ALTO: a Personal Computer System Hardware Manual
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Vcf Pnw 2019
VCF PNW 2019 http://vcfed.org/vcf-pnw/ Schedule Saturday 10:00 AM Museum opens and VCF PNW 2019 starts 11:00 AM Erik Klein, opening comments from VCFed.org Stephen M. Jones, opening comments from Living Computers:Museum+Labs 1:00 PM Joe Decuir, IEEE Fellow, Three generations of animation machines: Atari and Amiga 2:30 PM Geoff Pool, From Minix to GNU/Linux - A Retrospective 4:00 PM Chris Rutkowski, The birth of the Business PC - How volatile markets evolve 5:00 PM Museum closes - come back tomorrow! Sunday 10:00 AM Day two of VCF PNW 2019 begins 11:00 AM John Durno, The Lost Art of Telidon 1:00 PM Lars Brinkhoff, ITS: Incompatible Timesharing System 2:30 PM Steve Jamieson, A Brief History of British Computing 4:00 PM Presentation of show awards and wrap-up Exhibitors One of the defining attributes of a Vintage Computer Festival is that exhibits are interactive; VCF exhibitors put in an amazing amount of effort to not only bring their favorite pieces of computing history, but to make them come alive. Be sure to visit all of them, ask questions, play, learn, take pictures, etc. And consider coming back one day as an exhibitor yourself! Rick Bensene, Wang Laboratories’ Electronic Calculators, An exhibit of Wang Labs electronic calculators from their first mass-market calculator, the Wang LOCI-2, through the last of their calculators, the C-Series. The exhibit includes examples of nearly every series of electronic calculator that Wang Laboratories sold, unusual and rare peripheral devices, documentation, and ephemera relating to Wang Labs calculator business. -
A Screen Oriented Simulator for a DEC PDP-8 Computer
University of Wollongong Research Online Department of Computing Science Working Faculty of Engineering and Information Paper Series Sciences 1983 A screen oriented simulator for a DEC PDP-8 computer Neil Gray University of Wollongong, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/compsciwp Recommended Citation Gray, Neil, A screen oriented simulator for a DEC PDP-8 computer, Department of Computing Science, University of Wollongong, Working Paper 83-2, 1983, 65p. https://ro.uow.edu.au/compsciwp/69 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] THE UNIVERSITY OF WOlLONGONG DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTING SCIENCE A SCREEN ORIENTED SIMULATOR FOR A DEC PDP-8 COMPUTER .". N.A.B. Gray Department of Computing Science University of Wollongong Preprlnt No 83-2 January 25. 1983 P.O. Box 1144. WOLLONGONG. N.S.W. AUSTRALIA telephone (042)-282-981 telex AA29022 A Screen Oriented Simulator for a DEC PDP-8 computer. N.A.B. Gray. Department of Computing Science. University of Wollongong. PO Box 1144. WOllongong NSW 2500. Austr"1lia. ABSTRACT This note describes a simulator for the DEC PDP-8 computer. The simulator is intended as an aid tor students starting to learn assemDly language programming. It utilises the simple graphIcs capaDilities of the terminals in the department's laboratories to present. on the termI nal screen. a view of the operations of the simulated computer. The complete system comprises two versions at me program tor simulating a PDP-8 computer and a simplified "assembler" tor prepar Ing students' programs for execution. -
Go Forth with TTL !
