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From: minow@decvax.UUCP (Martin Minow)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Size limitations
Message-ID: <126@decvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 5-Aug-87 21:32:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: decvax.126
Posted: Wed Aug  5 21:32:03 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Aug-87 07:07:47 EDT
References: <8708050333.AA09967@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: minow@decvax.UUCP (Martin Minow)
Distribution: world
Organization: Digital Eq. Corp. - Merrimack NH.
Lines: 29

In article <smith%eri.decnet@mghccc.harvard.edu> writes:
>...
>It is interesting to note how conservative architects have been, in the
>face of memory technology that continues to deliver a factor of two every
>two years.  It seems that typically, the ratio between the smallest 
>memory configuration in the pioneer machine in a family and the place where 
>the architecture hits a wall is usually in the range of 16 or so.  
>
>Examples: PDP-11, minimum 16K, hits a wall at 64 or 256 depending on what
>kludges you tolerate.

Ahh, how soon they forget.  Quoting from the PDP-11 Programming Handbook
(2nd edition, 1969):

"The PDP-11 is available in two versions designated as PDP-11/10
 and PDP-11/20.  The PDP-11/10 contains ... 1,024 words of 16-bit
 read-only memory, and 128 16-bit words of read-write memory.  The
 basic PDP-11/20 contains ... 4,096 words of 16-bit read-write
 core memory, a programmer's console, and an ASR-33 Teletype."

Note that this was the original PDP-11/10 (I don't know if any were
actually manufactured), not the built-like-a-tank model from 1973
or so.  [And, yes, the manual is still useful.]

Back in 1969, Dec had 36 offices in the United States, 5 in Canada,
and 17 in Europe, Japan, and Australia.  We've grown a bit since then.

Martin Minow
decvax!minow