-old boy, who also happens to be the Museum’s youngest volunteer. Optional selector IO processor: 8 to 32 channels each with bandwidth of 3.3MB/sec

Performance Min – Max (all times in usec) AW Add Word: 2.0 – 3.36 1When the Chemistry Department acquired the LW Load Word: 2.0 – 3.36 Sigma 5 in the late 1960s, SDS, and subsequently STW Store Word: 2.5 – 3.94 Xerox Data Systems (XDS), were contracted to AWM Add Word to Memory: 3.3 – 5.0 perform periodic maintenance on the system. In 1975, Xerox exited the mainframe computer BAL Branch and Link: 1.3 – 3.22 business and sold their customer base to Honeywell. After some false starts, CMU, like many Technology: Discrete transistors other Sigma sites, opted for self-maintenance. This meant accumulating a supply of spare parts and collecting the documentation needed to maintain Number customer installations: Approximately 250 as of 1972 the system. In addition to self-maintenance of hardware, CMU opted to maintain its own system Purchase price: $90-500K software. This was fortuitous for the Museum because it provided a treasure trove of information to accompany the Sigma 5. Additionally, because Installed base markets: Defense, scientific/engineering R&D, Bothner-By and Dadok took such care in space, universities maintaining and documenting the system, the Museum and its visitors will benefit from a breadth and depth of equipment and information rarely Primary competitive systems: IBM 360/40, /44, /50, 370/135, available for this class and age of system. /145; DECSystem 1040, 1050, 1055; CDC 3300, 1700; 2The Gordian knot has come to represent a most difficult puzzle. According to Greek legend, an Univac 418-III oracle prophesied that the future king of Phrygia would come into town riding in a wagon. When the System software: Basic Control Monitor, Batch peasant Gordius and his wife did just that, the Processing Monitor, and Batch elders made Gordius king. He dedicated his wagon to Zeus, tying it in front of his palace with an Timesharing Monitor; FORTRAN IV; intricate “Gordian” knot as a reminder of his Assembler; COBOL; scientific libraries humble beginnings. Decades later, an oracle foretold that the person who finally unraveled the Gordian knot would rule all of Asia. Many, many Peripherals: RAD files (fixed head disk), disk, 7- men tried to untie the famous Gordian knot until and 9-track magnetic tape, hardcopy Alexander the Great drew his sword, slicing the TTY and CRT terminals, unit record knot in half. equipment, paper tape, plotters, datacomm, and A/D & D/A converters

Sources: Sigma 5/8 Sales Guide, Xerox Data Systems, January 20, 1972, and the SDS Sigma 5 Computer Reference Manual, September 1968

COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM PAGE 23 THE SDS SIGMA 5 IN CONTEXT