Go Forth with TTL ! The Gigatron TTL Color Computer Forth for a Very Unusual Processor Ken Boak SV Fig. Forth Day 2019 . In September of 1975, MOS Technology launched the 6502 at the Wescon75 Computer Conference in San Francisco. Chuck Peddle and his team had created a very lean, stripped down, small die cpu. Costing just $25, the 6502 was a fraction of the cost of its nearest competitor. At that time the Intel 8080 was $360 and the Motorola 6800 was $175 . The 6502 was clearly a disruptive usurper. 25 year old, HP Engineer, Steve Wozniak, realised that this new microprocessor would be a game-changer and went on to incorporate it into the small computer he was developing. That machine went on to become the Apple I. In 1975 7400 TTL was the “Bread and Butter” of logic design: 7400 series TTL integrated circuits were developed in the early 1960’s. Initially quite expensive so mainly used in Military and Aerospace applications. By the early 1970’s TTL had become a versatile family of standardised, low cost,. easy to use logic. Typically about $1 per device. 7400 series logic was widely used in the design of minicomputers, including the PDP-11, the Data General Nova 1200 and later models of PDP-8. TTL was a viable, faster and cheaper processing solution than the emerging 8-bit microprocessors such as MOS 6502, Intel 8080 and the Motorola 6800. Essential Reading 16-bit TTL CPU board from Data General Nova 1200 The Gigatron TTL Computer – What is it? Started as a Hackaday.io project in Spring 2017 by Marcel van Kervinck of The Hague, Netherlands. -
Computer Architecture Anc Instruction Set Design*
Computer architecture anc instruction set design* by P. C. ANAGNOSTOPOULOS, M. J. MICHEL, G. SOCKUT, G. M. STABLER, and A. van DAM Brown University Providence, Rhode Island INTRODUCTION The Brown University Graphics System (BUGS)1* was designed as the vehicle for performing this research. Prin A group of computer scientists and mathematicians at cipally, the configuration consists of an IBM S/360-67 Brown University has been engaged in the study of running the CP-67/CMS time-sharing system,10 used by computer graphics for the past eight years. During the the entire Brown University community, and a satellite course of these studies a variety of topics has been inves display station, as illustrated in Figure 1. This reasonably tigated, in particular, during the last few years, the use of powerful satellite configuration provides such facilities as microprogramming for implementing graphics sys program editing and compilation, debugging tools, and tems.2021' In early 1971, Professor Andries van Dam and most importantly, application processing power and data his associates submitted a threefold research proposal to storage. However, because of the two rather distinct the National Science Foundation. The problems to be demands placed upon the local processor, that of display investigated were: generation and general computing, and because these two capabilities could run in parallel, it was further deter (1). Inter-Connected Processing (ICP-ing) between a mined that the inclusion of two separate processors in the central computer and an associated satellite proces graphics station would be in order. In particular, the first sor, with the goal of a dynamically alterable solu of these processors would be of a general-purpose nature, tion to the "division of labor" problem; program while the second would be designed specifically for main modules would be dynamically linked in either tenance and regeneration of the display. -
Cern Libraries, Geneva Cm-P00087609 Cern/Fc/1374
CERN/FC/1374 CERN LIBRARIES, GENEVA Original: English 15 September, 1971 CM-P00087609 ORGANISATION EUROPÉENNE POUR LA RECHERCHE NUCLÉAIRE CERN EUROPEAN ORGANIZATION FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH FINANCE COMMITTEE Hundred-and-fourteenth Meeting Geneva - 29 September, 1971 ADJUDICATION FOR REMOTE INPUT OUTPUT STATIONS FOR THE CERN CENTRAL COMPUTER SYSTEM The document CERN/FC/1340, Programme for Acquisition of Peripheral Equipment for the CERN Central Computer System, outlines the programme of development needed to build up a decentralized service based on the CDC 7600 computer. The first step in this programme consists of the acquisition of five or six Remote Input Output Stations. Each station will be based on a small computer which initially drives a card reader, line printer and a communications controller. Additional stations may be purchased later and some will be expanded by the addition of extra peripherals and high speed communications equipment as the demands on the decentralized service grow. The offers received from firms show the Modular One computer manufactured by Computer Technology Limited to be the one which most exactly meets the technical specification. The offer from Computer Technology Limited is a few percent more expensive than the two other possible machines for the initial configuration, but this is more than compensated for by the proven software and greater capability for ex• pansion of the Modular One Computer. The Finance Committee is requested to approve the award of the contract for an initial order of five or six basic Remote Input Output Stations from Computer Technology Limited at a price of approx• imately 182,000 Swiss Francs per station (excluding the card reader), with the possibility of later 71/286/5/e CERN/FC/1374 I. -
As We May Communicate Carson Reynolds Department of Technical Communication University of Washington
