Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!pioneer!eugene
From: eugene@pioneer.arpa (Eugene N. Miya)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Survey of architectures was (Re: Proposed architecture characterization)
Message-ID: <7657@ames.arpa>
Date: 21 Apr 88 03:46:40 GMT
References: <2048@gumby.mips.COM> <10504@steinmetz.ge.com>
Sender: usenet@ames.arpa
Reply-To: eugene@pioneer.UUCP (Eugene N. Miya)
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Lines: 37

This form raises an interesting question.

I work with a young physicist who asked me what would be interesting machines
(computers) to learn about.  Let me explain a little bit about this fellow.
(He asks that I do this.)  He has only programmed on three machines his
entire life (his words): Cray X-MPs [usually blows $60,000 on a single run],
the VAX-line (VMS) and his little PC Jr. which he got from work, cheap.
He's amazed we have not better standardized computers (would really like an
X-MP which runs VMS, wants one language, one OS, one instruction set,
and pure speed) and this (standards) is why computer science will not be
a science.  <Flame [follow up] all you want about this, but use
mail for the next paragraph. He will read these, but he won't change.>

He's curious about what machines have been very influential in the design
of computers (what machines have been most important).  He's willing to
read ten references which I have agreed to try and find for him. He is
not willing to take my suggested list of important machines (the
IBM-360/370, DEC-10/20, Univac 1100, Xerox Alto, Apple II, IBM PC, etc.
I've done a Heisenflop now that I gave these to you, some user has to
recommend these as significant machines IF they are) thru history and wants me
to post this request because he wants the opinions of "experts."  So what
ten machines should I have him read about.  If I get more than 10 machines,
I will summarize and take "votes," so I prefer to get mail on this one
rather than deal with follow ups.  Any computer will do, it just should be
significant or influential, sort of a "top ten of architectural designs."
Let me know if you have run on them, or only read about them.

I guess the question is largely one of the generality of computer
experience.  Do machines completely bias the way we think about computers.
I suspect they do.  It's funny that we don't (can't) take a great deal
from history, only measured doses otherwise we seem to stagnate.

From the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers:

--eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@ames-aurora.ARPA
  "You trust the `reply' command with all those different mailers out there?"
  "Send mail, avoid follow-ups.  If enough, I'll summarize."
  {uunet,hplabs,hao,ihnp4,decwrl,allegra,tektronix}!ames!aurora!eugene