BY PETE ENGLAND

WITH ED BRYAN AND WENDELL SHULTZ

In 1961, Scientific Data Systems (SDS) map to allow dynamic relocation of real-time and batch simultaneously, started with an objective of providing programs that were being run at the allowing batch capability to be used for computers for the scientific, same time. A fixed-head Rapid Access software development, data processing engineering, and education markets. Disk with storage of up to 3MB from real-time capture, business Many of the founders of SDS had supported the high-speed swapping of applications, or processing student pioneered this market while at the programs in and out of memory. jobs—all while the machine remained original Packard Bell Computer Corp. By Reading or writing up to eight heads in responsive to real-time needs. The using solid-state but serial logic and an parallel on some models gave a transfer Sigma 5 had the same processing innovative memory technology cheaper rate of 3MB/sec. capability as the Sigma 7 although than core, Packard Bell was able to some of it was optional. It had the offer a machine starting at $40,000. In April 1964, IBM announced the same interrupt system, flexible I/O, and Until then, a price below about System/360, which provided many new RAD, but it did not have the memory $100,000 was difficult for characteristics but not capability for map. And it found its way into manufacturers to offer so a computer timesharing or any significant real-time applications similar to many of the priced at less than half that opened up applications. The 360 incorporated base original 9 series machines but with the new markets. Crossing a lower price registers to make programs less benefit of multi-use. threshold—thus attracting new sensitive to their location in memory but customers—has happened several did not provide a means to relocate After a few years of trying to support times in the history of computers. Once programs dynamically. These the minimally-configured Sigma 5 at its hooked, their demand for capability shortcomings gave SDS an opportunity starting price of $90-100,000, basic increases, and prices rise once again. that it exploited well. requirements were increased and the base price was more like $160,000. SDS participated in this trend and After Sigma architecture was set and But, still, a typical configuration could provided more capabilities to that same the Sigma 7 announced, other get to $500,000. The Sigma 7, fully market. The Series 9 machines used timesharing endeavors came to light. configured, could be well over core memory with serial solid-state logic IBM started a project working with $1,000,000. for an initial price of $54,000 for the universities (Michigan, Carnegie Mellon) SDS 910 in 1962. However, when the to modify a 360/65. UC Berkeley This particular cycle started with customer finished acquiring necessary modified an SDS-930 to provide a computers that cost only $40,000. peripherals and additional memory, the memory map and larger memory. SDS Another cycle started when DEC price would often be two to four times productized and sold that modification introduced the PDP-8s for $10,000. that amount. The Series 9 machines as the 940 to the growing timesharing Even with limited capability, they were successfully used in a variety of service bureau market until the software enabled a new set of customers to “embedded” applications where they for the Sigma 7 could be finished. obtain computers for the first time. provided control and captured data from As time passed, customer demands systems, experimental environments, The Sigma 7 was first delivered in increased and the Minicomputer’s and other real-time situations. December 1966, and the Sigma 5 was capabilities and cost grew until it too delivered in August 1967. These passed $1,000,000 for some A desire for computers that could machines still used core memory but configurations. And then came the combine these tasks with business more of it, up to 512K bytes. The logic Microcomputer or PC… applications led SDS, with its Sigma was now bit parallel for more speed and line, to focus on multi-use and early integrated circuits were used for Pete England was the architect of the SDS Sigma timesharing capabilities. To meet these implementing the working registers. series of machines. Ed Bryan and Wendell Shultz requirements, SDS invented a memory The goal of the Sigma 5 was to provide developed the operating systems for the series.

CORE 4.1 PAGE 24 REPORT ON MUSEUM ACTIVITIES BY KAREN TUCKER

“There’s really only one rule: if you are confused about how to deal with [someone]…just treat that individual the way you’d like to be treated…and that will be the ‘Adobe way.’”

Karen Tucker is Vice President of AN EVENING WITH STEVE WOZNIAK Development, Marketing, and PR at the Computer History Museum Apple co-founder Steve “Woz” Wozniak engaged an audience of 300 people at Adobe co-founder John Warnock expressed the Moffett Field on December 10, 2002 importance of “shooting ahead of the duck” when with personal stories about his introducing new technology. WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES childhood—including pranks he used to With the purchase of our new building in play. He recalled his interest in October 2002 came an exciting change electronics, the inspiration of Tom Swift of direction from the Museum’s books, his success in science fairs, and previous plan to build at NASA Ames, a positive feedback he received from his change that enabled us to “step up the teachers and his parents. He relayed pace” and offer more to our members how he became a licensed ham radio and to the public than ever before. operator in 6th grade. He said he “went all the way through high school thinking, And step up the pace we did. In ‘I’m designing computers right and left, December 2002, less than two months Adobe co-founder Charles Geschke described his but I don’t think they ever have jobs and Warnock’s efforts to create a company culture after the completed purchase, with help that was positive and respectful of employees, designing computers. I mean engineers, from volunteers and many others, the customers, shareholders, and the community alike. which I want to be, you know, they Museum relocated to the new building. design TVs and radios and things.’” He Construction on a Visible Storage ADOBE SYSTEMS—THE FOUNDERS’ described how early on he “measured exhibit area and a new auditorium PERSPECTIVE himself by how few chips” he used and began the following month and was On November 22, 2002, the 20th discussed the sequence of break- completed in May 2003. On June 2, anniversary year of Adobe Systems, throughs and events that eventually led over 600 people gathered to celebrate more than 300 people gathered at to early Apple designs. To learn more, the opening of the Alpha Phase. See the Moffett Field to hear Adobe founders check out the events section of the article on page two for more details. It John Warnock and Charles Geschke in a Museum Web site. was a wonderful evening and gave us talk facilitated by Bernard Peuto. The all a chance to celebrate how far we two spoke about the company’s have come in so short a time. success throughout the years and shared key philosophies and strategies Museum lectures and events continue that enabled the company to to feature innovators and champions of revolutionize desktop publishing. computing history. Here are just some of our recent offerings. From PostScript to Illustrator to Photoshop to Acrobat, Adobe repeatedly introduced products for which there was no market. Warnock said that, “it’s Steve Wozniak told stories about a childhood full of really important...not to try essentially pranks and programming and discussed early innovations at Apple. for today’s market, but to look a couple years out and shoot ahead of the duck.” Geschke explained policies and culture that they believe helped the company to experience success and longevity. He said, “We wanted to build…a place that,