As We May Communicate Carson Reynolds Department of Technical Communication University of Washington Abstract The purpose of this article is to critique and reshape one of the fundamental paradigms of Human-Computer Interaction: the workspace. This treatise argues that the concept of a workspace—as an interaction metaphor—has certain intrinsic defects. As an alternative, a new interaction model, the communication space is offered in the hope that it will bring user interfaces closer to the ideal of human-computer symbiosis. Keywords: Workspace, Communication Space, Human-Computer Interaction Our computer systems and corresponding interfaces have come quite a long way in recent years. We no longer patiently punch cards or type obscure and unintelligible commands to interact with our computers. However, out current graphical user interfaces, for all of their advantages, still have shortcomings. It is the purpose of this paper to attempt to deduce these flaws by carefully examining our earliest and most basic formulation of what a computer should be: a workspace. The History of the Workspace The modern computerized workspace has its beginning in Vannevar Bush’s landmark article, “As We May Think.” Bush presented the MEMEX: his vision of an ideal workspace for researchers and scholars that was capable of retrieving and managing information. Bush thought that machines capable of manipulating information could transform the way that humans think. What did Bush’s idealized workspace involve? It consists of a desk, and while it can presumably be operated from a distance, it is primarily the piece of furniture at which he works. On top are slanting translucent screens, on which material can be projected for convenient reading. -
PERQ Workstations by R. D. Davis
PERQ Workstations R. D. Davis Last Updated: November 6, 2003 from the Sept. 7, 1991 edition. 2 Contents 1 Preface and Dedication 11 2 History 13 2.1 PERQ History as Told by Those Who Were There . 13 2.2 PERQ History as Otherwise Researched . 16 2.3 Late 1960's . 16 2.4 1972/1973 . 17 2.5 1973 . 17 2.6 1974 . 17 2.7 1975 . 18 2.8 1976 . 18 2.9 Late 1970's . 18 2.10 1978 . 18 2.11 1979 . 19 2.12 1980 . 19 2.13 1981 . 20 2.14 1982/1983: . 22 2.15 1983-1984? . 22 2.16 1984: . 23 2.17 1985 . 24 2.18 1986: . 25 2.19 1986/1987 . 26 2.20 1997 . 27 2.21 Things whose time period is questionable . 27 3 Accent Systems Corp. 31 4 More PERQ History 33 4.1 Graphic Wonder . 33 3 4 CONTENTS 4.1.1 Historical notes from Chris Lamb . 35 4.2 Alt.sys.perq . 36 4.3 PERQ-Fanatics Mailing Lists . 36 4.4 Original uCode . 37 5 The Accent OS 39 5.1 The Accent Kernel . 42 5.2 Co-Equal Environments . 44 5.3 Accent Window Manager: Sapphire . 44 5.4 Matchmaker . 45 5.5 Microprogramming . 45 5.6 Other Info. 46 5.7 Accent and Printing/Publishing . 46 5.8 Porting POS Code to Accent . 47 5.9 Accent S5 . 47 5.10 Naming of Accent . 47 6 The Action List 49 7 Adverts and Etc. 53 7.1 PERQ-1 . 53 7.1.1 PERQ Systems and cooperative agreements: . -
The Xerox Alto Computer, September 1981, BYTE Magazine
The Xerox Alto Computer Thomas A Wadlow 5157 Norma Way Apt 226 Livermore CA 94550 In the mid-1970s, the personal makes them worthy of mention is the computer market blossomed with the fact that a large number of the per introduction of the Altair 8800. Each sonal computers of tomorrow will be year since has brought us personal designed with knowledge gained from computers with more power, faster the development of the Alto. execution, larger memory, and better mass storage. Few computer en The Hardware thusiasts or professionals can look at The Alto consists of four major the machines of today without parts: the graphics display, the wondering: What's next? keyboard, the graphics mouse, and the disk storage/processor box. Each The Alto: a Personal Computer Photo 1: Two of the Xerox Alto personal Alto is housed in a beautifully I In 1972, Xerox Corporation de- computers. Each Alto processor is made formed, textured beige metal cabinet of medium- and small-scale TTL in cided to produce a personal computer that hints at its $32,000 price tag. tegrated circuits, and is mounted in a rack With the exception of the disk to be used for research. The result beneath two 3-megabyte hard-disk drives. was the Alto computer, whose name Note that the video displays are taller storage/ processor box, everything is comes from the Xerox Palo Alto than they are wide and are similar to a designed to sit on a desk or tabletop. Research Center where it was page of paper, rather than a standard developed. -
Decoding Computers from Mainframes to Microchips
Decoding Computers From Mainframes to Microchips It’s hard to imagine a world without computers, but there was a time, not too long ago, when they were kept under lock and key. They were stored in specially outfitted rooms, operated by specially trained personnel, performing especially important functions away from the public eye. These first computers, called mainframes, were enormous. We can trace the beginnings of today’s computers to these old mainframes, much like the fossil hunters who seek clues about early life on earth. How did we get here? How did we go from room-filling mainframes to pocket-sized computers? VISIT OUR MUSEUM! Schedule a tour for your classroom today! Go to livingcomputers. org/ and click on visit to learn more. 2245 1st Ave S | Seattle, WA 206-342-2020 | livingcomputers.org Decoding Computers: From Mainframes to Microchips What is a Computer? Basic Parts of a Computer • Hardware: The stuff you can hold — the materials and components It’s simply a machine that stores and processes information, designed to complete tasks that were too dull or difficult for humans. With the right • Software: The stuff you can use once you boot up and log-on instruction, a computer can be made to do almost anything the user can • Applications: Programs you can download and upload, open and close — conceive, from ordering a pizza pie to calculating pi. everything from the word processor you use for English class to the social media you use to chat with friends and frenemies • Operating system: The go-between for hardware and applications that manages the resource constraints of the hardware and the demands of the app Hardware is like a skateboard. -
