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From: jms@tardis.Tymnet.COM (Joe Smith)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers,comp.arch
Subject: Re: XDS940 computer (or Xerox Sigma 9)
Summary: PDP-10 can't run 940 binaries.
Message-ID: <1937@tardis.Tymnet.COM>
Date: 15 Jun 91 11:37:15 GMT
References: <1991Jun5.231450.25856@digi.lonestar.org> <13933@goofy.Apple.COM> <1991Jun12.180535.19518@sono.uucp>
Reply-To: jms@tardis.Tymnet.COM (Joe Smith)
Organization: BT Tymnet, San Jose, CA
Lines: 18

In article <1991Jun12.180535.19518@sono.uucp> miklg@sono.uucp (Michael Goldman ) writes:
>machine.  They had some DEC-10s they ran for development.  They  had changed
>the microcode on the DEC-10s so it would run 940 assembly code !! (Top THAT
>you hackers !).

No.  Tymshare went out of their way to make TYMCOM-X on the 10 look like
TYMCOM-IX on the 940.  It has the same prompts, the programs work the
same, and programs written in SIMPL, TYMBASIC, or SUPERFORTRAN could
be compiled on both the 10's and the 940's with no source changes.
The rumor about PDP-10s running 940 binaries is just folklore.

Note the use of present tense in the second sentence above.  Many of the
people in BT Tymnet use the TYMCOM-IX mode to this day.
-- 
Joe Smith (408)922-6220 | SMTP: jms@tardis.tymnet.com or jms@gemini.tymnet.com
BT Tymnet Tech Services | UUCP: ...!{ames,pyramid}!oliveb!tymix!tardis!jms
PO Box 49019, MS-C51    | BIX: smithjoe | CA license plate: "POPJ P," (PDP-10)
San Jose, CA 95161-9019 | humorous disclaimer: "My Amiga 3000 speaks for me."