Photo by Earnest J. Ray frankly, we would like to work…And we Board Chairman Len Shustek (left) and Executive felt if we did that, we could attract…the Director and CEO John Toole officially ushered in the great engineers, the insightful marketing Museum’s Alpha Phase in a ribbon cutting ceremony with the city of Mountain View at the new building. people, the dedicated sales people.” Over the years, when asked to delineate the “Adobe way,” he would reply, Steve Wozniak autographs a BYTE magazine.

COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM PAGE 25

25 YEARS OF HENNESSY AND chips IBM was somehow not managing PATTERSON to create. “IBM was super-secretive with On January 7, the Museum opened the ideas, except Cocke would just go talk new year with a lecture at PARC with with a bunch of faculty and grad John Hennessy and David Patterson and students…and get us excited....” “This facilitated by John Mashey. More than was very controversial stuff. We did this 200 people heard these legendary men as assistant professors….It was heresy. speak about early RISC development It got emotional reactions.”

and their work since that time. As Photo by Earnest J. Ray assistant professors, both men taught Together the two authored Computer The database panel discussed the paradigm shift “brainstorming” classes to explore new Architecture: A Quantitative Approach, of relational databases, the incredible growth of the database industry, and ideas about the future technology directions. Hennessy considered for over a decade to be of data management. recalled the class goal of designing a essential reading for every serious processor where they “almost naively” student and practitioner of computer assumed, “given that VLSI is going to design. become the implementation technology, we need to re-look at the question of how processors should be architected HOW DATABASES CHANGED THE WORLD when they’re not being built from gate Chris Date, Herb Edelstein, Bob Epstein, arrays or bits-wise kinds of technology.” Ken Jacobs, Pat Selinger, Roger Sippl He added, “the fact that we had a and Michael Stonebraker, with limited number of transistors forced us moderator George Schussel gathered on Photo by Earnest J. Ray George Schussel moderated the database panel. to think really hard about what belonged February 10 to share database stories in hardware and what belonged in and lessons learned. to deal with combinations of business software.” processes….There’s going to be a After introductions, Date started the simple, powerful model for doing Patterson recalled being visited early on panel with a memorable acknowledg- that…that will have as big an impact as by John Cocke, who encouraged both ment of relational database pioneer the relational database did. It’s dealing him and Hennessy in their respective Edgar “Ted” Codd, who was unable to with our processes, not just our data.” work. Patterson surmised that, although attend (and sadly, passed away just two Edelstein concluded that there is and Cocke never said it, he visited the west months later on April 18). Date said, will continue to be a “vast increase in coast to “communicate ideas so they “We are all here…in this room because the scale of information” being could figure out how” to create the of what Ted Codd did back in the 70s” processed, where great “complexities at IBM when he proposed the relational come from the nature of data and the database model that “basically put the rules associated with data.” We are whole field of database management going to “need a way to deal with these onto a solid scientific footing.” complexities….Someone [will surface who will] abstract these new The panel noted the paradigm shift of complexities into a new paradigm.” relational databases and told stories of the companies and people that developed, used, and marketed NATURE OR NURTURE: ESTRIN’S LIFE database technologies over the past IN TECHNOLOGY, SO FAR three decades. Marketing was noted as Judy Estrin, second-generation computer John Hennessy recollected how he got into of primary importance to successful scientist thrice named to Fortune computers in the first place, how RISC developed, products and Selinger discussed some magazine’s list of the 50 most powerful and how the technology evolved over time. of the user testing that IBM underwent women in American business, spoke at in its decision to stick with SQL, a a Museum event hosted by Microsoft on powerful language criticized as March 5. Long-time friend and venture problematic and sometimes capitalist Yogen Dalal masterfully cumbersome. Epstein predicted that facilitated the conversation. Estrin databases will be used more and more described her “rich beginnings” and the as monitoring systems to process “incredible role models in terms of streaming data, where companies will values, ethics, and love of learning” she be “passing data through queries found in her parents, Thelma and Gerald instead of passing queries through Estrin, who worked together to build Dave Patterson was first introduced to computers data.” Sippl said, “There is a new Israel’s first mainframe computer, the one semester in college when he took a revolution coming, not of the algebra of Weizac. She said, “most of the people programming class because all of the math how to deal with tables of data, but how who grew up with me knew me as a sections were full.