Architecture and Computer Storage
White Paper Architecture and Computer Storage July 2002 Architecture and Computer Storage 0 EMC believes the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date. The information is subject to change without notice. The information in this publication is provided “as is.” EMC Corporation makes no representations or warranties of any kind with respect to the information in this publication, and specifically disclaims implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Use, copying, and distribution of any EMC software described in this publication requires an applicable software license. EMC2, EMC, and Symmetrix are registered trademarks and where information lives is a trademark of EMC Corporation. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright © 2002 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved Published in the USA H749 Architecture and Computer Storage 1 Table of Contents Architecture and Computer Storage............................................................................3 Why is architecture important for computer systems? .............................................................................................. 3 Architectures—Good and Bad .................................................................................................................................. 3 What about storage?.................................................................................................................................................. 4 Breakthrough #1 that changed -
Alto User's Handbook September 1979
ALTO . USER'S .HANDBOOK SEPTEMBER 1979 XEROX PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER ALTO USER'S HANDBOOK SEPTEMBER 1979 XEROX PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER 3333 COYOTE HILL ROAD PALO ALTO CA 94304 Copyright ,t 1979 Xerox Corporation Table of Contents Preface Alto Non-programmer's Guide 1 Bravo Manual 31 Laurel Manual 63 Markup User's Manual 85 Draw Manual 97 FTP Reference Manual U9 Neptune Reference Manual 145 ALTO NON-PROGRAMMER'S GUIDE by BUTLER W. LAMPSON ALTO USER'S HANDBOOK Preface . This handbook contains documentation for all the standard Alto services intended for use by non programmers. It is divided into seven sections, separated by heavy black dividers: The Alto Non-programmer's Guide, which has most of the general information a non programmer needs. The Bravo manual, which tells you how to prepare and edit text documents on the Alto. The Laurel manual, which tells you how to send, receive, and manipulate messages using our inter-Alto electronic mail system. The Markup and Draw manuals, which tell you how to add illustrations to documents. The Non-programmer's Guide contains some introductory material on illustrations. Finally, two reference manuals, one for FrP, which transports files between machines, and one for Neptune, which provides facilities for managing files on your Alto disk. These manuals supplement the introductory information on these two programs in the Non programmer's Guide. If you are new to the Alto, start at the beginning of the Non-programmer's Guide. Read the first four sections there, and then the first two sections of the Bravo manual. -
Xerox Innovation Spotlight Report: the Evolution of PARC
Innovation Spotlight Report: The Evolution of PARC July 2021 The Evolution of PARC This is the first in a series of Innovation Spotlight Reports that will provide a deep dive into our research and development (R&D) activities to create disruptive technologies in software, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, industrial Internet of things (IoT), and cleantech. These reports will highlight specific innovation pillars as well as potential products, focus areas, technologies, opportunities, applications and total addressable markets (TAMs). In this inaugural report, we provide a brief history of the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) – our primary innovation hub that’s one of many R&D facilities – and its evolution. Throughout its more than 50-year history, PARC’s mission has been to create and launch high-impact, breakaway businesses powered by disruptive technologies. PARC’s research staff of more than 200 includes some of the most talented, creative and entrepreneurial Ph.D.–level scientists and engineers in the world – people with the technical expertise, business sense and drive to turn breakthrough science into commercially viable solutions. We are confident that this world-renowned research facility, when combined with our focus to bring solutions to market and scale new ventures, will lead to material revenue generation and significant long-term value creation for all Xerox stakeholders. 2 Founded in 1970 in Silicon Valley, PARC’s charter was to create “The Office of the Future.” By all accounts, PARC successfully delivered on its mission in its first 10 years—inventing multiple office technologies that we still use today, including the laser printer, Ethernet networking protocols, the first personal workstation known as the Xerox Alto, the graphical user interface, and What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get word processing.