[Info-vax] Whither VMS?

[glen herrmannsfeldt]

Richard B. Gilbert <rgilbert88 at comcast.net> wrote:
 
(snip)
 
< Back in 1960, just about everything was unit record; e.g. punched cards. 
<  Programming was done by plugging patch cords into frames that were 
< then plugged into various sorters, collators, and maybe even a CPC (Card 
< Programmed Calculator)
 
< Computers were few and far between and used vacuum tubes!!

Well, Fortran goes back to 1956, but yes the others were pretty
popular for a while after that.  Sometimes for pre/post processing
for computers.  Some computers would write the output onto tape,
which was later put through a tape to print machine.
 
< I carry more processing capability in my shirt pocket than you could fit 
< in an 18 wheeler back in 1960; it's the PDA features on my phone; 
< calculator, appointment calendar, memo pad, address/phone book, . . . .

The last one I saw said more computing power in a singing
greeting card than all the computers in 1950.
 
< In 1970, we still used punched cards.  Uppercase only.  The word 
< processing program was "runoff" or "roff".  I believe it was written by 
< Brian Kernighan while he was a student at Princeton.  It would lowercase 
< everything unless you escaped it by preceding it with a $.
 
< The 1403N1 printer could print mixed case at a decent speed.

Some books were printed directly from the output.
 
< I don't miss it!  I have more processing power under my desk than 
< Princeton University's Computer Center had in 1970; an IBM System/360 
< Model 91 (90 nanosecond register to register addition) with a whole 16 
< megabytes of magnetic core memory.  My printer is about 1/20 the size 
< and weight of the 1403N1 printers that we used and is a lot faster and 
< much quieter.  The output is better looking too!

I thought it was 2 megabytes maximum for the 360/91, and that was
750ns core, 16 way interleaved to come close to the processor speed.
(I believe 60ns clock.)  

Even more, consider disk space.  In 1970, before the 3330, the usual
disk was the 29MB 2314, of which they might have about 10 for user
files for the whole place.  The 100MB 3330 around 1972 or so increased
that a little.

-- glen