CORE 4.1 PAGE 26 people person and maybe a facilitator, but not necessarily a leader….I’m not sure that anybody would have guessed that I would have ended up being an entrepreneur. On the other hand,” she countered, “I think that I perhaps was destined to be a technologist” because of her family environment, among other things. Photo by Michael Baxter Photo by Michael Baxter Estrin, who has co-founded multiple Dan Bricklin (left) and Bob Frankston (right) created Mitch Kapor followed on VisiCalc with Lotus 1-2-3, startup companies and become an VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet program. wanting to do something that “took it to the next level.” expert in organizational management, described her experiences at several THE ORIGINS AND IMPACT OF VISICALC CELEBRATING THE ETHERNET’S 30TH companies over the years. She On April 8, Dan Bricklin, Bob Frankston, ANNIVERSARY remembers writing her first business and Mitch Kapor along with Charles On May 22, the Museum and PARC co- plan on a TRS-80 with cassette tape Simonyi discussed the invention of hosted a special celebration of storage. At Zilog, she “learned that VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet “Ethernet at 30.” The event was marketing matters.” She had been program. Bricklin and Frankston created sponsored by 3Com, Cisco, HP, and quoted from those days as saying that VisiCalc and Kapor followed their Intel, and held at PARC in Palo Alto, “marketing is an unnecessary evil,” but innovation with Lotus 1-2-3. Calif. The first panel of speakers came to believe that “technology for included inventor Bob Metcalfe and technology’s sake doesn’t solve Bricklin came to understand the need early Ethernet pioneers Gordon Bell, anybody’s problems because it never for changeable content and prototyping Judy Estrin, and David Liddle. gets to the customer.” Estrin co-founded through observing his dad’s printing her first startup at age 26, her third business. In college, he daydreamed Metcalfe remembered that, in 1982, he startup was acquired by Cisco Systems, about a “magic, typeable blackboard thought with amazement, “there are and she is presently CEO of Packet that would do what I couldn’t, which is, people buying Ethernet whom I have Design, her fourth startup company. when I made a mistake…in my never met.” He remembers thinking just [spreadsheet] homework, I could erase four years later that “there are people one number and have [the blackboard] inventing Ethernet whom I have never change all the numbers.” met!” He went on to define several elements that made Ethernet Frankston reminisced about successful, including packets, layering, programming much of the software, distribution, the ether itself, and the creating final code that was just 20KB, Ethernet “business model,” which including operating system, screen consists of de jure standards, buffer, and disk utilities. Simonyi proprietary implementations, fierce pointed out that today’s Microsoft Excel competition moderated by a market requires 8.7MB for the software alone. committed to interoperability, and an evolution over time that preserves the Photo by Robert Hull Kapor admitted that when Frankston same base technology. Estrin pointed Venture capitalist Yogen Dalal facilitated a conversation with Judy Estrin. The first time he met gave him the first demo of VisiCalc, he out the commitment to being a “best” her, he was “struck by her incredible amount of said, “huh?” Then added, “Fortunately technology, instead of a deterministic energy...and adventuresome spirit.” that was not the last demo I got!” In one limited by the lowest common creating Lotus 1-2-3, Kapor wanted to denominator. Liddle gave an interesting “design something that could just stand history of competing standards that next to VisiCalc without embarrass- enabled Ethernet, although barely at ment.” Bricklin observed that in Lotus times, to continue to succeed. Bell, who 1-2-3, Kapor kept “all the things [from was instrumental in developing VisiCalc] that ended up being the right corporate alliances, told stories of his things, as opposed to making it advocacy for the technology. different for the sake of different, and then added new features” and changed Ann Winblad moderated the second things that were worth changing. panel discussion on the future of Photo by Robert Hull networking with industry thought-leaders Judy Estrin has been a role model for women in business, and always just “assumed” she would The lecture was co-hosted and held at Andy Bechtolsheim, Eric Benhamou, succeed in her efforts. She gives credit to her “rich Microsoft in Mountain View. Visit W. Eric Mentzer, and Stephen Squires. beginnings” within a creative technology family. www.bricklin.com for a personal history Bechtolsheim expressed his belief that of VisiCalc. the hardware and technology evolution

COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM PAGE 27

FIST LECTURE EVENT IN THE assist with the Web site, or arrange for MUSEUM’S NEW BUILDING future exhibits. Some help with On June 10, the Museum christened administration at the Museum’s office. the Hahn Auditorium with its first panel Still others open the Museum to six event in the new building: “Jurassic public tours each week as well as many Software: A Look Back at The special tours and scheduled events. Beginnings of Consumer Software.” On Since moving to the new Shoreline the panel, Intuit co-founder Scott Cook; location and opening the Alpha Phase, Broderbund Software co-founder Doug more than 50 dedicated volunteers Carlston; and Electronic Arts and 3DO have been involved with the staff and Bob Metcalfe celebrated the 30th anniversary of founder Trip Hawkins reminisced about their projects. Ethernet on May 22. Other presenters included the early days and recalled lessons Gordon Bell, Judy Estrin, David Liddle, Andy Bechtolsheim, Eric Benhamou, W. Eric Mentzer, and learned in the founding of a new Also since our move to the new Stephen Squires. industry. Stewart Alsop, venture building, 20 new docents have enabled capitalist, former P.C. Letter publisher, us to increase the number of tours from and Demo and Agenda conference two to six per week. Tours are now founder, moderated the lively available Wednesday, Friday, and discussion. Saturday afternoons. Thanks to Museum volunteers who have taken the Attendee Bob Glass remarked, “It was training to become docents and exciting to hear the ‘grand masters’ talk greeters—they independently run public about the anecdotes that formed the tours, welcome visitors, handle sales in beginning of personal computing! It put our Museum store, and make the a human touch to my knowledge of the collection come alive. evolution of consumer software.” Cake to celebrate the anniversary of this long-lived The Volunteer Steering Committee, a and successful technology John Wharton said, “What fascinated representative group that meets with me at the Consumer Software panel staff regularly, is the voice of the will continue, but that “the challenge was hearing the inventors themselves volunteers. The group is headed by Lee before us is in software, at the describe the context of their work—what Courtney, who serves as chairman. intersection of computing and they’d been doing when inspiration hit, Send requests for information or connectivity.” Benhamou reminded us how they fleshed out their basic comments on the volunteer program to that Aristotle defined ether as the concepts, and who helped them hone Lee Courtney or to Volunteer Program substance that surrounded the earth. their ideas to create a successful Manager Betsy Toole. For those This vision of “pervasive connectivity product. You can’t get stuff like that interested in helping, please visit will be ever more relevant as we head from books” www.computerhistory.org/volunteer and into the 21st century,” he said. Squires click on “Become a Volunteer.” characterized Ethernet as an “enduring and multidimensional invention” and VOLUNTEERS AND THE MUSEUM: CAN’T envisioned the next 30 years supporting HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER YOUR SUPPORT COUNTS the successful implementation of nano- The Computer History Museum’s Our members and supporters are technology in every aspect of our lives. volunteers are the lifeblood of the providing faithful and generous support It “won’t be just a little more of the organization! Behind-the-scenes for the Museum in spite of the same,” he said, “but a leveraging” of volunteers contribute many hours of challenges of the current economy. See current advances—molecular their time helping with a diverse array of the list of people on page 28 who are electronics, scalable modules, new projects. Some help plan new displays, current members at the $100 and abstractions and visualizations to hide above level. the details, systems growth, and applications development—to create If you have been contemplating joining comprehensive change. or lending your financial support to the Museum, we encourage you to “take Mentzer reflected on the continuing the plunge!” Not only can you enjoy the “convergence of the digital and real benefits of being associated with this worlds” and concluded the program with great institution, you can take pleasure high praise for Ethernet, asking, “How in your support of important work to many technologies do you know that are preserve and present key objects and 30 years old that you still want to be stories of this amazing time in history. Photo by Michael Baxter working on?” The Museum held its first lecture in the Hahn Please contact me if I can help you in Auditorium on June 10, 2003. A panel on early any way. Thank you!! software included Scott Cook, Doug Carlston, and Trip Hawkins, with moderator Stewart Alsop.

CORE 4.1 PAGE 28

THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS We thank our members and donors for their loyalty and enthusiasm and look forward to working with new friends as we build for the future.

