Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!apple!oliveb!pyramid!prls!philabs!linus!alliant!werme
From: werme@Alliant.COM (Ric Werme)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Looking for Computer Folklore
Message-ID: <3005@alliant.Alliant.COM>
Date: 25 Feb 89 04:00:30 GMT
References: <1582@uwovax.uwo.ca> <1583@uwovax.uwo.ca> <1259@ccnysci.UUCP> <5676@bsu-cs.UUCP> <7153@polya.Stanford.EDU>
Reply-To: werme@alliant.Alliant.COM (Ric Werme)
Organization: Alliant Computer Systems, Littleton, MA
Lines: 53

In article <7153@polya.Stanford.EDU> andy@Gang-of-Four.Stanford.EDU (Andy Freeman) writes:
>In article <5676@bsu-cs.UUCP> dhesi@bsu-cs.UUCP (Rahul Dhesi) writes:
>>In article <1259@ccnysci.UUCP> sukenick@ccnysci.UUCP (SYG) writes:
>>>PDP-10 (`Dec System 10', that is :-)
>
>>The PDP-10 became the DECSystem-10 gradually enough that Computer
>>Abstracts didn't notice, and listed both separately for some years.
>
>DECSystem-10 is a PDP-10 running the TOPS-10 Operating System.

Sigh.  I was going to not follow up on this, but since Andy did, I might as
well too.  I quote from the pdp10 reference handbook, second edition (C) 1971,
otherwise known as the "phonebook" (it was the thickness of a urban phonebook
and was printed on newsprint):

"INTRODUCING THE TOPS-10 MONITOR

"In the autumn of 1970, DIGITAL announced pahse I of the newest PDP-10
operating system, TOPS-10, Total Operating System.  The most comphrehensive
monitor available on a medium-to-large-scale computer, TOPS-10 greatly
extends the capabilities of the present system."

I believe DEC also introduced the term DECsystem-10 at the same time.  The
event was the introduction of the 5.01 TOPS-10, which came after the beloved
4S72 (swapping) and 4N72 (non-swapping) "timesharing monitors".  (Timesharing
had to be included because DEC had a model 10/30 which had a single user
monitor.)  4N72 was the last system that could run off a DECtape, I believe,
and 4S72 was small enough and simple enough so one person could understand the
whole thing without too much trouble.

DEC's marketing converted to the new names quickly enough, the people who
dragged their heels were the customers (Total Operating System?  Obviously
marketing hype) and those who saw the demise of the PDP prefix with the
adoption of the DECsystem-10 moniker.  (And VAX sealed it.)

BTW, PDP stands for Programmed Data Processor.  Back when the government had
a special board to review all computer purchases, DEC brought out its first
machine, the PDP-1.  I think it only cost $160K, and really didn't meet the
spirit of the review panel since other computers were over a M$.  By calling
it a programmed data processor instead of a computer, government purchasers
could bypass the review.

Also BTW, the computer museum in Boston has a PDP-1 that they fire up every
so often to run SpaceWar.  I was there for the 25th anniversary.  Beautifully
designed game.  I learned more about oribtal dynamics from the PDP-11 SpaceWar
we wrote at CMU than from most of the books I've read on it.  It's a real
disappointment that so few games since SpaceWar have tried to teach anything
other than how fast you can bang on the fire button.
-- 

| A pride of lions              | Eric J Werme                |
| A gaggle of geese             | uucp: decvax!linus!alliant  |
| An odd lot of programmers     | Phone: 603-673-3993         |