ANNUAL DONORS Steve & Michele Kirsch Foundation Claudette & Henry Crouse Luanne Johnson CORPORATE MEMBERS Sandra Kurtzig & Carl Brunsting Vicki & Drew Dusebout Curtis Jones & Lucille Boone THE CORE CIRCLE Larry Kwicinski & Nanci Caldwell Barbara & Joseph Fredrick William Jordan ENTERPRISE CORE BENEFACTOR Ronni & Bernie LaCroute Oliver Friedrichs Lily Jow 50K ($50,000+) 64K ($65,536+) Jan & Sofia Laskowski Frank S Greene Randy Katz HP Gwen & C Gordon Bell Laura & Gary Lauder Geri Hadley & Ron Cote Jakob Nielsen L John Doerr & Ann Doerr Marc & Marian LeBrun William R Hearst III Thomas & Mark Kornei SYSTEMS Donna Dubinsky Shawn & Douglas MacKenzie William Holtzman Eric J Korpela 20K ($20,000+) Elaine & Eric Hahn James & Patricia Markevitch Jennifer & Chuck House Robert Kresek Microsoft Jeff Hawkins & Janet Strauss Robert & Katherine Maxfield John Impagliazzo Kevin Krewell Rambus Gardner Hendrie & Karen Johansen The Avram Miller Family Foundation Elizabeth & Dan Jick Winston Kriger Sun 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COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM PAGE 29 FELLOW AWARDS CELEBRATION 2003 UPCOMING EVENTS Please visit www.computerhistory.org/events for more event details and to RSVP for all events. More information is available at +1 650 810 1013.

THU, SEPTEMBER 25 THREE DECADES OF INNOVATION: PHILIPPE KAHN’S PERSONAL STORIES Hahn Auditorium, Computer History Museum

TUE, OCTOBER 21 FELLOW AWARDS CELEBRATION Hahn Auditorium, Computer History Museum

WED, OCTOBER 22 TIM BERNERS-LEE Hahn Auditorium, Computer History Museum

WED, NOVEMBER 12 SUHAS PATIL Hahn Auditorium, Computer History Museum

WED, DECEMBER 3 DON KNUTH: A DOZEN PRECURSORS OF FORTRAN Hahn Auditorium, Computer History Museum

MUSEUM ARTIFACTS ON LOAN

ONGOING (2003) “THE COMPUTING REVOLUTION” Museum of Science Boston, Massachusetts www.mos.org

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CORE 4.1 2 15/16" (HWD). This three-vacuum- held executable instructions, and four MYSTERY tube module formed part of the delay lines comprised auxiliary storage. machine’s mercury delay line memory, The magnetic recording drum (an ITEMS which translated a digital pulse train example of which resides at the FROM THE COLLECTION OF into sound waves, sent these waves Computer History Museum) contained THE COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM down a tube, then recirculated the one block of 16 read heads and a waves back through the tube. separate block of 16 write heads. Each Explained from CORE 3.3 head provided access to a track of 32 The English Electric Deuce was a words and both blocks could be moved general-purpose vacuum tube digital independently to any of 16 positions. computer, with a serial organization and a 1 MHz clock rate. It was a re- The DEUCE used standard Hollerith engineered Pilot ACE (Automatic (IBM) 80-column punched card Computing Engine), a landmark machine machines. Reading and punching conceived but unrealized by Alan Turing transferred one binary word per row of a and developed by the UK National card and conversion to and from Physical Laboratory. The ACE can be decimal was performed by software. seen today at the Science Museum, London. The DEUCE contained 1,450 The first machine was delivered in the vacuum tubes and was nearly twice the spring of 1955. From late 1955 English Electric, DEUCE Mercury Delay Line size of the ACE prototype. onwards, English Electric began selling Amplifier Circuit (1955), XD 4.75, Gift of Murray Allen. the DEUCE 2, followed in 1957 by a The DEUCE’s word length was 32 bits, DEUCE 2A; these featured, among other This small section of the British DEUCE and its arithmetic units were capable of things, re-engineered input/output (Digital Electronic Universal Computing performing single, double, and mixed systems. The company sold about 31 Engine) computer constructed at the precision binary integer arithmetic. The DEUCE 1 and 2 machines between English Electric Company is approx- fast main memory was comprised of 12 1955 and 1964, priced at around imately 2 lbs. and 4 1/8" x 8" x mercury delay lines. Eight delay lines 50,000 UK Pounds in 1958.

Please send your best guess to WHAT IS [email protected] before 12/15/03 along with your name, and THIS? shipping address. The first three correct THIS ITEM WILL BE EXPLAINED IN THE entries will each receive a free travel NEXT ISSUE OF CORE. mug with the Museum’s logo.

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